Grading Practices that Make Sense and Support...

GRADING PRACTICES THAT MAKE SENSE AND SUPPORT LEARNING: EVIDENCE BASED GRADING AND REPORTINGERIC TWADELL, PH.D. ANTHONY REIBELSUPERINTENDENT DIRECTOR OF ASSESSMENT

myebrexperience.com

During this Presentation you will…

¨ …understand WHY we are challenging our grading practice.

¨ …see WHAT we did and still do to change it. ¨ …understand HOW it all works

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WHY DO EBR?

Good morning,

Brian got his chapter test back yesterday. He received a 75% on it. The grade had nothing to do with his understanding of the material. He forgot

to continue using the negative sign in two problems and didn't read the question carefully in one question.

I told him those are easy fixes. For the negative signs, I told him to either scribble darkly when he writes one or use a different color pen/pencil.

Directions, use a highlighter.

This test score doesn't reflect his ability or work ethic and I told him that. I know he cares about his grades and works hard.

Thanks!

First of All…

Good morning,

Brian got his chapter test back yesterday. He received a 75% on it. The grade had nothing to do with his understanding of the material. He forgot to continue using the negative sign in two problems

and didn't read the question carefully in one question.

I told him those are easy fixes. For the negative signs, I told him to either scribble darkly when he writes one or use a different color pen/pencil.

Directions, use a highlighter.

This test score doesn't reflect his ability or work ethic and I told him that. I know he cares about his grades and works hard.

Thanks!

First of All…

The Grading Dilemma

¨ Why would anyone want to change current grading practices?

“The answer is quite simple: Grades are so imprecise that they are nearly meaningless.” Robert Marzano, 2011

The Grading Dilemma

¨ point accumulation, not learning. ¨ competition rather than collaboration. ¨ focus on activities instead of results. ¨ makes all assessment summative ¨ grades have achieved ‘cult-like status’

• O’Connor, in Reeves (Ed.), Ahead of the Curve (2007)

Traditional Grading System

• System is based on assessment methods (quizzes, tests, homework, etc).

• One grade is given for each subject.

• Assessments are norm referenced and based on a percentage system.

• Use an uncertain mix of assessment of achievement, attitude, effort, and behavior.

• Use penalties and extra credit. Include group scores.

• Score everything. Regardless of purpose.

• Include every score, regardless of when it was collected.

• Calculate grades using the mean.

• Assessments vary in quality. Some evidence come only from teacher recollection.

• The teacher makes decisions about grading and announces these decisions to students.

(O’Conner, “The Last Frontier: Tackling the Grading Dilemma,” in Reeves [Ed.] Ahead of the Curve: The Power of Assessment to Transform Teaching and Learning, 2007)

What Does a Grade Represent?Or, a Rose by Any Other Name...

• Achievement of a standard

• Comparison with other students

• Effort

• Improvement

• Participation

• Behavior

• Promptness

The Missing Ingredient in Grading: A Focus on Learning

¨ The most common Grading errors: • The use of Zeros

• The use of Averages

• The use of grades as punishment (and rewards)

• The use of Weighting

Student A

40

60

80

90

90

What’s the Grade?

Student B

90

90

80

60

40

Student C

40  60  

MA  (missing  assignment)  60  80  90  

MA  (missing  assignment)  MA  (missing  assignment)  

90  90

How about now?

Did you….

Aggregate and then Analyze?

or did you…

Analyze and then Aggregate?

Todd Rose - The End of Average

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Find the Grade

! A 4 point multiple-choice question on a 50 point test weighted to 100 points. "

! Also suppose that there is a total of 300 points for the 6 weeks.  "

! Then, that one question is worth….?"

What does the research tell us about Grading and Reporting?

• Grading and reporting are not essential to the instructional process:

• Teachers can and do teach without grades, and

• Students can and do learn without grades.

• No one method of grading and reporting serves all purposes well.

• Grading and reporting will always involve some degree of subjectivity.

• Mathematic precision does not yield fairer or more objective grading and reporting.

• Thomas Gusky, 2009

Standards-Based Grading System

• System is based on learning and performance standards. • One grade is given for each learning goal. • Standards are criterion referenced and proficiency based. • Criteria and targets are known to all. • Measure only achievement. • No penalties or bonuses are given. Includes individual evidence

only. • Use only summative assessments for grading purposes. • Emphasize the most recent evidence of learning when grading. • Use median, mode, and professional judgment to determine

grades. • Use only quality assessment, and carefully record the data. • Discuss all aspects of grading with students.

(O’Conner, “The Last Frontier: Tackling the Grading Dilemma,” in Reeves [Ed.] Ahead of the Curve: The Power of Assessment to Transform Teaching and Learning, 2007)

WHAT IS EBR?

• Grades are based on a calibrated professional interpretation of student-produced evidence.

• Teacher is the grade giver • No averaging

• FEEDBACK IS THE GRADE! • Does the student know their areas of growth/mastery? Have they

attempted to re-apply the feedback? • Evidence of Growth and Mastery

• Body of work with consideration to how a student is growing. • Trust the Assessment Evidence!

• Can the teacher use (common) assessments to explain a grade?

EBR Core Elements

• Grades are based on a calibrated professional interpretation of student-produced evidence.

• Teacher is the grade giver • No averaging

• FEEDBACK IS THE GRADE! • Does the student know their areas of growth/mastery? Have they

attempted to re-apply the feedback? • Evidence of Growth and Mastery

• Body of work with consideration to how a student is growing. • Trust the Assessment Evidence!

• Can the teacher use (common) assessments to explain a grade?

To What Extent?

HOW EBR WORKS?

Starts with the Grading Policy

That learning must be determined by a calibrated professional interpretation of

student-produced evidence. Guskey 2014

How do we get to

Which leads to this Question

B+without points, averages, extra credit, weights, etc.?

Answer: Use Learning Targets

• 4-­‐  Write  arguments  to  support  claims  in  analysis  of  substantive  topics  or  texts,  using  valid  and  unique  reasoning  and  creative  and  sufficient  evidence  

• 3-­‐  Write  arguments  to  support  claims  in  analysis  of  substantive  topics  or  texts,  using  valid  reasoning  and  relevant  and  sufficient  evidence  

• 2-­‐  Write  arguments  to  support  claims  in  analysis  of  substantive  topics  or  text,  using  reasoning  and  sufficient  evidence  

• 1-­‐  Write  arguments  to  support  claims  in  analysis  of  substantive  topics  or  text,  using  evidence

4 - [Students will be able to] determine the appropriate model for a any situations by using key features.

3 - [Students will be able to] determine the appropriate model for essential situations by using key features.

2 - [Students will be able to] determine the appropriate model for a specific situation(s) by using key features. 1 - [Students will be able to] determine the appropriate model for a specific situation(s).

4

3

2/1

Targets create Balanced Assessment

An Assessment

Target Method Match

3- I can consistently simplify rational expressions in simple context skill simple, short

responseformative 8 Questions

4-I can consistently simplify rational expressions in complex context

product, process

process response

formative 2 process demonstrations

Stiggins  2003

Common Assessment Plan

The Result

New Assessments lead to New Grading Practice

4Exceeds

3 Proficiency 2 Approaching

1Still Developing

+1

-1

+1

-1

Total score: 2/4

Major

Major

Minor pattern with pre-requisite skills

Point Grading Evidence Grading

All of this information is put into A GRADE BOOK

NOT LIKE THIS!!!!!

Name Homework 1

Homework 2 Quiz Project Test Grade

Eric 8/10 7/10 34/40 30/30 85/100 A

Amy 7/10 9/10 39/40 24/30 92/100 B

Carol 7/10 7/10 31/40 29/30 95/100 A

Danny 6/10 8/10 35/40 28/30 87/100 A

Like This!!!

LT 1 LT 2 LT 3 LT 1 LT 2 LT3 LT 4 LT 1 LT 2 LT 3 LT 4 Score

Name 2 2 3 3 3 4 3 3 3 4 3 AG

Name 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 MG

Name 2 1 3 3 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 AG

Name 3 2 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 2 3 F

Objective Objective ObjectiveStandard 1

Growth Score

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3Name 3 3 3Name 3 2 3Name 3 4 4Name 3 2 1

Social Emotional

EBR Grade book components

New Grade book components

1. How am I Growing?

2. How am I Doing?

3. How am I Acting?

EBR GRADE BOOK

LT 1 LT 2 LT 3 LT 1 LT 2 LT3 LT 4 LT 1 LT 2 LT 3 LT 4 Score

Name 2 2 3 3 3 4 3 3 3 4 3 AG

Name 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 MG

Name 2 1 3 3 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 AG

Name 3 2 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 2 3 F

Objective Objective ObjectiveStandard 1

Growth Score

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3Name 3 3 3Name 3 2 3Name 3 4 4Name 3 2 1

Social Emotional

Example #1Part of Third Grade Writing Grade Book

Need Help?

4 3 2 1

4-3 4-1 2-3 1-4

4-2 3-2 3-1 1-3

3-4 2-4 2-1 1-2

Final Step!

A         =     A  score  of  3  or  4  for  each  of  the  standards  

B         =     A  score  of  2  for  any  standards,  with  a  3  or  4  in  all             remaining  standards.    

C       =   A  score  of  2  for  two  more  standards  (no  score  of  1)  

D       =   A  score  of  a  1  and  at  least  one  score  of  2  or  above  

F       =   A  score  of  1  in  three  or  more  standards.

tableau.d125.org

NEED HELP? USE EVIDENCE

tableau.d125.org

NEED HELP? USE EVIDENCE

NEED HELP? USE EVIDENCE

In The End

B+Grade Given By:

Tony Reibel

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