CURRICULUM

INSTRUCTION

ASSESSMENT & GRADING

Handbook

MISSION STATEMENT

We engage and support all learners to

discover their passions,

achieve high academic goals, and

contribute to a global society.

Updated July 2017

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Table of Contents

Glossary ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... iii General Information ............................................................................................................................................................................... 1

State Curriculum ................................................................................................................................................................................. 1 Local Curriculum ................................................................................................................................................................................. 1 Local Curriculum Guides ................................................................................................................................................................. 1 State Assessments .............................................................................................................................................................................. 2 Local Assessments .............................................................................................................................................................................. 2

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Curriculum Model ............................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships ........................................................................................................................................... 4

Rigor .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Relevance .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Enduring Understandings .................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Examples of Enduring Understandings ..................................................................................................................................... 5

Essential Questions ................................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Helpful Checklist: Constructing Essential Questions .......................................................................................................... 7 Examples of Essential Questions .................................................................................................................................................. 8

Defining Rigor and Relevance .......................................................................................................................................................... 10 Rigor/Relevance Framework ...................................................................................................................................................... 11 Knowledge Taxonomy Verb List ................................................................................................................................................ 11 Applying Bloom’s Taxonomy ....................................................................................................................................................... 12 Application Model Decision Tree Statements ....................................................................................................................... 14 Rigor and Relevance Example – Basic Nutrition.................................................................................................................. 15 High School Content Examples of Rigor/Relevance Framework ................................................................................. 16 Importance of Rigor/Relevance Framework ........................................................................................................................ 18

Teacher/Student Roles .............................................................................................................................................................. 18 Learning Targets .................................................................................................................................................................................... 19

Examples of Learning Targets - Subject Specific ................................................................................................................. 19 Performance Indicators ...................................................................................................................................................................... 20 Curriculum Design in Stages ............................................................................................................................................................. 21

Stage 1 – Unit Design ....................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Stage 2 – Assessments and Learning Activities .................................................................................................................... 21

Directions: Stage 1 – Unit Design Documents .......................................................................................................................... 21 Completing Google Documents: Course Overview Sheet ................................................................................................ 22 Completing Google Documents: Units Sheet ........................................................................................................................ 22 Completing Google Documents: Targets Sheet ................................................................................................................... 22 Completing Google Documents: Standards Sheet .............................................................................................................. 22

Directions: Stage 2 – Assessments and Learning Activities ................................................................................................ 23 Completing Google Documents: UnitPlans Sheet ............................................................................................................... 23

Instruction ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 25 Instructional Practices .................................................................................................................................................................... 25

Assessment .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 27 Assessment Methods ....................................................................................................................................................................... 27 The Role of Formative and Summative Assessment .......................................................................................................... 28

HUHS Board Policy 5421: Grading ................................................................................................................................................. 30 Grading Philosophy .......................................................................................................................................................................... 30 Reporting Student Progress ......................................................................................................................................................... 30 Grading Scales .................................................................................................................................................................................... 30

HUHS Board Administrative Guideline 5421: Grading .......................................................................................................... 31 Formative Assessment and Feedback ...................................................................................................................................... 31 Summative Assessment and Grade Reporting ...................................................................................................................... 31

Teachers’ Role and Responsibilities .................................................................................................................................... 32 Student Role and Responsibilities ........................................................................................................................................ 32

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Parent/Guardian Role and Responsibilities ..................................................................................................................... 32 Administrative Role and Responsibilities ......................................................................................................................... 32

Course Grading Policies ................................................................................................................................................................. 32 District Academic Grading Practices ............................................................................................................................................. 33

Grading Practice 1 ............................................................................................................................................................................ 33 Grading Practice 2 ............................................................................................................................................................................ 33 Grading Practice 3 ............................................................................................................................................................................ 33

District Academic Grading Procedures ........................................................................................................................................ 34 Gradebook Grading Categories ................................................................................................................................................... 34

Citizenship Feedback ................................................................................................................................................................. 34 Academic Feedback .................................................................................................................................................................... 34 Academic Proficiency ................................................................................................................................................................. 34

Teacher Records/Gradebook ....................................................................................................................................................... 35 Due Dates and Penalty Dates .......................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Special Codes ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 36 Reassessments or Retakes ............................................................................................................................................................ 36 Return of Graded Work .................................................................................................................................................................. 36 Negative Impact of Zeroes ............................................................................................................................................................ 36 Avoid Grading Based Only on Averages (Mean Scores) .................................................................................................... 37 Extra Credit ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 37 Homework .............................................................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism ...................................................................................................................................... 37

Citizenship Grades ................................................................................................................................................................................ 37 Citizenship Grading Procedures ................................................................................................................................................. 38

References ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 40

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Glossary

assessment: The process of documenting, usually in measurable terms, knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs; activities teachers use to help students learn and to gauge student progress. Types of assessments include: formative and summative, objective and subjective, referencing (criterion-referenced, norm-referenced), and informal and formal

common assessment: The process of aligning learning targets to summative assessments that are used commonly among all teachers of a specific course to ensure students are performing at defined expectations

curriculum: Literally, “the course to be run.” In this handbook, curriculum refers to the explicit and comprehensive plan developed to honor a framework based on content and performance standards.

enduring understanding: The specific inferences, based on big ideas, that have lasting value beyond the classroom. In UbD, enduring understandings are written as complete sentences, describing specifically what students should understand about a topic. Enduring understandings are central to a discipline and are transferable to new situations.

essential question: A question that lies at the heart of a subject or a curriculum and promotes inquiry and uncoverage of a subject. Essential questions do not have a specific straightforward answer. An essential question can be either overarching or unit specific.

feedback: Feedback is best when immediate and provides details about a response. Feedback should enhance instruction and guide student revision in learning and progress. In defining feedback, Grant Wiggins (2004) provides the following clarification:

formative assessment: Assessment FOR learning; Provides (1) Non-threatening results; (2) Direct and immediate; (3) structured information; and (4) ways to improve

grading: A teacher’s standardized evaluation of a student’s work; typically expressed as quantifiable and calculated into a numeric grade point average.

indicators: A term used to provide details to learning targets by grade level or course. These details may provide essential vocabulary, sequencing information, and prioritization to help differentiate learning targets between grades, courses, and levels.

learning target: A specific educational or achievement goal. Common synonyms include performance objective, benchmark, and intended outcome. Although a learning target involves complex learning, it is written in measurable terms, indicating both the rigor and relevance to which a student will demonstrate the learning target.

reporting: A tool that measures a student’s growth of learning over time. A successful reporting system is comprehensive and effective in communicating multiple types of information to multiple audiences in multiple formats.

rubric: A scoring tool or document that articulates the expectations for a piece of work through criteria or components (i.e., purpose, organization, details) and articulates gradations of quality for each criterion, from excellent to poor (Heidi Andrade)

scaffolding: A variety of instructional techniques which provide successive levels of temporary support used to progress students toward deeper understanding and independence in the learning process; often used to bridge learning gaps by helping students reach higher levels of comprehension and skill acquisition.

scoring: The process of assigning points or a symbol to represent a holistic analysis of an assessment.

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standard: The term standard is used to address how well the student must perform, at what kinds of tasks, and based on what content. In this handbook and curriculum model, the term standard will primarily refer to standards set by outside groups, i.e., Wisconsin Model Academic Standards, Common Core State Standards, ACT Standards, national standards.

summative assessment: Assessment OF learning; Provides a score in which an evaluation is made

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General Information

Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction need to be closely aligned so that they reinforce one another. Curriculum details what students should learn. Instruction provides a vehicle as to how students will learn. Assessments reveal how well students have learned.

State Curriculum

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction provides content standards and curriculum frameworks for K-12 school districts. Curriculum content is not prescribed in detail by the Wisconsin DPI but provides a framework to draw upon for the development of local curriculum.

Local Curriculum

The Board of Education expects that learning shall be enhanced by adherence to a curriculum that promotes continuity and cumulative acquisition of skills and knowledge from grade to grade. The curriculum should reflect the best knowledge of the growth and development of learners, the needs of learners based on the nature of society, the desires of the residents and taxpayers of the District and state laws and statutes. Course learning targets shall be derived from state and national standards and in conjunction with national, state, and local assessments. The curriculum is designed to provide teachers and students with the Board’s expectations of what students are to learn. Teachers are expected to teach the curriculum of the District.

Local Curriculum Guides

Written curricula and instructional guides shall be developed for all content areas in the District. The guides shall be used to map a logical sequence of instruction. The expectations are that:

1. Curriculum shall be documented in writing; 2. The curriculum shall be reviewed on a regular cycle and updated as needed; 3. Teachers shall have copies of guides and use the learning targets to develop daily lesson plans ; 4. Administrators shall work with teachers to maintain consistency between the written curriculum

and learning targets instructed and assessed.

Instructional resources such as personnel, textbooks, software, and other materials shall be selected based upon their alignment with the learning targets and priorities of the District. Professional learning shall be designed and implemented to prepare staff members to teach the designed curriculum.

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State Assessments

Wisconsin uses a balanced assessment system to interrelate and support the teaching and learning cycle. The assessment system is part of a 21st century system of learning by integrating standards, curriculum, instruction, and support structures to certify that students are college and career ready. The Wisconsin Student Assessment System

(WSAS) is a comprehensive statewide program

designed to provide information about what

students know in core academic areas and whether

they can apply what they know (Department of

Public Instruction).

For the high school level, the WSAS includes:

the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination (WKCE) at grade 10 in Science and Social

Studies;

the Wisconsin Alternate Assessment for students with disabilities (WAA-SwD) at grade 10 in

Science and Social Studies,;

Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) for students with disabilities at grades 10-11 in ELA and

Mathematics;

ACT Aspire at grades 9 and 10 for ELA, math, reading, science, and writing;

ACT WorkKeys for grade 11 to measure foundational and soft skills for job skills, and

the ACT at grade 11 for ELA and Mathematics, Science, and Writing.

Local Assessments

Local assessments include placement tests for students entering 9th grade, screening assessments, and course-based assessments.

Section A - Curriculum

Section A CURRICULUM

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Introduction

According to Marzano (2003), a detailed analysis of educational research revealed that one of the most powerful predictors of student achievement is a guaranteed and viable curriculum. A viable curriculum is defined as opportunity to learn and time spent teaching the content. Marzano argues that students’ opportunity to learn is the most powerful predictor of student achievement. He offers the following action steps to achieve a viable curriculum in light of the current standards movement: identifying essential content, sequencing the content, finding time to teach the essential content, and ensuring that teachers teach the content (pp. 25-30).

Locally, essential content can be further delineated through the identification of a set of big ideas called “enduring understandings” (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005). These understandings represent the essence of a discipline and should be engaging for students. Rigor is characterized as teaching fewer topics for depth coupled with analytic thinking skills. Once curriculum is adopted, ongoing professional development and support structures must be present in order to ensure effective teaching of adopted curriculum (Loucks-Horsley, Hewson, Love, & Stiles; 1998).

The goal of curriculum development in the Hartford Union School District is to create rigorous, viable curriculum that provide opportunities for all students to learn. This process includes identifying and sequencing essential content, identifying enduring understandings, providing teachers with appropriate instructional materials, and providing professional development and support systems for teachers as they implement adopted curriculum.

Curriculum Model

The curriculum planning and delivery model used by Hartford Union High School is based upon Understanding by Design, or UbD. The emphasis of UbD is on "backward design," the practice of looking at the outcomes in order to design curriculum units, performance assessments, and classroom instruction. The UbD framework was designed by nationally recognized educators Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, and published by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Defined by Wiggins and McTighe, Understanding by Design is a "framework for designing curriculum units, performance assessments, and instruction to lead your students to deep understanding of the content you teach." UbD expands on "six facets of understanding," which include students being able to explain, interpret, apply, have perspective, empathize, and have self-knowledge about a given topic.

Teachers traditionally start curriculum planning with activities and textbooks instead of identifying classroom learning goals and planning towards that goal. In backward design, the teacher starts with classroom outcomes and then plans the curriculum, choosing activities and materials that help determine student ability and foster student learning.

"Teaching for understanding" is another central premise of Understanding by Design. It should be evident in course design, teacher and student attitudes, and the classroom learning environment. There should be coherent curriculum design and clear distinctions between big ideas and essential questions. The classroom learning environment should have high expectations and incentives for all students to come to understand the big ideas and answer the essential questions.

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Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships

As educational systems struggle to cope with new accountability requirements, working harder or continuing to do what has always been done will not produce improved student achievement. Different approaches are needed for different results. The work of the International Center for Leadership in Education leads the efforts in defining learning criteria in which schools can judge their effectiveness using quantitative indicators: core learning, stretch learning, student engagement, and personal skill development. The model of rigor, relevance, and relationships (R3) provide a framework for a balanced educational program to ensure all students a successful future. Applying the concepts and levels of rigor and relevance is useful in bringing curriculum, instruction, and assessments into alignment. The Center provides the following rationale for R3:

1. A changing world 2. Need to motivate all students to high achievement 3. Emphasize essential skills/knowledge 4. Shift focus from teaching to learning 5. Reduce overloaded curriculum 6. Unified perspective and focus 7. Preparation for state tests

“Rigor and relevant instruction presents projects and problems that are related to context. When students experience a problem in context, they are more likely to make connections and thus see the value in what they are learning. The rigor follows.” (Brainpan and Jones, p. 5)

(The following paragraphs are taken from Leadership for Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships handbook with permission.)

Rigor Rigor refers to academic rigor—learning in which students demonstrate a thorough, in-depth mastery of challenging tasks to develop cognitive skills through reflective thought, analysis, problem-solving, evaluation, or creativity. Rigorous learning can occur at any school grade and in any subject. The Knowledge Taxonomy describes levels of rigor.

Relevance Relevance refers to learning in which students apply core knowledge, concepts, or skills to solve real-world problems. Relevant learning is interdisciplinary and contextual. Relevant learning is created, for example, through authentic problems or tasks, simulation, service learning, connecting concepts to current issues, and teaching others. The Application Model describes levels of relevance.

Students consistently indicate

that they do not work as hard

as they are capable of

if they fail to see the relevance

Knowledge Taxonomy

Level 1 – Knowledge/Awareness

Level 2 – Comprehension

Level 3 – Application

Level 4 – Analysis

Level 5 – Synthesis

Level 6 - Evaluation

Application Model

Level 1 – Knowledge in One Discipline

Level 2 – Application in One Discipline

Level 3 – Interdisciplinary Application

Level 4 – Real-world Predictable Situations

Level 5 – Real-world Unpredictable Situations

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Enduring Understandings

What is an enduring understanding? Enduring understandings are the big ideas that have lasting value beyond the classroom. They are the over-arching ideas (not the small details or skills) you want the students to remember long after they have left your class. Planning Enduring Understandings involves reviewing state and national content standards, state and national assessment standards, and recent review of research and literature. Considering the relevance is also critical in determining Enduring Understandings.

Generally you will have 3-5 enduring understandings per unit; however, you could have more or you could have less.

Enduring understandings are generally abstract in nature. State specifically what about the topic students are expected to grasp. Teachers should ask, “What

do we want students to understand and be able to use/remember several years from now, after they have forgotten the details/skills?”

Avoid stating the enduring understanding as a topic (e.g., students will understand the water cycle) or skill (e.g., students will understand how to multiply).

Consider what student misunderstandings for the concept are predictable. Many times having the students overcome a predictable misunderstanding is something you want the students to remember beyond your classroom.

Enduring understandings are often not obvious to students and they will require uncoverage through sustained inquiry rather than one-shot coverage. If teachers treat an understanding like a fact and simply tell the students what we want them to know, the student is unlikely to get it or remember it. If the student does not understand the deeper concepts and principles beyond the supporting factual content, their knowledge will only be superficial and fleeting.

Examples of Enduring Understandings

Agri-Science – Students will understand that agricultural trade organizations make significant contributions to agricultural education.

Art – Students will understand that the greatest artists often break with established traditions and techniques to better express what they see and feel.

Business – Students will understand that no business can successfully satisfy all consumers with the same product, so it must identify its target market.

English –Novelists often provide insights about human experience and inner life through fictional means.

FACE –Dietary requirements vary for individuals based on age, activity level, weight, and overall health.

Math – Students will understand that many real-world situations can be modeled with an exponential growth or exponential decay equation.

Social Studies –Different political systems vary in their tolerance and encouragement of innovation.

World Language –Studying other languages and cultures offers insights into our own.

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Essential Questions

In a nutshell, essential questions signal that education is not just about learning “the correct answer” but about learning how to think and learn. They are the navigational tools for clearly and precisely communicating the pivotal points of the curriculum being taught at the moment…those that point to the big-ideas (enduring understandings) of a subject. Such questions are broad in scope and timeless by nature. As a curricular designer you must choose the essential.

1. Have no simple “right” answer; they are meant to be argued. EQ’s are organizers and set the focus for the lesson or unit taught. EQ’s yield a variety of plausible and arguable responses, not straightforward facts. EQ’s serve as doorways into focused inquiry. EQ’s are intended to result in conclusions drawn by the learner.

2. Are designed to provoke and sustain student inquiry, while focusing learning and final performances. EQ’s are concepts in the form of questions. EQ’s are conceptual commitments focusing on key concepts implicit in the curriculum. EQ’s work best when they are designed and edited to be thought provoking to students,

engaging them in sustained inquiry that culminate in important performances using creative and critical thinking.

3. Often address the conceptual or philosophical foundations of a discipline. EQ’s spark our curiosity and sense of wonder, some deep wish to understand some things

which matters to us. Answers to EQ’s cannot always be found. They must be invented. Students must construct

their own answers, and even then, may only be tentative ones. 4. Raise other important questions.

Thought-provoking EQ’s naturally lead to other important questions which can be across subject areas.

3-5 EQ’s per lesson or unit of study are ideal. 5. Naturally and appropriately recur.

The same important questions can be reexamined throughout one’s years of learning. For example, what makes a great book great?

Over time, students responses just become more sophisticated, supported, and well-reasoned. 6. Simulate vital, ongoing rethinking of big ideas, assumptions, and prior lessons.

EQ’s challenge us to think deeper about the nature, origin and extent of our understanding. Force us to examine simplifications of our earlier learnings. IMPORTANT: EQ’s are linked to learning experiences and serve as a bridge between the factual

content and the enduring conceptual understandings of the unit or lesson.

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Helpful Checklist: Constructing Essential Questions

The easiest way to construct an essential question is to work backwards and consider the answer. Consider this procedure:

#1 Brainstorm a question that you believe would cause your students to think about the enduring understandings of your unit without dictating the direction or outcome or their thinking.

#2 Make sure it has real world applications that will be of personal interest to the students to “hook” them into further inquiry.

#3 Does the question have the potential to be interdisciplinary in nature? In other words, was it written to raise other important questions, which often cross subject area boundaries? (Ex. In nature, do only the strong survive?)

#4 Does it focus on matters of import? Does it pass the test of “SO WHAT?”

When you answer your own essential question, the answer should:

never elicit a “yes” or “no” answer. never be immediately found…the answer will be found with inquiry. require information gathering and could take place over the course of several weeks (or more). not be self-evidently true (even if there are “truths” and essential theories in a discipline, the student

comes to know that there are plausible theses and hypotheses to be considered and sorted through along with the “sanctioned” views.

require the student to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate (top level of Bloom’s Taxonomy), i.e., ones that delve deeper and require more sophisticated levels of cognitive processing and thinking.

Guiding questions may be used judicially and in combination with essential questions as the curriculum is being taught as long as they are conceptual in nature and relate to the enduring understandings of the unit of study.

A guiding question is more subject or topic-specific in a unit of study that also guide the exploration of the enduring understanding. See example below:

Essential Question in a World Geography Unit: Does cultural diffusion enhance or hinder explorers the advancement of a society?

Guiding Question in a World Geography Unit: How did the early Spanish, French, and English influence the culture of North America?

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Examples of Essential Questions

Physical Education/Health Education: 1. Who is a winner? 2. Is pain necessary for progress in athletics? (“no pain, no gain”) 3. How does physical fitness relate to health for a lifetime? 4. What is healthful living? What is wellness? 5. What constitutes a lifelong sport? 6. How can you best use feedback to improve your performance?

Social Studies: 1. In what ways is the United States both geographically and culturally diverse? 2. What are the responsibilities and roles of citizens in a democratic nation? 3. How have global relationships with other nations changed for the United States throughout its

history? 4. How does something acquire value? 5. What does it mean to be civilized? 6. Is violence ever justified? 7. How can culture impact behavior?

English: 1. How are Shakespeare's views on such themes as love, loyalty, friendship and fate still relevant to a

21st century audience? 2. How do effective writers hook and hold their reader’s attention? 3. How can the intoxication of passion cause people to make hasty decisions and poor choices that can

permanently alter their lives? 4. Is humankind inherently good or evil? 5. How do good speakers express their thoughts and feelings? What makes a speaker easy to follow? 6. How do texts differ? How should I read different types of texts?

Mathematics: 1. When is the “correct” mathematical answer not the best solution? 2. Can everything be quantified? 3. What can patterns reveal? 4. When is simplification helpful? Harmful? 5. When should we sample? When shouldn’t we? How much of a sample is enough? 6. How can numbers (data) lie or mislead? 7. Why budget?

Science: 1. How do the characteristics of living things vary in different organisms? 2. How does energy flow through a biological system? 3. How does the motion of objects demonstrate stability? 4. How are the structures of plants related to their function? 5. Why is a perpetual motion machine impossible? 6. How can materials with the same chemical composition be so different (e.g., graphite, diamonds)?

World Languages: 1. Why learn another language? Another culture? 2. How does language shape culture? Culture shape language? 3. What do I do when my ideas are more complex than my ability to communicate them? 4. How can one express complex ideas using simple terms? 5. What are the mechanics used to produce language in written form to convey a concrete or abstract

image? 6. How can the knowledge of diverse cultures cultivate an understanding and appreciation of the

world community?

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Technology and Engineering: 1. How do we decide on a product that will be developed to fit the wants and needs of consumers? 2. How does manufacturing serve the consumer in today’s society? 3. How do we define our wants, needs, and constraints as the first step of the design process? 4. How is the visual language of design used to communicate a solution to solve a problem? 5. To what extent does technology shape the field of design? Should it? 6. If an orthographic (multi-view) is needed, how will the initial perspective affect the overall

appearance of the drawing? Agribusiness:

1. How is agriculture important to urban dwellers---socially, economically, and politically? 2. How have technological advances influenced and improved farming in the past 60 years? 3. In what ways does the consumer drive agribusiness? Are all agribusinesses consumer driven? 4. What role does soil play in agriculture? 5. What does impact does regional nursery production have on the national industry?

Visual and Performing Arts: 1. How does art communicate? 2. What makes art “great”? 3. What can we learn from studying the art of others? 4. What is the artistic process? 5. How is feeling or mood conveyed musically? 6. Should we ever censor artistic/musical expression? 7. What if we didn’t have music in our world? 8. Is the medium the message? 9. In what ways have technological changes influenced artistic expression?

Family and Consumer Education: 1. How has science and technology impacted food composition and safety? 2. Within your budget, how do you make decisions regarding food to promote health and wellness of

you and your family? 3. Why is it important to set personal goals? 4. Who will I include in my circle of friends? 5. What defines quality fashion design? 6. How does raising children have an impact on your finances, careers and future goals, as well as

your physical, social and emotional well-being? 7. How might your perception of food and nutrition change in the future based on current trends?

Business and Information Technology: 1. Do ethics belong in business? Whose ethics are correct? 2. What is marketing? 3. Why do saving and investing help the overall economy? 4. How can technology be used as a tool for communicating information? 5. Why is it important to complete all the steps in the marketing research process?

Materials about essential questions adapted by Terri Bushko from various sources: Curriculum and Instruction for the Thinking Classroom by Lynn Erickson; Understanding by Design by Jay McTighe & Grant Wiggins; CES National Web (www.essentialschools.org); Greece Central School District (greece.k12.ny.us); Pomperaug Regional School District 15 (www.region15.org/curriculum); www.ubdexchange.org; Greenville, S.C. School Distinct (www.greenville.k12.sc.us)

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Defining Rigor and Relevance The following section is taken from the Leadership for Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships Handbook with permission for use in professional development.

The Rigor/Relevance Framework is a tool developed by staff of the International Center for Leadership in Education to examine curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The Rigor/Relevance Framework is based on two dimensions of higher standards and student achievement.

First, there is a continuum of knowledge that describes the increasingly complex ways in which we think. The Knowledge Taxonomy is based on the six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy: (1) knowledge/awareness, (2) comprehension, (3) application, (4) analysis, (5) synthesis, and (6) evaluation.

The low end of this continuum involves acquiring knowledge and being able to recall or locate that knowledge in a simple manner. Just as a computer completes a word search in a word processing program, a competent person at this level can scan through thousands of bits of information in the brain to located that desired knowledge.

The high end of the Knowledge Taxonomy labels more complex ways in which individuals use knowledge. At this level, knowledge is fully integrated into one’s mind, and individuals can do much more than locate information. They can take several pieces of knowledge and combine them in both logical and creative ways. Assimilation of knowledge is a good way to describe this high level of the thinking continuum. Assimilation is often referred to as a higher-order thinking skill; at this level, the student can solve multistep problems and create unique work and solutions.

The Rigor/Relevance Framework has four quadrants. Quadrant A represents simple recall and basic understanding of knowledge for its own sake. Quadrant C represents knowledge for its own sake, as well as more complex thinking. Quadrant C embraces higher levels of knowledge, such as understanding how the U.S. political system works and analyzing the benefits and challenges of cultural diversity in this nation versus other nations.

Quadrants B and D represent action or high degrees of application. For example, Quadrant B includes knowing how to use mathematics skills to make purchases and count change. Quadrant D knowledge explores the ability to access information in wide area network systems and the ability to gather knowledge from a variety of sources to solve a complex problem in the workplace.

Each of the four quadrants can also be labeled with a term that characterizes the learning or student performance.

Quadrant A – Acquisition Students gather and store bits of knowledge and information. Students are primarily expected to remember or understand this acquired knowledge.

Quadrant B – Application Students use acquired knowledge to solve problems, design solutions, and complete work. The highest level of application is to apply appropriate knowledge to new and unpredictable situations.

Quadrant C - Assimilation Students extend and refine their acquired knowledge to be able to use that knowledge automatically and routinely to analyze and solve problems, as well as create unique solutions.

Quadrant D - Adaptation

Students have the competence to think in complex ways and also apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired. Even when confronted with perplexing unknowns, students are able to use extensive knowledge and skills to create solutions and take action that further develops their skills and knowledge.

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Rigor/Relevance Framework

Knowledge Taxonomy Verb List

1 Knowledge

2 Comprehension

3 Application

arrange check choose find group identify label list locate

match name point to recall recite repeat say select write

advance calculate change contemplate convert define explain extrapolate infer

interpret outline project propose reword submit transform translate vary

adopt capitalize on consume devote employ exercise handle maintain make use of

manipulate mobilize operate put to use relate solve start take up utilize

4 Analysis

5 Synthesis

6 Evaluation

assay audit break down canvas check out deduce dissect divide examine

include inspect look at scrutinize sift study survey test for uncover

blend build cause combine compile compose conceive construct create

develop evolve form generate make up originate produce reorder structure

accept appraise arbitrate assess award classify criticize decide determine

grade judge prioritize rank rate reject rule on settle weigh

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Applying Bloom’s Taxonomy

The following examples provide additional verbs, sample question stems, and potential activities for each of the levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

This information was taken from www.teachers.ash.org.au/researchskills/dalton.htm

Knowledge

Verbs Sample Question Stems Potential Activities and Products

tell list describe relate locate write find state name

What happened after...? How many...? Who was it that...? Can you name the...? Describe what happened at...? Who spoke to...? Can you tell why...? Find the meaning of...? What is...? Which is true or false...?

Make a list of the main events.. Make a timeline of events. Make a facts chart. Write a list of any pieces of information you can remember. List all the .... in the story. Make a chart showing... Make an acrostic. Recite a poem.

Comprehension

Verbs Sample Question Stems Potential Activities and Products explain interpret outline discuss distinguish predict restate translate compare describe

Can you write in your own words...? Can you write a brief outline...? What do you think could of happened next...? Who do you think...? What was the main idea...? Who was the key character...? Can you distinguish between...? What differences exist between...? Can you provide an example of what you mean...? Can you provide a definition for...?

Cut out or draw pictures to show a particular event. Illustrate what you think the main idea was. Make a cartoon strip showing the sequence of events. Write and perform a play based on the story. Retell the story in your words. Paint a picture of some aspect you like. Write a summary report of an event. Prepare a flow chart to illustrate the sequence of events. Make a coloring book.

Application

Verbs Sample Question Stems Potential Activities and Products solve show use illustrate construct complete examine classify

Do you know another instance where...? Could this have happened in...? Can you group by characteristics such as...? What factors would you change if...? Can you apply the method used to some experience of your own...? What questions would you ask of...? From the information given, can you develop a set of instructions about...? Would this information be useful if you had a ...?

Construct a model to demonstrate how it will work. Make a diorama to illustrate an important event. Make a scrapbook about the areas of study. Make a paper-mache map to include relevant information about an event. Take a collection of photographs to demonstrate a particular point. Make up a puzzle game suing the ideas from the study area. Make a clay model of an item in the material. Design a market strategy for your product using a known strategy as a model. Dress a doll in national costume. Paint a mural using the same materials. Write a textbook about... for others.

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Applying Bloom’s Taxonomy (continued)

Analysis

Verbs Sample Question Stems Potential Activities and Products analyze distinguish examine compare contrast investigate categorize identify explain separate advertise

Which events could have happened...? I ... happened, what might the ending have been? How was this similar to...? What was the underlying theme of...? What do you see as other possible outcomes? Why did ... changes occur? Can you compare your ... with that presented in...? Can you explain what must have happened when...? How is ... similar to ...? What are some of the problems of...? Can you distinguish between...? What were some of the motives behind...? What was the turning point in the game? What was the problem with...?

Design a questionnaire to gather information. Write a commercial to sell a new product. Conduct an investigation to produce information to support a view. Make a flow chart to show the critical stages. Construct a graph to illustrate selected information. Make a jigsaw puzzle. Make a family tree showing relationships. Put on a play about the study area. Write a biography of the study person. Prepare a report about the area of study. Arrange a party. Make all the arrangements and record the steps needed. Review a work of art in terms of form, color and texture.

Synthesis

Verbs Sample Question Stems Potential Activities and Products create invent compose predict plan construct design imagine propose devise formulate

Can you design a ... to ...? Why not compose a song about...? Can you see a possible solution to...? If you had access to all resources how would you deal with...? Why don't you devise your own way to deal with...? What would happen if...? How many ways can you...? Can you create new and unusual uses for...? Can you write a new recipe for a tasty dish? Can you develop a proposal which would...

Invent a machine to do a specific task. Design a building to house your study. Create a new product. Give it a name and plan a marketing campaign. Write about your feelings in relation to... Write a TV show, play, puppet show, role play, song or pantomime about...? Design a record, book, or magazine cover for...? Make up a new language code and write material suing it. Sell an idea. Devise a way to... Compose a rhythm or put new words to a known melody.

Evaluation

Verbs Sample Question Stems Potential activities and products judge select choose decide justify debate verify argue recommend assess discuss rate prioritize determine

Is there a better solution to... Judge the value of... Can you defend your position about...? Do you think ... is a good or a bad thing? How would you have handled...? What changes to ... would you recommend? Do you believe? Are you a ... person? How would you feel if...? How effective are...? What do you think about...?

Prepare a list of criteria to judge a ... show. Indicate priority and ratings. Conduct a debate about an issue of special interest. Make a booklet about five rules you see as important. Convince others. Form a panel to discuss views, e.g. "Learning at School." Write a letter to ... advising on changes needed at... Write a half yearly report. Prepare a case to present your view about...

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Application Model Decision Tree Statements

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Rigor and Relevance Example – Basic Nutrition

The example below uses Basic Nutrition to illustrate various levels of student performance. Notice each statement starts with a verb that comes from the appropriate section of the Knowledge Taxonomy Verb List. If a teacher only wants students to acquire basic nutritional knowledge, a student performance set at level 1 or 2 is adequate. If the instruction is intended to have a more significant impact on nutritional habits, then some of the objectives need to be similar to levels 4 through 6.

Continuing with the example of Basic Nutrition, student performances can also be evaluated on levels of application of knowledge. The expected achievement level for teaching about nutrition will vary depending on the purpose of the instruction. If a teachers wants students only to acquire basic nutritional knowledge, a student performance set at level 1 is adequate. If the instruction is intended to have a significant impact on nutritional habits, then some of the objectives need to be at levels 4 and 5.

BASIC NUTRITION - RIGOR

Level Performance Level 1 – Knowledge/Awareness Label foods by nutritional groups Level 2 – Comprehension Explain nutritional value of individual foods Level 3 – Application Make use of nutrition guidelines in planning meals. Level 4 – Analysis Examine success in achieving nutrition goals. Level 5 – Synthesis Develop personal nutrition goals Level 6 - Evaluation Appraise results of personal eating habits over time.

BASIC NUTRITION - RELEVANCE

Level Performance Level 1 – Knowledge in One Discipline Label foods by nutritional groups Level 2 – Application in One Discipline Rank foods by nutritional value Level 3 – Interdisciplinary Application Make cost comparisons of different foods

considering nutritional value Level 4 – Real-world Predictable Situations Develop a nutritional plan for a person

with a health problem affected by food intake

Level 5 – Real-world Unpredictable Situations

Devise a sound nutritional plan for a group of 3-year-olds who are picky eaters

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High School Content Examples of Rigor/Relevance Framework

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High School Content Examples of Rigor/Relevance Framework (continued)

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Importance of Rigor/Relevance Framework

One of the principles of effective learning is congruence among curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Make sure that levels of rigor and relevance are consistent throughout a lesson. For example, if a teacher has lofty curriculum objectives in Quadrant D—high rigor/high relevance but develops instruction and assessments in Quadrant A—low rigor/low relevance, students would be unlikely to achieve those high expectations. Similarly, if a teacher creates high-rigor instructional activities but uses a low-rigor assessment, the test would not be an accurate indication of what students had learned.

Teacher/Student Roles One way to think about the Rigor/Relevance Framework in day-to-day instruction is in terms of the roles that teachers and students take. These roles are represented in the following figure:

Another way to distinguish learning among the four quadrants is by looking at whether the students “got it right” in terms of how the work will be evaluated.

R I G O R

High C

Students Think

D Students Think

And Work

Low A

Teacher Work B

Student Work

Low High RELEVANCE

R I G O R

High

C Rational Answer

D Right

Questions

Low

A Right

Answer

B Right

Procedure Low High

RELEVANCE

Rigor/Relevance Framework

Teacher/Student Roles

Rigor/Relevance Framework:

Did Students Get It Right?

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Learning Targets

Learning Targets refer to the key knowledge and skills we want students to know and be able to do at the end of a unit. Learning Targets can be referred to as the building blocks for the enduring understandings, to the knowledge and skills stated or implied in the established goals, or to the “enabling” knowledge and skills needed to perform the complex assessment tasks identified in Stage 2. Teachers should consider the larger ideas that connect the facts and the larger purposes for mastering the performance when writing Learning Targets. In general, there should be 6 –10 Learning Targets for each unit; however, you could have more or less depending upon the length of the unit.

Learning Targets are goals for lessons, projects, units, and courses. They are derived from standards and used to assess growth and achievement. They are written in concrete, student-friendly language and are shared with students, posted in the classroom, and tracked by students and teachers during the process of learning.

A common mistake that many teachers make when learning to write quality learning targets is writing a learning target that describes the task rather than the learning. For example, to say “Make a poster about the ideal habitat of a polar bear” is much different than “Describe the ideal habitat for a polar bear.” Teachers must be clear about the learning they wish to assess.

After identifying Learning Targets, label each with the appropriate quadrant from the Rigor/Relevance Framework. When creating Learning Targets, selecting the proper verb from the Knowledge Taxonomy Verb List can help to describe the appropriate performance. Simply start with a verb from the desired level and finish the statement with a description of that skill or knowledge area. Identifying the level of verb will give a good indication of the level of student performance in that instruction.

Examples of Learning Targets - Subject Specific

SCIENCE

Identify factors affecting climate. (A) Explain causes of the Coriolis effect. (A) Obtain historical data to determine how events in one geographical area affect another. (D) Determine the impact of climate on agriculture. (C) Examine data illustrating the relationship between air pressure and temperature. (C) Interpret isobar maps of gradient pressure through historical data of local community. (B) Apply the concepts of Newton’s First Law, the spherical geometry of the earth, and centripetal

acceleration to the Coriolis effect. (D)

SOCIAL STUDIES

Identify the modern civil rights movement. (A) List key leaders of the civil rights movement. (A) Identify political strategies used to achieve civil rights. (C) Compare and contrast government efforts used to promote equality previous and current

centuries. (C) Describe in your own terms the impact of changes in laws of opportunity. (B) Interpret historical documents. (A) Role-play historical figures in an impromptu current day situation. (D)

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Performance Indicators

There are times in which a Learning Target may be broken down into performance indicators to help explain to students and provide more clarity to teachers. Often the performance indicator would be used in unit and lesson planning and may be listed as part of the learning target. Most likely the Learning Target has been broken down into a series of progressive steps and digestible chunks.

TECHNOLOGY

Create a properly formatted presentation. (B)

a. Apply slide design/themes/styles, master slide, transitions, animations, font-size, color, slide layout (titles, bullets, columns, numbering, graphics, charts, smart art)

b. Modify page setup (headers/footers, print options, view options, slide numbers)

MATH

Write the equation for a line. (A)

a. Given a point and the slope b. Given two points c. Given a graph d. Given an equation not written in slope-intercept form

SCIENCE

Analyze the Platte River ecosystem to determine how abiotic factors affect the ecosystem. (C)

a. Identify biotic and abiotic parts of the ecosystem b. Explain characteristics of a healthy river system. c. Describe how the parts of the ecosystem are interrelated.

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Curriculum Design in Stages

Designing curriculum will occur in three stages. Each stage allows for more depth and detail in curriculum planning. The descriptions below provide a quick snapshot of each stage.

Stage 1 – Unit Design

Stage 1 of curriculum design includes completing the course summary and units for each course. Details include creating enduring understandings, essential questions, and learning targets for each unit. State standards should also be aligned to each unit.

Stage 2 – Assessments and Learning Activities

Stage 2 involves completing assessments and learning activities used in each unit. Each learning target should be assessed; it is likely learning targets will be assessed multiple times in different assessments. A balance of both formative and summative assessments provides the appropriate feedback for students and teachers. Common assessments will be developed collaboratively to provide consistent expectations within a course through agreed-upon criteria for proficiency. Stage 2 is documented through completing the UnitPlans Sheet.

Directions: Stage 1 – Unit Design Documents

Prior to writing curriculum for a specific course, it is understood that changes in the curriculum are part of the overall scope and sequence plan for the department and that the changes have been through the approval process. Current curriculum guides are developed and maintained in the form of Google Documents.

When designing curriculum for a specific course, the following steps should be taken:

1. Complete the Course Overview sheet. 2. Plan the Enduring Understandings for the course. 3. Develop Essential Questions for each Enduring Understanding. 4. Plan the Units for the course by grouping the Enduring Understandings. Note: Enduring

Understandings may be used in more than one unit. 5. Complete the Unit sheet by entering the unit name, unit length, enduring understandings, and

essential questions. 6. Develop Learning Targets for each unit. 7. Categorize each Learning Target as A, B, C, or D according to the Rigor/Relevance Framework. 8. Complete the Targets sheet by selecting a unit and entering each of the Learning Targets and RR

Category. Note: Do not enter Summative Assessments at this time. 9. Complete the Standards sheet by selecting the Unit and selecting the Standard.

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Completing Google Documents: Course Overview Sheet

Below is a copy of the information you will need to complete for the Course Overview sheet.

COURSE OVERVIEW COURSE NAME List formal name of course as approved

COURSE NUMBER List course number including letter at end of course

CREDITS Example: 1 credit or .5 credit

LENGTH Example: Year or Semester

GRADE LEVEL Example: 10 or 9-11

PREREQUISITES List any courses that are required prior to enrolling

SPECIAL LICENSE OR CERTIFICATION

List any special DPI or other license that is required to teach the course

COURSE DESCRIPTION Must be the exact course description as printed in the course planning guide. Is limited to 600 characters maximum, including spaces and punctuation.

GENERAL RESOURCES Include any textbooks, workbooks, supplies, or materials needed by students. Do not include items such as laptop, technology, paper, binder, etc.

Completing Google Documents: Units Sheet

Below is a copy of the information you will need to complete for the Units sheet.

UNITS Unit Name Length Enduring Understandings Essential Questions

Provide name In weeks or days List multiple items in the same cell List multiple items in the same cell

Completing Google Documents: Targets Sheet

Below is a copy of the information you will need to complete for the Targets sheet.

TARGETS

Unit Name Learning Target RRR Quadrant Assess Method

Summative Assessment Examples

Select from drop-down box

Enter complete learning target with appropriate verb

Enter A, B, C, D Do not complete this until Stage 2

Do not complete this until Stage 2

Completing Google Documents: Standards Sheet

Below is a copy of the information you will need to complete for the Standards sheet.

STANDARDS

Unit Name Standard

Select from drop-down box Select from drop-down box and/or select additional standards from other sources

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Directions: Stage 2 – Assessments and Learning Activities

1. Complete the UnitPlans sheet by selecting the Unit, entering a Day number, and information for

Learning Target Indicators, Activities, and Assessments. 2. Finish the Targets sheet by entering in all summative assessments, from the UnitPlans sheet, by

Learning Target.

Completing Google Documents: UnitPlans Sheet

Below is a copy of the information you will need to complete for the Targets sheet.

Learning Target Indicators

Activities Assessments

Units Day What will students learn? How will students learn?

How will I know they learned?

Select from drop-down

List day number

Enter specific indicators or learning targets

Enter activities, purpose, goals, etc.

Enter any formative or summative assessments

TARGETS

Unit Name Learning Target RRR Quadrant Assess Method

Summative Assessment Examples

Completed in Stage 1

Completed in Stage 1

Completed in Stage 1

Select from drop-down box (Selected Response, Extended Written Response, Performance)

List multiple summative assessments for this learning target;

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Section B INSTRUCTION

25

Instruction

Instruction shall be consistent in delivering curriculum objectives and shall be based on sound teaching principles grounded in educational research. Instructional supervision efforts shall focus on these sound teaching principles which shall include:

Establishing a school climate that continually affirms the worth and diversity of all students. Expecting that all students will perform at high levels of learning. Ensuring that all students experience opportunities for personal success. Varying the time for learning according to the needs of each student and the complexity of the

task. Expecting both staff members and students take responsibility for successful learning. Assessing current student skills or learning for instructional assignment. Analyzing the content of each learning target so that instructional strategies match content and

assessment. Sequencing tasks into a hierarchy of learning skills, when appropriate, for maximum

effectiveness of instructional delivery. Orienting students to the learning targets to be learned. Providing varied instructional approaches, adequate practice time, and multiple opportunities

for learning and success. Assessing student proficiency of the learning targets to determine the need for progressing to a

new learning target, extension, enrichment, or correction.

Instructional Practices

Instructional strategies and practices to ensure student success are based upon district philosophy and teacher analysis of student needs, effective teaching practices, student learning styles, and demonstrated success through the assessment process.

Student academic achievement shall be based on the degree of proficiency of the learning targets as outlined in the curriculum guides for each subject. Assignments, tests, projects, classroom activities, and other instructional activities shall be designed so that the student’s performance indicates the level of proficiency.

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Section C ASSESSMENT

27

Assessment

Assessment serves a variety of purposes throughout the learning process from start to finish. Assessment practices should be implemented in order to pre-assess, provide direct instruction, identify gaps in understanding, and to guide further learning. Formative assessments, designed to guide the learning process, will be offered in advance of major summative assessments.

Assessment of Learning: those assessments that happen after learning is supposed to have occurred to determine if it did. Statements can be made about student learning at a point in time to those outside the classroom. Examples include state assessments, local common assessments, placement tests, etc. These assessments are typically scored and reported for grading purposes.

Assessment for Learning: occurs while learning is still underway. These are the assessments that we conduct throughout teaching and learning to diagnose student needs, plan our next steps in instruction, provide students with feedback they can use to improve the quality of their work, and help students see and feel in control of their journey to success. On these occasions, the grading function is laid aside. Examples include student self-assessment, student revision of work, etc.

Where do in-class tests and quizzes fit?

In-class tests and quizzes could fall into either an Assessment of Learning or Assessment for Learning depending upon the extent that the test or quiz demonstrates student understanding. For instance, if a quiz is given to determine if a student initially understands the material, then the emphasis on the grade should be minimal or with no impact on the grade. However, if a test is given that assesses all the concepts in a particular unit after numerous Assessments for Learning are utilized, then the test would be an Assessment of Learning and is recorded to a larger extent for grading purposes.

Assessment Methods

1. Selected response or short answer (multiple choice, true/false, matching, short answer, fill in questions)

2. Extended written response (At least several sentences in length. Students will compare, analyze, interpret, solve, describe, etc.)

3. Performance Assessment (An assessment based on observation and judgment. Examples include complex performances such as playing an instrument, repairing an engine or working productively in a group. Additionally, students may create products such as a term paper, a lab report, or a work of art)

4. Personal Communication (What students have learned through interacting with them through journals, logs, questions during instruction, listening to students as they participate in class, etc. Most likely formative assessment but may be summative assessment.)

Other Reminders

Consider differentiation for each learning target. In other words, for each learning target there should be a variety of Assessments for Learning and Assessments of Learning. The purpose of the variety is NOT for teacher preference but rather differentiating for student needs.

There should be at least one common assessment per unit. Shade the particular row that the common assessment is included. Additionally, this common assessment should include a common grading rubric.

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The Role of Formative and Summative Assessment

29

Section D GRADING

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HUHS Board Policy 5421: Grading

Grading Philosophy

At Hartford Union High School, we honor the fact that our student body is capable of learning, is diverse in their learning styles, and can achieve at high standards. We understand that students need differentiated learning activities, timely feedback, and an awareness and understanding of learning targets in order to meet these expectations. HUHS believes the purpose of grading is to communicate a valid representation of achievement toward learning targets, which are aligned to state adopted standards and approved by the HUHS Board of Education. Grades are used by students, parents, teachers, administrators, and pupil service teams to communicate progress toward learning targets and measure skills. In addition, grades allow us to inform instruction, create differentiation, or dictate interventions.

Reporting Student Progress

Grades are reported to interested parties to communicate a valid representation of achievement OF learning targets, which are aligned to state adopted standards and approved by the HUHS Board of Education. HUHS must produce a grade that is accurate, reliable, and consistent. Most importantly, it must be understandable to all stakeholders. Grade reports can be used by numerous entities, such as students, parents, teachers, administrators, post-secondary institutions, employers, scholarship committees, and other school districts, to help students plan for their future and additional educational opportunities.

HUHS believes in two types of reported grades, an academic grade and a citizenship grade. Each grade needs to reflect the same characteristics of reliability, accuracy, and consistency. Academic grades measure a student’s mastery of learning targets, which are aligned to state adopted standards and approved by the HUHS board of education. Citizenship grades measure a student’s mastery of the 21st Century skill set, such as communication, collaboration, responsibility, creativity, motivation, and leadership.

Grading Scales

The following grading scales and grade marks have been approved. Each course will clearly identify and communicate which grading scale will be used. In addition, a Pass/Fail grading scale will be used for appropriate courses.

"Traditional" 100-Point Scale

5-Point Scale

A+ 98.00 - 100.00%

A+ 5.0

A 93.00 - 97.99 %

A 4.7 – 4.9

A- 90.00 - 92.99%

A- 4.5 – 4.6

B+ 87.00 - 89.99%

B+ 4.3 – 4.4

B 83.00 - 86.99%

B 3.8 – 4.2

B- 80.00 - 82.99%

B- 3.5 – 3.7

C+ 77.00 - 79.99%

C+ 3.3 – 3.4

C 73.00 - 76.99%

C 2.8 – 3.2

C- 70.00 - 72.99%

C- 2.5 – 2.7

D+ 67.00 - 69.99%

D+ 2.3 – 2.4

D 63.00 - 66.99%

D 1.8 – 2.2

D- 60.00 - 62.99%

D- 1.5 – 1.7

F 0.00 - 59.99%

F 0 – 1.4

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HUHS Board Administrative Guideline 5421: Grading

The purpose of grades is to accurately reflect individual student achievement as related to course learning targets. Sincerely held religious beliefs must be accommodated (Guideline 8800B) with regard to any assessment, activity, or test from which grades are drawn. Grading procedures shall be free from any discriminatory practices and/or language and shall be in accordance with state and federal guidelines for special education students and English language learners.

Formative Assessment and Feedback

The School Board recognizes that students learn best through a system of clear learning objectives, quality formative assessment, timely feedback, and the opportunity to show developmental growth. This process of formative assessment and developmental feedback has the following purposes:

To help students understand the relationship between their current performance and the desired/next level of performance.

To develop each student’s ability to think critically about his or her own work. To encourage students to take risks that result in the development of new skills and deeper learning. To empower students to improve their performance over time. To inform teachers about student progress toward objectives so teachers can provide responsive

instruction.

Effective use of developmental feedback to enhance student learning includes:

Frequent use of formative assessments to guide teaching and learning. Involvement of students in self-assessment throughout the teaching/learning process.

Summative Assessment and Grade Reporting

The School Board recognizes that formal grade reporting is necessary to provide summative information about student performance, used by various stakeholders to determine how well a student is achieving and accomplishing the educational goals of the District. Grade reporting will be provided through the District’s student information system on an ongoing basis. The process of summative assessment and grade reporting has the following purposes:

To apprise the student, parents, teaching staff and administration of how well the student meets learning targets in a grade level or course.

To provide an official record of student performance to advise stakeholders about next steps in the student’s educational sequence (promotion, pre-requisites, college admission, etc.)

Effective use of summative assessment and grade reporting includes:

Clear and timely communication to students as to grading criteria and components. Achievement of learning targets as the primary factor in determining grades. Accurate reflection of student achievement as related to meeting learning targets.

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Effective summative assessment and grade reporting:

Ensure that grades reflect individual student achievement as related to course objectives. Use a variety of assessments to monitor and measure student performance. Align key assessments, grading scales, and grading practices with grade level or subject area teams. Maintain accurate records of student progress. Ensure that report card grades reflect individual student skills and understanding in relation to course

learning targets. Provide a separate citizenship grade, on attendance, behavior and effort as these components are not

part of the academic grade.

Teachers’ Role and Responsibilities Inform students at the beginning of a course of the learning targets and the basis upon which a

student’s performance will be assessed and graded. Provide formative assessment and timely feedback. Provide opportunities for students to self-assess their work. Provide additional learning opportunities and support for students as reasonable and appropriate. Communicate with parent(s) if student is failing or at risk of failing class.

Student Role and Responsibilities Prepare for assignments and assessments in order to develop skills and understandings. Respond to timely feedback in order to further develop skills and understandings. Take ownership for the honesty, quality and integrity of all assignments/assessments. Ask questions, seek additional support, try new learning strategies, and utilize 21st century skills.

Parent/Guardian Role and Responsibilities Understand and reinforce expectations for quality student work. Monitor student progress in meeting course objectives.

Administrative Role and Responsibilities Ensure that feedback and grading practices are consistent with the educational goals of the District. Facilitate communication among teacher teams concerning feedback and grading. Monitor and support teachers in their implementation of the District grading policy into grade

level/subject area team’s policy and practice. Facilitate communication among teachers, students, and parents regarding student performance

and progress. Support the need for balance among the many learning activities in the life of a student.

Course Grading Policies

A course will have an established grading policy and will be communicated to students at the beginning of the course. Any course taught by multiple teachers will have common grading and assessment policies. All courses will have a cumulative final assessment at the end of each semester which will be 15% of the semester grade. These established grading policies will be presented to the District Administrator for review, possible revision, and approval annually. In addition, the district’s Academic Integrity Policy located in the HUHS Student and Family Handbook will be followed.

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District Academic Grading Practices

In an effort to implement consistent grading procedures which are in alignment with District policy and

educational research, the following practices will be used:

Grading Practice 1: Only include scores that relate to the student achievement of the learning targets (aligned to standards) and report other factors separately.

Rationale: By reporting on specific learning targets (aligned to standards), reporting of student learning is more accurate to the degree by which students have attained a level of proficiency in a course. All academic grades will be aligned to course curriculum and learning targets. Attendance, effort, behavior, and other life skills are important, but separating these from the academic proficiency will provide students and all stakeholders a clearer picture about a student’s learning. Students will be held accountable for these other behaviors and skills but they will be reported within the Citizenship Grade. In some instances, course learning targets may include life skills as part of the curriculum; in these cases, academic proficiency would include these life skills as academic proficiency.

Grading Practice 2: Academic grades should be based on established criteria for proficiency of learning targets (aligned to standards).

Rationale: In order to accurately assess a student’s level of proficiency, grading systems use scoring rubrics with specific learning criteria. Because rubrics measure specific learning targets and provide detailed expectations for various levels of proficiency, they are useful in providing students and parents with useful feedback. Teachers can use the more detailed scores to inform instruction. The core principle is that a grade should provide an accurate, undiluted indicator of a student’s level of proficiency of learning targets.

Grading Practice 3: Apply grading and assessment procedures that support learning.

Rationale: The goal of frequent assessment is to inform instruction and modify learning. Formative assessments are used to track student learning and make appropriate adjustments. Information from formative assessments should be used to provide feedback on progress toward academic proficiency. Including students in classroom assessment practices and scoring ensures clear expectations and promotes student learning. Teachers should use a variety of assessments for both formative and summative assessments.

Grading practices include effective feedback (Reeves, 2010). The following criteria are part of effective feedback:

Accurate: The same work by the same student should receive the same grade, even if the teachers are different

Timely: Students receive the feedback in a timely manner and can associate the feedback with the work that generated the feedback.

Fair: The grade is objective and directly related to the learning target without subjective considerations unrelated.

Understandable: Students and parents understand how grades are earned and see a clear relationship between student actions and the grades on the report card.

Effective: There is clear evidence that use of feedback and grading procedures lead to improved student performance.

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District Academic Grading Procedures

The following procedures will be used to provide consistency and transparency in grading within and among courses and departments.

Gradebook Grading Categories

Feedback (Formative) 10% Proficiency (Summative) 75% Final cumulative semester assessment 15% Citizenship 0%

The following district components will be included in each course gradebook:

Citizenship Feedback: Set up as a separate category in the gradebook and calculated at 0% of the grade, scores placed in this category will be feedback based upon the Citizenship Grade rubric and scoring. The scores in this category will be used to formulate the quarterly Citizenship Grade. (See Citizenship Grade for more information about criteria and reporting.)

Academic Feedback: Set up as a separate category in the gradebook and calculated at 10% of the grade, scores placed in this category will be academic feedback aligned to learning targets and will most likely precede a summative assessment. The scores in this category will be used to inform teaching and learning decisions in preparation for summative assessments.

Academic Proficiency: Set up as a separate category in the gradebook and calculated at 75% of the grade, scores placed in this category are aligned to learning targets for the course and are comprised of summative assessments.

Final Exams: All courses will have a cumulative final assessment at the end of each semester which will be 15% of the semester grade.

Grading Categories

Citizenship Feedback 0% Academic Feedback 10% Academic Proficiency 75%

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Teacher Records/Gradebook

The grading record should be a teacher’s record of evidence to support grades reported on the report card. Grades are also a means of communication to both student and parents about the student’s progress and understanding of learning targets. As such, gradebooks should include sufficient information and entered in a timely manner to provide a clear and accurate guide of student progress. Grades should be logical, justifiable, and sufficient in number to assure that the report card grade is an accurate measure of the student’s progress and achievement. Grades should reflect a balance of learning targets covered. The teacher’s grade record is a part of the official documentation portraying proficiency of course curriculum and learning targets. These records should be accurately maintained and teachers should be aware that grades should be justified.

1. Incongruent assessments: Where a significant disparity or anomaly in student performance over time is evident, interventions by the teacher need to be implemented to address the gap in demonstrating proficiency. This will validate a student’s proficiency of the learning targets in question.

2. Weighting performance over time: Teachers are to ensure that a student’s grade accurately reflects his/her best understanding of particular learning targets. Where a student has demonstrated significant improvement in terms of proficiency of learning targets throughout the course, every effort should be made to emphasize current proficiency in the determination of the grade.

Late Work

Establishing, maintaining, and holding a student accountable for due dates and deadlines is necessary to assist students in the development of life skills and in the development of individual responsibility and self-discipline. In addition, due dates and deadlines are also necessary for teachers to adequately and efficiently manage the workload. Late or incomplete work is often symptomatic of other, more serious issues for student learning. Teachers are expected to be involved in identifying the root causes. In many cases, the consequence of not completing an assignment will be completing the assignment.

Late work will be accepted by teachers with the following guidelines:

Any work submitted after the due date may earn a maximum grade of a C (75%/3). Late work will only be accepted until the end of the current unit. If the final assessment/project is late then it falls under the reassessment policy (see below) and is

still worth a maximum grade of C (75%/3). Late work opportunities are at the teacher’s discretion. Students may be assigned to a FLEX Study Hall or Resource to complete late/missing work.

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Special Codes

In order to provide more descriptive feedback and communication to students and other stakeholders, the following special codes will be used within the gradebook:

SNG Submitted Not Graded; Used to indicate an assignment has been submitted by the student but not yet graded by the teacher Used to

indicate the progress of or adjustment to an academic assignment

RA Reassessed; Used to indicate an assessment that has been reassessed.

EXC Excused; Used when a student is excused from an assignment due to extraordinary circumstances

DI Distinguished Used for Citizenship grading

PR Proficient BA Basic UN Unsatisfactory

Reassessments or Retakes

In order for students to initially attempt a reassessment, students must have put forth full effort on the initial attempt and then demonstrate additional learning in preparing for the reassessment. . Students may retake any “major” proficiency assessment for which they would like to improve their score with the following guidelines:

1. A maximum grade of a C (75%/3) can be earned as a result of the reassessment. 2. Students are allowed two reassessments per semester per course. 3. Reassessments will cover the same learning target(s) but are not necessarily the same format or

length as the original assessment. A teacher may require students to only reassess on non-proficient skills or tasks.

4. Students must complete required re-learning activities/work prior to reassessing. 5. The deadline for a reassessment will be determined by the teacher but should occur in a timeline

which allows for the “relearning” to be applied to any new material or content in the course.

Reassessment opportunities for feedback or minor proficiency assessments are at the teacher’s discretion.

Return of Graded Work

Teachers should review and return all graded work to students within a time frame that will benefit the student. Graded daily work should be returned on a weekly basis. Larger projects should be reviewed and returned on a timely basis to allow the student to identify any areas of weakness and arrange for extra support prior to future learning and assessments.

Negative Impact of Zeroes

In most cases, teachers will be using scores from multiple assessments to measure the learning of a student. This practice provides multiple opportunities for a student to demonstrate proficiency of a learning target. Therefore, a zero should not be necessary and only used when a student has not provided

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any attempts to demonstrate academic proficiency through multiple opportunities or sufficient time has elapsed and no opportunity to recover points is available.

Avoid Grading Based Only on Averages (Mean Scores)

Accurate grades are based on the most consistent evidence. When multiple assessments are used to measure academic proficiency of a learning target, there is a pattern of achievement, including trends, and not the average of the data. Focusing on the mode rather than the mean will account for student growth and most recent scores.

Teachers may implement a variety of methods to account for student growth data such as administering retakes, allocating more points to assessments later in the grading period, or providing alternative assessments on learning targets.

Extra Credit

Teachers will only provide extra credit for work that demonstrates an increased proficiency of the learning targets. The use of extra credit is such that the activities must be of sufficient and significant rigor to truly extend and reach a deeper understanding of a learning target beyond the classroom options.

Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism

Academic dishonesty and plagiarism will be treated as a behavioral issue. As such, incidences shall impact the student’s Citizenship grade, not the academic grade. Additional behavioral consequences can be found in the HUHS Student and Family Handbook. When an incident has been discovered, the following steps will be followed in regards to demonstration of academic proficiency;

1. The student may be required to resubmit the work in question in order to demonstrate proficiency of the skills and content.

2. The format and timing of the submission will be at the discretion of the teacher and will likely result in a loss of discretionary time for the student.

3. Teachers will communicate the plan to parents and an administrator.

Citizenship Grades

As Americans, we treasure our many freedoms and rights. Respecting rules and laws is an essential condition for an organized, democratic society and necessary to protect those freedoms and rights. Together, political and social rules set the norms for how people are to treat one another. These norms also include the consequences if someone deviates from these expectations.

What is considered “acceptable behavior” today by many Americans was unacceptable a short time ago. “Appropriate behavior” is defined and justified by a person’s own imagination for what is right and wrong rather than being defined by the rules, laws, and customs of our society. With the increased societal emphasis on academic achievement, appropriate behaviors and social norms may become a lower priority with students and may be seen as unimportant or insignificant. By focusing on personal responsibility in our school and by having a standardized expectation for appropriate citizenship, we can promote meaningful accountability.

Our HUHS mission statement includes “contribute to a global society” and to ensure we are developing the character traits and behaviors necessary to accomplish the mission, we must value and hold students

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accountable for positive citizenship characteristics. We also recognize that potential employers and colleges may desire this type of information when evaluating the person they are considering as a member of the company or school. With greater emphasis on citizenship grades, students learn valuable lessons about behavioral traits that are necessary for young adults to be contributing adult citizens. To ensure consistency of citizenship grades at HUHS, the rubric on the following page has been established to determine what constitutes positive behavior and citizenship in class.

Citizenship Grading Procedures

Citizenship Feedback grades will be recorded throughout a grading term. At a minimum, students will receive a bi-weekly Citizenship Grade. At the end of each grading term(mid-term and quarter), teachers will enter a holistic grade into the grading bucket for the Citizenship Grade. The letters DI (Distinguished), PR (Proficient), BA (Basic) and UN (Unsatisfactory) will be used both in the gradebook for each “assignment” for Citizenship Feedback and for the term grade received.

While the rubric provides indicators of performance, the list is not meant to be all inclusive of behaviors or traits that may be considered for each of the components. Teachers may evaluate other behaviors consistent with one of the three components in providing a holistic Citizenship Grade

In addition to the Citizenship Grade correlated to each course, a School-wide Citizenship Grade also will be calculated at the school level and recorded in the Homeroom. Overall attendance, tardies, and office discipline referrals, along with student behavior during FLEX and Resource time will be accounted for in the School-wide Citizenship Grade.

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Hartford Union High School Citizenship Grade Rubric

Components Indicators of Performance

Unsatisfactory Rarely or Never

Basic Occasionally

Proficient Consistently

Distinguished Almost Always

Respect and Personal Integrity

Behavior – Rarely follows behavior expectations outlined in the Student Code of Conduct; Needs multiple reminders by teacher and peers. May show dishonesty or lack moral character at times.

Behavior – Usually follows expectations outlined in the Student Code of Conduct; Corrects behavior when reminded. May need to be reminded by teacher and peers.

Behavior –Consistently follows behavior expectations outlined in the Student Code of Conduct. Is honest and displays high moral character.

Behavior –Models exemplary behavior outlined in the Student Code of Conduct. Is always honest and exhibits high standards of moral character.

Respectful – Does not act in a polite, courteous or considerate manner. Does not treat others with respect.

Respectful – Usually acts in a polite, courteous or considerate manner. Usually treats others with respect.

Respectful – Consistently acts in a polite, courteous and considerate manner. Treats others with respect.

Respectful – Treats other with the highest levels of respect. Is always polite, courteous and considerate to others.

Electronic devices – Electronic devices regularly a distraction.

Electronic devices – Electronic devices are occasionally a distraction.

Electronic devices – Consistently uses electronic devices appropriately.

Electronic devices – Almost always uses electronic devices appropriately.

Collaboration and

Communication

Collaboration – Rarely participates in group, even after encouragement from peers or the teacher. Does not contribute to, value or encourage the team.

Collaboration – Usually participates in group with some encouragement from peers or the teacher. Usually contributes, values and encourages the team.

Teamwork – Consistently provides ideas. Values and encourages all team members.

Collaboration – Is considered a class leader in participating and providing ideas. Highly values others’ opinions and strongly encourages all team members’ contributions.

Communication – Does not always communicate positively with teacher and classmates unless directed by the teacher.

Communication – Does not always communicate positively with teacher and classmates unless directed by the teacher.

Communication – Always communicates positively with teacher and classmates.

Communication –Communicates in a highly positive/professional manner with teacher and classmates. Challenges peer misbehavior.

Responsibility and Work

Habits

Responsibility– Rarely prepared for class. Does not complete course requirements or complete them in a timely manner.

Responsibility– Usually prepared for class. Usually completes course requirements but not always in a timely manner.

Responsibility – Regularly prepared for class. Completes course requirements in a timely manner.

Responsibility – Is prepared for class. Completes course requirements in a timely manner at a high level.

Work Ethic – Student achievement is below student’s ability. Student work is unpredictable. Does not do enough, or just enough, to get by. Not self-motivated.

Work Ethic – Student achievement is somewhat reflective of student’s ability. Somewhat resourceful; usually seeks assistance when needed.

Work Ethic – Student achievement is reflective of student’s ability. Resourceful; seeks assistance when needed.

Work Ethic – Student goes above and beyond what is expected. Highly resourceful; provides assistance to others when needed.

Engagement – Does not remain focused on classwork and needs reminders about the classroom task.

Engagement – Usually remains focused on classwork, but sometimes needs reminders about the classroom task.

Engagement – Independently engages in classroom activities; demonstrates interest and curiosity in learning.

Engagement – Independently engages in classroom activities; demonstrates a high interest and curiosity in learning. Leads classroom activities and discussions.

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References

Branigan, H. M., & Jones, R. D. (2006). Leadership for rigor, relevance, and relationships. Rexford, NY: International Center for Leadership in Education.

Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound. (2012) Booklet One of the Student-Engaged Assessment Toolkit: Supporting Common Core Success in the Classroom.

Loucks-Horsley, S., Hewson, P. W., Love, N., & Stiles, K. E. (1998). Designing professional development for teachers of science and mathematics. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Marzano, R. J. (2003). What works in schools: Translating research into action. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Reeves, D. B. (2011). Taking the grading conversation public. Educational Leadership. pg. 76-79. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design, 2nd Edition. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Wormelli, R. (2006). Fair isn't always equal: assessing and grading in the differentiated classroom. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.