SouthernRegionalEducationBoard

“Failure Is Not An Option”

(When the right conditions are in place!)

SREBHSTW/MMGW/TCTW

SouthernRegionalEducationBoard

The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High

School DropoutsTop Five Reasons Dropouts Identify as

Major Factors for Leaving School: Classes were not interesting (not

related to real world applications): 47%

Missed too many days and could not catch up: 43%

Spent time with people who were not interested in school: 42%

Had too much freedom and not enough rules/ order/ structure: 38%

Was failing in school: 35%

SouthernRegionalEducationBoard

“FAILURE NOT AN OPTION”

• Clear alignment of standards to assessment

• Quality work expected (A, B, C, not yet)

• Clear grading practices• Intervention/

Opportunities for Extra Help

SouthernRegionalEducationBoard

The Problem?

“Students cannot get to the proficient level on state assessments

if not given ample opportunities

to complete assignments at the proficient level.”

Gene Bottom, Senior Vice President, SREB

SouthernRegionalEducationBoard

Priority Actions for FNO

Focus all students and teachers on Smart Effort.

Create a Culture of High Expectations.

All teachers will engage, motivate and inspire all students through research-based instructional strategies.

Teachers will work together to plan lessons that are linked to what students need to know and will be able to do to meet grade-level standards.

SouthernRegionalEducationBoard

Beliefs Relative to School Grading PoliciesResearch by Dr. Lynn Canady

Professor Emeritus, University of Virginia

THE THREAT OF A LOW GRADE IS MORE LIKELY TO MOTIVATE HIGH ACHIEVING THAN LOW ACHIEVING STUDENTS.

Historically, schools have tended to buy into the DEFICIT MODEL OF EVALUATION: that is, to focus more on sorting and selecting practices than on teaching and learning strategies.

Human beings MAKE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES in their lives ONLY when they are in an environment where they feel genuinely CARED ABOUT. 6

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Beliefs continued..

Nationally less than 69% of the students who enter kindergarten in US schools graduate from high school…….in some urban areas less than

50% of the students who enter Grade 9 graduate from high school.

There is little or no EVIDENCE that

REPEATED FAILURE MAKES PEOPLE MORE

RESPONSIBLE.7

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Bloom’s Learning PyramidBloom’s Learning Pyramid

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HOW WE LEARN

1%

10%

20%

30%

50%

70%

80%

95%

98%

Use art, drama, music, movement – Integrated curriculum with content

Having a personal experience – Making connections (hands on)

Teaching someone else

Discussion with others

Lecture with visuals

Fill out

worksheetReading

Assignment

Lecture

Using only visuals

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Essential Conditions for “Failure is Not an Essential Conditions for “Failure is Not an Option”Option”

Just adding a “Failure is Not an Option” policy won’t do it all by itself. This policy works best under the following conditions:

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ConditionsConditions

Develop engaging, challenging and meaningful assignments and assessment.

Establish useful and applicable homework criteria.

Assess more and grade less.

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ConditionsConditions

As a school: Examine grading practices and policies.

Come to agreement on what determines A, B and C work.

Examine grading practices that include factors other than the student’s academic knowledge.

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What Are The Results of the What Are The Results of the Current Practice?Current Practice?

Giving zeros or accepting work below standard isn’t working.

It fails to motivate students to make a greater effort.

Dropout rates are increasing not decreasing.

Students not doing the work, is the #1 reason for failure in middle and high school.

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Is Giving D’s and F’s Working?Is Giving D’s and F’s Working?

It doesn’t work most of the time.

-It works for students who are already A and B students

If it doesn’t change behavior, why do we continue this consequence?

Why do we let students off the hook for not completing work at expected standards?

What is the real effect of this policy?SouthernRegionalEducationBoard

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What does FNO look like?What does FNO look like?

Extra help is required.Extra help is required.

Use of rubrics is required.Use of rubrics is required.

Know that it may not work for ALL Know that it may not work for ALL students.students.

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0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

DF CBAA

Clayton County Grading Scale:

A = 90 - 100

B = 80 – 89

C = 71 – 79

D = 70

F = 0 - 69

Disproportionate Impact of ZeroDisproportionate Impact of Zero

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Comparing StudentsComparing Students

0 75 85 95

30 70 75 80

Student 1Student 2

64 64 66 66Student 3

If 65 is passing, which students are passing? If progress – not averages – was used, which students should be passing?

= 63.5= 63.8= 65

FAILFAIL

FAILFAIL

PASSPASS

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The Weight of GradesThe Weight of Grades

“F” vs. Zero Think in terms of pounds:

A = 7 pounds (94-100) B = 10 pounds (84-93) C = 10 pounds (74-83) D = 10 pound (64-73) F = pounds (0-63)6

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Individual teacher classroom practices Individual teacher classroom practices produce the most variability in the produce the most variability in the

performance of students.performance of students.Heibert & Stigler, Heibert & Stigler, The Teaching GapThe Teaching Gap

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Issue: Alignment to StandardsIssue: Alignment to Standards

Do our grades for students reflect the degree to which they have met the standards for a course?

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Issue: Alignment to StandardsIssue: Alignment to Standards

Assessments That Relate to Standards Tests Projects Performances Essays Research papers Presentations Lab experiments

Assessment of Other Learning Factors Homework completion and practice Attendance Tardiness Student behavior Effort Timeliness Following class rules Extra credit (for completion only)

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Stages in Backward DesignStages in Backward Design

1Identify

designated results 2

Determineacceptableevidence 3

Plan learning experiences

and instruction

Understanding by Design, Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, ASCD, 1998.

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““In standards-based classrooms, In standards-based classrooms, students have the opportunity to students have the opportunity to continuously revise and improve continuously revise and improve

their work over the course of their work over the course of several days.”several days.”

Doug Reeves, Doug Reeves, Center for Performance Center for Performance AssessmentAssessment

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Getting Teachers on BoardGetting Teachers on Board

Assess where you are now Conduct periodic instructional reviews Conduct professional development on

rubrics and taxonomies for assessing level of challenge

Design opportunities for teachers to engage in assessing the level of challenge

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Failure is not an Option: Next Steps Failure is not an Option: Next Steps (2010-2011 school year) Yes, (2010-2011 school year) Yes, next year!next year!FNO session from SREB (April 8 & 9, FNO session from SREB (April 8 & 9, 2010)2010)School Based FNO Facilitator PD (April School Based FNO Facilitator PD (April 29, 2010)29, 2010)School Based teams developing the FNO School Based teams developing the FNO policy/ part of School Improvement policy/ part of School Improvement Planning Process and RTI Plan (June, Planning Process and RTI Plan (June, July, August 2010)July, August 2010)Follow up support (2010-2011)Follow up support (2010-2011)

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