Introduction to Standards-Based Grading

Standards-Based Grading and ReportingMarch 9th, 2012

How the pieces work together…

What Do You Already Know and Believe?Benefits:

I believe that…

I know that…

Potential Challenges:

I believe that…

I know that…

Guiding Questions for the Day

In our journey toward Standards-Based Grading and Reporting… Where are we as a school on this? Both K-12

and in ES-MS-HS? What do we need to do in order to

accomplish this goal? What learning do we need to make this shift? What are our biggest challenges? What are

potential solutions? What excites us about this change?

Student

Unit 1

Unit 2

Unit 3

Unit 4

Unit 5

AVEScor

e

Grade Median

Grade

Delete

lowest

Grade

1 59 69 79 89 99 79.0 C 79.0 C 84.0 B

2 99 89 79 69 59 79.0 C 79.0 C 84.0 B

3 77 80 80 76 80 79.0 C 80.0 B 79.6 C

4 49 49 98 99 100 79.0 C 98.0 A 86.5 B

5 100 99 98 49 49 79.0 C 98.0 A 86.5 B

6 0 98 98 99 100 79.0 C 98.0 A 98.8 A

7 100 99 98 98 0 79.0 C 98.0 A 98.9 A

In Your Group…

What are the major reasons we assign grades to students’ work?

Ideally, what purposes should grades serve?

What elements should teachers use in determining students’ grades? (for example, major assessments, compositions, homework, attendance, participation, etc.)

Consensus Building: The Purposes of Grading

Communicate the achievement of status of students to their parents and others

Provide information for students self-evaluation Select, identify, or group students for certain

educational programs Provide incentives for students to learn Document students’ performance to evaluate

the effectiveness of instructional programs Provide evidence of students’ lack of effort or

inappropriate responsibility

5 mins to select the 3 items you value the most.

Research Says… Grades should reflect student’s

achievement of intended learning outcomes.

Students and parents are the primary audience for grades.

Grades should reflect each student’s individual achievement.

Grades should support student’s motivation to learn.

Self Assess and Share

How similar and different are we? What does this say about the validity of grades

among teachers?

Why standards-based grading

may be a better match for our kids

Sorting different systems

Sorting out the Grading Systems

Types of grading: Pros and Cons Letter grades

Advantages Brief description of adequacy Generally understood

Disadvantages: Require the abstraction of lots of

information Cut-offs are arbitrary Easily misinterpreted

Types of grading: Pros and Cons Percentage Grades:

Advantages: Provide finer discriminations Increase variation in grades

Disadvantages: Require the abstraction of lots of

information Increased number of arbitrary cut-offs Greater influence of subjectivity

Types of grading: Pros and Cons Standards-based (checklist of skills)

Advantages: Clear description of achievement Useful for diagnosis and prescription

Disadvantages: Often too complicated for parents to

understand Seldom communicate the appropriateness

of progress

Types of grading: Pros and Cons Narratives:

Advantages: Clear description of progress and achievement Useful for diagnosis and prescription

Disadvantages: Extremely time-consuming for teachers to

develop May not communicate appropriateness of

progress Comments often become standardized

Grading is not essential to the instructional process Checking in on learning and feedback are essential

(teachers can teach without grades, students can and do learn without grades)

Checking is diagnostic (teacher is an advocate) Grading is evaluative (teacher is the judge)

No one method of grading and reporting serves all purposes well

Form follows function Method follows purpose If the function is to provide clarity in communication

than that should premise should drive how we report

Improve Communication

What do you report on? Proficiency/Product Progress Process

The Three P’s

Examples of Standards Based Report CardsProficiency Process

Progress

Student Info Key to Report

School Mission Statement

Purpose Statement

ProficiencyProgress

Charting the Course Forward

Break out into ES-MS-HS ES to MPR MS to HOP HS to BCR

Here you will consider what this means to your school based on the questions asked at the start of the session.

See you in 5 mins!

Individually reflect on these questions: Where are we on our journey toward

standards-based reporting in our section of the school?

What do we need to do (and supported by what learning) in order to accomplish this task?

What are our biggest challenges in making this shift? and potential solutions

What are we excited about?

Group Discussion: Ground Rules The circle is flexible, meaning people can

move in and out of the circle. If you wish to join the circle, you can move

in and tap someone out. You cannot tap anyone out who has not

spoken yet. If you are tapped out, you have to leave the

circle and find a seat, you can re-enter after a round of responses

There will be 5-7 mins. Per question

Question #1 Where are we on our journey toward

standards-based reporting in our section of the school?

Question #2 What do we need to do (and supported

by what learning) in order to accomplish this task?

Question #3 What are our biggest challenges in

making this shift and potential solutions?

Question #4 What are we excited about?

Reflection