An Introduction to Student-Involved Assessment FOR learning,

Rick Stiggins

Chapter 11:Report Cards Assessments of

Learning

Chapter Focus

How can I communicate about

student achievement using report cards in a manner that helps my

students find success?

Grading Environment

1. Grades as communicators versus motivators

2. A continuing expectation of grades

3. The changing mission of schools4. Evolving achievement targets5. Changing student needs

Communicate About What?

Which elements are more important?

How are each defined? How or how

well are they assessed? What

weight do they have in grade

computation?

• Achievement• Aptitude• Effort • Compliance• Attitude

Reflection

Analyse their role in the grading process. Provide a list of 2 or 3 arguments both FOR and AGAINST.

Be ready to share your thoughts and state where you stand on the issue

Grading factors

Grades help us communicate effectively about students success if we:

• Clearly define expectations in each context• Develop sound assessments for the outcomes• Keep careful records of attainment of

expectations

5-Step Plan for Gathering Information for Grades

Step 1: Spelling out the big achievement picture…

• What subject knowledge do the students need to know

• What reasoning and problem-solving are involved• What performance skills do they need to

demonstrate• Do they need to produce a product and of so, what

does a good one look like?

Step 2: Turning your big picture into an assessment plan

• This involves going from “Here are my expectations”to “Here are your grades”.

• Be clear about each assessment that is graded, with expectations & standards, time limits and include what method of assessment will be used.

• Assessment FOR learning, but not for grading• Be a Merchant of Hope

Step 3: From a plan to actual assessments

Select actual assessments for each unit -->

Each component assessment represents it’s own small mosaic in the sense that it too is made up of its own

pieces (the test items) used to sample student achievement. Each component assessment must help

us see what the student has mastered. When you combine all of the pieces, you create the overall picture

of student achievement you need.

Step 4: Summarizing the resulting information

• Grade on achievement of prespecified targets only, not intelligence, effort, attitude, or personality

• Always rely on the most current information available.• Devise grade that achievement at the time of grading rather than improvement over

time• Decide borderline cases with additional information• Keep grading separate form punishment for bad behaviour• Change all policies that lead to miscommunication about achievement• Advise students of grading practices in advance• Add further detail to reports to promote understanding• Expect individual accountability even in cooperative environments• Give credit for evidence of extra learning, not for extra work.

Reflection

• How do we grade different students in the same classroom who are striving to attain fundamentally different targets?

• Should student’s report cards be based on achievement status at the end of the grading period or how much they improved during that period?

• Is it possible for the student with an IEP to receive an A on the report card- even though other students are hitting much higher targets?

Step 5: Converting composite achievement scores to a grade

Grade and report with preset standards:

• Students possess the prerequisites to master the required material

• The assessments accurately represent the targets on which the grade will be based.

• http://www.ecsd.net/report_cards/about.html

Report Cards that Deliver Greater Detail

• Standards & Competency-Based • Checklist of competencies attained• Narrative Reporting • Continuous-Progress Reporting• IEP & conferences• Portfolios (growth, achievement, competence &

celebration)• Pictures

--> See handouts

Final Guidelinesgrace

• You need not assign a grade to absolutely everything students produce. Allow time to grow in between grades- assessment FOR learning.

• Our challenge is not to rank students. The student’s next teacher needs more information than a rank, to know what to do next to assist.