Grading PhilosophyMarlboro Township K-8

Friday, February 12, 2016Entire District Articulation on Assessment

Friday, February 12th● On Friday, February 12th, every staff member engaged in a discussion on

assessment in our district.● This involved our collective thoughts on . . .

○ Strengths○ Role of Assessment○ Changes we could make for the 2015-2016 school year○ Changes that we could consider for the 2016-2017 school year

● Every school/grade level/department completed an Affinity Diagram○ Take a look at the pictures that follow . . .

Wednesday, April 27, 2016Middle School Science and Social StudiesCollaboration - Consensus - Teamwork

Wednesday, April 27th

● On Wednesday, April 27th, middle school science and social studies staff members engaged in a discussion on assessment in our district.

● With consensus, we agreed upon the following grading revisions for the 2016-2017 school year.

Middle School Science (Grades 6-8)

Assessments Applications (PBL) Common Assessment

IP OP

3 minimum @ 45% 3 minimum @ 40% 5% 5% 5%

Teachers will design and assign “Assessments.” The “Applications” (Project Based Learning) section will include assigned projects. Every project will have a rubric that will be given and discussed so students know how to be successful on the assignment. The other three components are the common assessment, independent practice, and online programs. Please note that the common assessment was lowered from 10% to 5%.

Middle School Social Studies (Grades 6-8)

Assessments Applications (PBL) PBA (individual) IP OP

3 minimum @ 45%

3 minimum @ 35% 1 @ 10% 5% 5%

Teachers will design and assign “Assessments.” The “Applications (Project Based Learning) section will be assigned projects. Every project will have a rubric that will be given and discussed so students know how to be successful on the assignment. The PBA will be discussed on the next slide. The other two components are independent practice and online programs.

The PBA will be an individual project. The Applications category can include group work.

Middle School Social Studies PBA● PBA

○ PBA stands for performance based assessment. Our district’s philosophy is that students must be prepared for the 21st century and the jobs and skills necessary to succeed and excel in the workforce. The performance based assessment will require students to defend, support, develop, innovate, and design an individual project that will demonstrate mastery of specific New Jersey Social Studies Student Learning Standards.

○ The PBA will be an individual project that will have a clear rubric describing expectations designed to have students think critically and be creative about a topic. Students will have the opportunity to have a voice/choice in their specific topic and to be innovative in their approaches to completing the PBA. Rubrics that delineate specific expected outcomes will be disseminated to students when the project is initially assigned.

○ Specifics on the performance based assessments will be disseminated in the 2016-2017 school year by staff.

○ Please note that the PBA is worth 10% of a student’s marking period average.

Middle School Mathematics (Grades 6-8)

Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Activity

2 2 2 Tests - 40%

2 2 2 Quizzes - 30%

2 2 2 Supplemental & Online Programs - 20%

1 1 1 Common Assessment - 5%

Independent Practice - 5%

Changes - Quizzes were raised to 30% from 25%. Supplemental and Online Programs were combined for 20%. The Common Assessment was lowered from 10% to 5%. The CPT has been eliminated as a day of testing and will be embedded into daily instructional practices. CPT’s still may appear in the gradebook as an assignment.

Middle School Literacy (Grades 6-8)

Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Activity

2 2 2 Tests - 40%

2 2 2 Quizzes - 25%

2 2 2 Supplemental - 20%

1 1 1 Common Assessment - 5%

Independent Practice - 5%

Online Programs - 5%

Changes to ELA Literacy: Supplemental was raised from 15% to 20%. The Common Assessment was lowered from 10% to 5%.

Middle School Written Expression (Grades 6-8)

Changes to ELA Written Expression: Supplemental was raised from 20% to 25%. The Common Assessment was lowered from 10% to 5%.

Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Activity

2 2 2 Process Writing - 40%

2 2 2 Quizzes - 25%

2 2 2 Supplemental - 25%

1 1 1 Writing Task - 5%

Independent Practice - 5%

1st Grade ● No social studies or science grades will be recorded in Genesis.

■ Teachers have full autonomy to assign innovative and creative assignments.■ There are no “grading bucket requirements” in first grade in science and social studies. ■ PBL (projects) grades will include the use of a rubric in student-friendly language so all

students understand how to be successful on an assignment. ■ All work will still come home with students even though grades will not be assigned in

the grade book for science and social studies.

● Continue with no common assessments in science and social studies in first grade.

● Math and ELA (only) will appear in the grading portal/on the report card.

Grade 2 Science and Social Studies

● There will be grades in science and social studies in Genesis.■ Teachers have full autonomy to assign innovative and creative assignments.■ There are no “grading bucket requirements”.■ PBL (projects) grades will include the use of a rubric in student-friendly language so all

students understand how to be successful on an assignment.

● Grades in Grade 2 for science and social studies will be O - S - U○ Outstanding○ Satisfactory○ Unsatisfactory

● The subjects will be taught for two marking periods each.■ Your specific schedule will be disseminated during the 2016-2017 school year.

● Continue no common assessments in science and social studies in second grade.

1st & 2nd Grade LiteracyGrade 1 Grade

2Activity

2 2 Tests - 45%

2 2 Quizzes - 35%

2 2 Supplemental - 20%

Teachers have the ability of utilizing projects as they see fit in instruction. All projects will require the use of a rubric so that students understand the specific grading expectations.

Please note that common assessments have been removed from the grading expectations. The grade for the common assessment when it is administered will appear in the grade book so that parents can understand how their child performed on the State Standards.

Changes: Quizzes was raised from 25% to 35%. The Common Assessment was eliminated from the gradebook.

1st & 2nd Grade Written Expression

Teachers have the ability of utilizing projects as they see fit in instruction. All projects will require the use of a rubric so that students understand the specific grading expectations.

Please note that the writing task is still included in the grading expectations. The writing task is now worth 5%.

Grade 1 Grade 2 Activity

2 2 1 Test & 1 Process Writing - 45%

2 2 Quizzes - 25%

2 2 Supplemental - 25%

1 1 Writing Task - 5%

Changes: Supplemental was raised from 20% to 25%. The Writing Task was lowered from 10% to 5%.

Grade 1 ELA Common Assessments

● Grade 1: Marking periods 1-2■ CAs will be teaching tools.■ Teachers will use the “pieces” of the assessments for instructional purposes. ■ There will be no comprehensive ELA common assessment recorded in the grade book.

● Grade 1: Marking periods 3-4■ CAs will be given as a summative assessment to drive instruction.■ CAs will be represented in the grade book, but the scores will not count toward the

marking period average of a student. ■ Every common assessment administered will be discussed with students so they

understand their strengths and areas of improvement.

Grade 2 ELA Common Assessments● Grade 2: Marking period 1

■ CAs will be teaching tools.■ Teachers will use the “pieces” of the assessments for instructional purposes. ■ There will be no comprehensive ELA common assessment recorded in the grade book.

● Grade 2: Marking periods 2-4■ CAs will be given as a summative assessment to drive instruction.■ CAs will be represented in the grade book, but the scores will not count toward the

marking period average of a student.■ Every common assessment administered will be discussed with students so they

understand their strengths and areas of improvement.

1st & 2nd Grade Mathematics

Grade 1 Grade 2

Activity

2 2 Tests - 45%

2 2 Quizzes - 25%

2 2 Supplemental - 25%

1 1 CA - 5%

Changes: Supplemental has been raised from 20% to 25%. The Common Assessment has been lowered from 10% to 5%. The CPT has been eliminated as a day of testing.

Teachers have the ability of utilizing projects as they see fit in instruction. All projects will require the use of a rubric so that students understand the specific grading expectations.

Please note that the current practice included the administration of the math common performance task. This separate testing administration has been eliminated for the 2016-2017 school year. Teachers will embed this task into instructional practices.

Please also note that the common assessments will still be administered and counted in the grade book of students. We gained feedback from staff and closely examined the test scores of students. After this examination, the decision was made to continue placing common assessments into the gradebook in grades 1-2. Common Assessments will now be worth 5% of a student’s marking period average instead of 10%.

Grades 1 and 2 Mathematics Common Assessments & Common Performance Tasks● Grades 1 and 2 Mathematics Common Assessments

○ Common Assessments will be administered in both grade levels.○ Common Assessments will count in the grade book averages of students (5%)○ Every common assessment administered will be discussed with students so they understand

their strengths and areas of improvement.

● CPTs ○ Will not be formally given as a separate day of testing.○ Teachers will utilize CPTs as learning tools by embedding into instruction.○ The content may count in the grade book.

Grades 3-5 (General Information) ● In Grades 3-5, common assessments will exist in ELA and mathematics.

○ They will now be worth 5% instead of 10%. ● Science & Social Studies

○ Each subject will be taught 2 marking periods.○ Buildings and grade levels will determine the specific look and convey information to

parents/guardians in the 2016-2017 school year. ● Common Assessments in Science and Social Studies in 5th Grade

○ Common Assessments will only be administered in these two subjects in 5th grade based upon other preliminary criteria for placement into honors science and social studies classes for 6th grade. Parents/guardians may withhold permission to test with caveat that this precludes a student from further honors consideration in these two subjects for the following (6th grade) year.

● Teachers have the ability of utilizing projects as they see fit in instruction. All projects will require the use of a rubric so that students understand the specific grading expectations.

Grades 1-8 Common Performance Task

● The common performance tasks will be embedded into instruction by our teachers and may be seen in teachers’ gradebooks.

● Teachers will use these higher-order thinking problems in instructional practices.

Achieve3000● We have had discussions regarding the grading of Achieve3000 in grades

6-8.● Achieve3000 will exist in the gradebook @ 5% under online programs.● Students will have the opportunity to retake Achieve3000 activities if they

would like an opportunity to raise a grade. This will occur at the building level and will be implemented by the building principal.