What is Standards Based Grading?

• SBG is the grading of assignments based on evidence of specific academic criteria directly linked to the learning standards.

Do you believe that clear learning targets improve learning? If yes, how?

UBDUnit Planning

1. Part 1: Identify the learning outcomes (standards) – what do we want students to know and be able to do?

2. Part 2: Design the formative and summative assessments that will provide us with the evidence that students know, understand and are able to do the learning outcomes (standards).

3. Part 3: Design and provide teaching and learning activities and experiences that will enable students to know understand and be able to do.

What’s Wrong with the Traditional Grading Systems?

• “More than one third of American High School graduates who enter college are required to take remedial courses at the cost of over $2 billion annually. Nearly four of every five of those students had a high school grade point average of 3.0 or higher … .”

• (Dufour and Marzano, 2011)In other words, our current grading systems are not a true representation of what students know, understand and are able to do

Traditional Grading Systems

• Based on the accumulation of points using the percentage system

Traditional Grading Systems

• Academic achievement tainted by non-academic factors and some punitive practices

Can you identify times when teachers used punitive grading to manipulate behavior?

Is there another alternative?

Traditional Grading Systems

• The mean is the main measure as points for grades are “accumulated” and “calculated”

Do the Math

• 80% Test 1• 90% Test 2• 30% Test 3• 70% Test 4

What is the final grade?

How well does this final grade address true learning?

Traditional Grading Systems

• Criteria is often unclear or assumed to be known

SBG Grading

SBG Grading

• Criteria is clear and based on the achievement of specific learning criteria directly related to a standard

SBG Grading

• Only academic achievement is reported through formative and summative assessments that directly address the learning standards

When would you give a formative and what is its purpose?

Example of SBG Unit Grade

Standard& Score

Assess#1

Assess#2

Assess#3

Assess#4

Assess#5

FinalAssess

Std #1 2 3 4

Std #2 2 3 3

Std # 3 1 3 3 3

Std # 4 2 2 4 4

Std #5 2 3 4 3 4

Example of SBG Unit Grade

Standard& Score

Assess#1

Assess#2

Assess#3

Assess#4

Assess#5

FinalAssess

Std #1 2 3 4 4

Std #2 2 3 3 3

Std # 3 1 3 3 3 3

Std # 4 2 2 4 4 4

Std #5 2 3 4 3 4 4

3.6 = A

SBG Grading

• 5-point system: 4-3-2-1-0 for achievement levels and, in some cases, letter grades A, B, C, D for final grades that relate to the 5-point system rather than a percentage

The Achievement ScaleAchievement

LevelAchievement Descriptors

4 Exemplary: In addition to a 3.0 performance the student provides evidence of deep understanding and fluent application of the target standards as well as the ability to apply and transfer learning to new situations

3 Proficient: No major errors or omissions regarding any of the target standards

2 Basic: No major errors or omissions regarding the simpler outcomes or processes of the target standards but errors or omissions regarding the complex processes

1 Below Basic: The student is only beginning to address the simpler outcomes of the target standards

0 No Evidence: No evidence of addressing the standards

Transition Steps

• Adopt or review the UbD framework for unit planning

Transition Steps

• Base all assessments on criteria directly related to unit standards

Do your current assessments connect to standards and benchmarks?

Transition Steps

• Remove non academic considerations from grades

What non academic practices could possibly be removed in your school environment?

Transition Steps

• Remove “punitive” grading practices that do not support true academic achievement

Identify 3 “punitive” practices

Transition Steps

• Adopt a system of achievement levels (relative to standards) rather than the accumulation of points (i.e. use 4-3-2-1-0)

Can you think of any ways you could introduce this concept?

Transition Steps

• Introduce policies that both expect and support academic success

Review an array of in-school supports that allow students to find academic success

Transition Steps

• Review UbD framework and its connection to SBG• Base all assessments on criteria directly related to unit

standards• Remove non academic considerations from grades• Remove “traditional” grading practices that do not support

true academic achievement• Adopt a system of achievement levels (relative to

standards) rather than the accumulation of points (i.e. use 4-3-2-1-0)

• Introduce policies that expect and support academic success