StandardsBased Grading: Turning Theory Into Practice

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Standards-Based Grading Turning Theory Into
Practice

• Forrest Clark, Nisqually Middle School,
  Lacey, Washington

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Learning Objectives

• Reflect on the purposes and problems of
  traditional grading.
• Discuss guidelines for standards-based grading.
• Discuss the details of implementing
  standards-based grading.

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SELF-ASSESSMENT

• How confident are you that YOUR grades are
• Consistent ?
• Accurate ?
• Informative ?
• Useful ?
• Supportive ?

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• SOME PROBLEMS WITH TRADITIONAL GRADING

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A Problem

• What does a letter grade mean
• To a student?
• To a parent?
• Does a B from Ms Jones mean the same as a B
  from Mr Smith?

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A Problem

• Is a student who receives a C based upon 100
  homework completion and 50 test average REALLY
  ready to move on to the next level course?
• What do you say to a parent whose student
  received an A in class but scored at the lowest
  level on the WASL?

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A Problem

• Does a letter grade really tell a parent what
  their student has learned?
• How do grades affect the motivation of students
  who experience early failure and see no way to
  climb out of the hole theyre in?

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• Whywould anyone want to change current grading
  practices?
• The answer is quite simple grades are so
  imprecise that they are almost meaningless.
• --Robert Marzano

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• Grades are counterproductive and act against
  most of the key ideas involved in PLCs. Grading
  as it has been done traditionally promotes a
  culture of point accumulation not learning,
  encourages competition not collaboration, often
  focuses on activities not resultsand only
  involves assessment OF learning because
  everything students do gets a score and every
  score ends up in the grade book.
• ---Ken OConnor

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Practices that Inhibit Learning

• Including behaviors in academic grade

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Everyone who has a need to know about a students
performance in school certainly can be told that
she or he is a nice student who tries hard, but
they also have a right to know the specific level
of her or his knowledge in a particular subject
at a given point in time. -----Ken OConnor
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Practices that Inhibit Learning Including
behaviors in academic grade

• Assessment not linked to learning targets

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• Students can hit any target that they can see
  and that doesnt move.
• --Rick Stiggins

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Practices that Inhibit Learning Including
behaviors in academic grade Assessment not
linked to learning targets

• Grading first effort (formative assessment)

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Formative vs. Summative

• Summativeassessment OF learning
• Used report student achievement
• How much have they learned as of this date?
• Formativeassessment FOR learning
• Used to guide instruction
• How should we modify instruction based upon where
  they are now?

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• Even though assessments will continue to be
  labeled formative or summative, how the results
  are used is what determines whether the
  assessment is formative or summative.
• --Stephen Jan Chappuis

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Practices that Inhibit Learning Including
behaviors in academic grade Assessment not
linked to learning targets Grading first
effort (formative assessment)

• Over-use of zero grades

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Using The ZERO Student A Student
B
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Using The ZERO
Student A Student B
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• The use of an I or Incomplete grade is an
  alternative to assigning zeros that is both
  educationally sound and potentially quite
  effective.
• --Guskey Bailey

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Practices that Inhibit Learning Including
behaviors in academic grade Assessment not
linked to learning targets Grading first
effort (formative assessment) Over-use of zero
grades

• Always using the mean to determine student grades

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Student A Student B
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Practices that Inhibit Learning Including
behaviors in academic grade Assessment not
linked to learning targets Grading first
effort (formative assessment) Over-use of zero
grades Always using the mean to determine grades

• Old and recent scores given equal weight

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• What information provides the most accurate
  depiction of students learning at this time? In
  nearly all cases, the answer is the most current
  information.
• If students demonstrate that past assessment
  information no longer accurately reflects their
  learning, that information must be dropped and
  replaced by the new information.
• --Guskey

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• GUIDELINES FOR STANDARDS BASED GRADING

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THE CORE ELEMENTS OF STANDARDS BASED GRADING

• Identify Learning Objectives
• Assess Each Learning Objective Separately
• Multiple Opportunities to Meet Standard
• Academic Content Only

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Guideline 1 The purpose of grades is to
communicate achievement

• Based state and district standards
• Academic performance only
• Behaviors reported separately

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• The primary purposeof grades is to
  communicate student achievement to students,
  parents, school administrators, post-secondary
  institutions and employers.
• ---Bailey McTighe

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Guideline 2 Individual achievement is the
only basis for grades.

• Not based upon group grades
• Only includes individual achievement of stated
  course goals
• Learn Cooperatively, Assess Individually

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• Students grades appear on their personal
  report cards and therefore should not be
  contaminated by the achievement (or lack of
  achievement) of other students.
• -- Ken OConnor

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Guideline 3 Relate grading procedures to
learning goals.

• Identify critical concepts/skills
• Assess individual concepts/skills
• Mastery is the standard
• Summative vs Formative activities
• Multiple Opportunities to Demonstrate Learning

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• The consequence for a student who fails to meet
  a standard is not a low grade but rather the
  opportunityindeed, the requirementto resubmit
  his or her work.
• -- Douglas Reeves

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• What is the intended learning? That one
  question should drive all planning and assessment
  in schools todaywhen you know which learning
  target each assessment measures, you can be sure
  youre teaching and assessing what is most
  important for students to learn.
• --Rick Stiggins

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Guideline 4 What should NOT be included in
a grade

• Effort
• Participation
• Attitude
• Behavior
• Homework
• Group work

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(No Transcript)
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LOWEST TEST AVERAGE NEEDED TO EARN DESIGNATED
GRADE
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• NISQUALLY MIDDLE SCHOOL

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NORTH THURSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

• Located near Olympia, Washington
• 14,000 Students
• 4 High Schools (9-12)
• 3 Middle Schools (7-8)
• 12 Elementary Schools (K-6)

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NISQUALLY MIDDLE SCHOOL

• 580 Students
• 7th 8th Grade
• 55 Free Reduced Lunch
• 45 Minority

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The Math Department

• Five Teachers
• Connected Math (CMP)
• AlgebraCollege Prep Math (CPM)

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Math Department Grading Policy

• Grades will be based upon STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
• Grades will be based upon MASTERY OF CONCEPTS AND
  SKILLS
• Students should have MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES to
  demonstrate mastery

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• Grade books will list specific math
  objectives/concepts
• Grade books will NOT list individual
  homework/classwork assignments
• Grade books will NOT include entries for effort,
  behavior, attendance or attitude.

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• 80 of Grade Based Upon Assessments
  of Critical Concepts and Skills
• 20 of Grade is Notebook assessment (notes,
  assignments, reflections, etc)
• Mastery is defined as 80

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IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS
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• STEP 1 Identify Key Concepts/Skills
• STEP 2 Create Assessment Process
• STEP 3 Create Assessments
• STEP 4 Create Progress Reports
• STEP 5 Educate Parents Students

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STEP 1Identify Key Concepts/Skills

• What Do Students Need To Know?
• What Do Students Need To Do?
• What Must Students Understand?

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• A school or district must distinguish between
  the content that is essential for all students to
  learn.
• I recommend no more than 20, and preferably 15,
  measurement topics per subject per grade level.
• -- Marzano

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• PRE-ALGEBRA CONCEPT LIST
• UNIT 1
• Add and Subtract Integers
• Multiply and Divide Integers
• Solve 1-step Equations
• Plot points on a coordinate graph

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SCIENCE CONCEPT LIST

• Spring Quarter 2008
• Designing Solutions to Problems (3.1.3)
• Apply the scientific Design Process to develop
  and Implement solutions to problems or challenges
• Design Effectiveness/Redesign (3.1.3)
• Analyze multiple solutions to a problem
• Natural Resources (3.2.4)
• Analyze how societies use of natural resources
  affects the quality of life and health of
  ecosystems
• Forms/Types of Energy (1.1.4)
• Understand that energy is a property of matter,
  objects, and systems and comes in many forms
  (i.e., heat thermal energy, sound energy, light
  energy, electrical energy, kinetic energy,
  potential energy, and chemical energy).
• Energy Transfer (1.2.2)
• Understand how various factors affect energy
  transfers and that energy can be transformed from
  one form of energy to another.

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IEP Generated Concept List

• IEP Goal
• Will compute addition problems with regrouping
• Will compute multiplication facts up to 10
• Will round numbers to a designated place

• Concept List
• w/regrouping
• X up to 10
• Round to hundreds

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SAMPLE GRADE BOOK ENTRIES
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SAMPLE GRADE BOOK ENTRIES
INC 0 for purposes of grade calculations
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SAMPLE GRADE BOOK ENTRIES
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• STEP 2
• Create Assessment Process
• Assess Each Concept Individually
• Individual Scores for Each Concept
• Multiple Versions of Assessments
• Source of Questions
• Test Generator Software
• Teacher Designed

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• NAME___________________ DATE__________
  CLASS________
• PRE-ALGEBRA TEST

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Science Design Report
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Planning an Investigation Report

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• Assessment Process
• Students take Test (summative)
• Only scores of 80 or higher initially entered
  in the grade book
• All scores below 80 entered as Incomplete (or
  zero) until student retests that concept.
• Re-teaching and Extra Help provided

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• Mandatory retest for scores below 80 (given in
  class)
• Optional retest for scores 80 or above
• 2nd retest if needed (after school)
• Only need to retest concepts not mastered
• Retest score replaces earlier score
• (even if lower)
• Retest score entered in grade book
• (replaces zero/incomplete)

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Re-teaching Retesting

• In Class re-teaching/retesting
• After School re-teaching Extra Help
• Lunch/Recess re-teaching Extra Help
• Student Accountability
• Builds Positive Relationships with
  Parents/Students

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SAMPLE GRADE BOOK ENTRIES
INC 0 for purposes of grade calculations
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Individual Progress on Goals
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• FINAL EXAMS
• Final Exam organized and graded by concept (all
  concepts for the quarter)
• Final Exam serves as last retest opportunity
• Scores on Final Exam, if higher, will replace
  previously recorded scores
• Overall Final Exam score entered in grade book as
  a single entry (as if it were a concept)

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IMPACT OF FINAL EXAM
INC 0 for purposes of grade calculations
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STEP 3Create Progress Reports

• List Concepts Skills (NOT activities or
  assignments)
• Earlier (lower) scores listed in Comments
• Avoid using letter grades (until Report Card)
• Need to Retest/Revise in Comments

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Report Cards

• Traditional Report Card
• Single letter grade
• Comments chosen from menu
• Standards Based Report Card
• Rubric score for each Learning Target
• Rubric scores for student behaviors

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IEP Progress Reports

• Written commentary reflects progress on IEP
  goals
• List concepts covered, with current percentages
• Daily work (Warm-ups) percentages
• Update IEP in student file

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STEP 4Educate Parents Students

• PTSA
• School Newsletter
• Back to School Night
• Student Flyers
• Arena Conferencing
• IEP Meetings
• Parent/Student Surveys

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• LESSONS
• LEARNED

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• Clearly identifying concepts helps align grading
  and assessment with curriculum, instruction, and
  state district standards.
• Listing each concept, rather than a chapter or
  activity, improves parent communication by
  clearly showing what the student is and is not
  learning.

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• Students seem more focused on learning each
  concept, rather than getting a certain grade.
• Consideration must be given to how many retests
  will be allowed.
• Allowing unlimited retests is not effective for
  students or teachers.

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• Due to Incomplete equating to a zero in the
  grade book, students who have not yet retested
  have very low grades on progress reports.
• Re-teaching and/or extra help opportunities MUST
  be provided prior to retesting

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• Grading policy must be explained to parents early
  and often
• Leadership at all levels is vital
• Department Team Leaders
• Counselors
• Administrators

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• BEY0ND
• MATH SCIENCE

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• Other Middle School Math departments
• High School Math departments
• Nisqually Middle School departments (Language
  Arts, Science, Social Studies)
• Elementary report card pilot
• District-level support
• Other districts in Washington state

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Language Arts Pilot

• Increased use of Formative Assessments
• Initial efforts not included in grades
• Opportunities to re-write and revise for new
  grade
• Most re-writes are high quality

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• Fewer re-writes needed as students buy into
  the policy
• Students seem less stressed over major
  assignments, knowing that they can re-write them
• Not entering grades for every assignment saves
  time
• Some students NOT taking advantage of
  re-write opportunities

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Social Studies Pilot

• Showing what they know, especially when it
  comes to retaking something they failed to master
  the first time can be difficult. Some
  possibilities are
• Traditional tests They retake (in-class, during
  lunch, before school) the questions they
  missed.  They must turn in the original test
  first, after studying it.  This has been
  quite successful.
• Oral Tests Make them explain it.
• Choice Projects They choose a format to show
  what they know.  This works better as a first
  try.
• Students Write the Test They synthesize the
  info and write the test questions and
  answers.  It works better as a first
  try.

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• I have a better understanding of what the
  students know now than I ever had before  It
  requires the students to Show what you know not
  just Show up.  In other words they have to do
  more than turn in work students begin to realize
  that thinking about what they are learning helps
  them pass the assessments the first time, which
  makes life easier on them and us.  This format
  for assessing allows me to give the students much
  more choice in both assignments (a list of
  options of what they can do) and assessments
  (choice of assessment types).
•  

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Our Evaluation So Far

• Focus on learning is replacing focus on a letter
  grade
• Vast majority of parents are supportive
• Many students who began the year poorly have
  shown improved motivation, effort and
  performance
• Some students are not making much of an effort to
  prepare for retests

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• Grades better reflect what students learned
• Report cards are easier to prepare
• Workload (from retests) is manageable
• Availability of extra help is vital
• Teachers do NOT want to go back to traditional
  grading

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SELF-ASSESSMENT

• How confident are you that YOUR grades are
• Consistent ?
• Accurate ?
• Informative ?
• Useful ?
• Supportive ?

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Questionnaire

• Review questionnaire (green) completed at
  beginning of session
• Would you answer any of the questions differently
  now?
• What changes in your grading system, if any,
  would you consider making this year?

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Resources

• OConnor, A Repair Kit for Grading  15 Fixes
  for
  Broken Grades 
• How to Grade for Learning
• ( www.assessmentinst.com )
• Marzano, Assessment and Grading that Work
• ( www.amazon.com or www.ascd.org )
• Guskey, Practical Solutions for Serious
  Problems in Standards-Based Grading
• ( www.corwinpress.com)