Standards-Based Grading School of Rock Presentation August 27, 2015 Stefanie Reistad-Schwartz Granite Falls School District

Beware of the Education Pendulum Note about pendulum swing in education – how can we find a middle ground? 2

Beware of the Education Pendulum Wrecking Ball Beware of the Education Pendulum Note about pendulum swing in education – how can we find a middle ground? 3

Objectives to reflect on our grading practices to understand the differences between standards-based grading (SBG) and traditional grading to consider the paradigm shift of standards-based grading as it relates to students, parents, teachers, etc. to learn some strategies for implementing SBG in the classroom 4

Reflection Think of a time when you struggled to learn something, either as a student or as an adult. What helped you learn that skill or content? How did you feel as a learner? 5

Why Grade?

Common Ground Why do we grade our students? What does a grade represent to students, parents, teachers, coaches, colleges, employers, etc.? puzzle groups small groups discuss three questions (3 minutes)

Purpose of Grading for administrative purposes to give students feedback about their progress and achievement to provide guidance to students about future course work to provide guidance to teachers for instructional planning to motivate students Administrative: matriculation and retention, placement when students transfer from one school to another, student entrance into college, pupil's rank in class, credits for graduation, and suitability for promotion to the next level Transforming Classroom Grading by Robert J. Marzano

Determining Grades

Common Ground How do you determine grades on your assignments and assessments? How do you organize your grades in Skyward (or in your gradebook)? puzzle groups small groups discuss three questions (3 minutes)

Scoring Assessments Section A Ten multiple-choice items that are factual in nature but important to the topic. Section B Four short constructed-response items that require students to explain principles or give examples of generalizations as presented in class. Section C Two short constructed-response items that require students to make inferences and applications that go beyond what was presented in class. Points for Section A: ____________ Points for Section B: ____________ Points for Section C: ____________ Total: ____100_____

Scoring Assessments Teacher 1 40 / 40 20 / 40 0 / 20 60 Teacher 2 Points Assigned Section A student answered all 10 correctly Points Assigned Section B student answered 2 out of 4 correct Points Assigned Section C student answered 0 out of 2 correctly Total Points for Student (Final Score) Teacher 1 40 / 40 20 / 40 0 / 20 60 Teacher 2 20 / 20 0 / 40 40 Teacher 3 60 / 60 10 / 20 70 Teacher 4 70 / 70 0 / 10 80 Teacher 5 0 / 60 30

Total Points Grading Student 1 Student 2 Student 3 Student 4 does all of his work and turns work in on time no behavior problems does some extra credit grade on test shows some understanding and skill (but no specific content or skill identified) Student 2 - 77%: does only 70% of his work and/or turns work in late a bit squirrely in class does not do extra credit grade on test shows some understanding and skill (but no specific content or skill identified) Looking at the grades alone, one might think that student 3 is having the most difficulty in the class and student one is doing fairly well; however, student 3 is actually matched with student 1 in skills. His grade drops 33% because of his behavior. Would anyone be concerned about student 1? How might this grade be deceiving to all parties? Good student but struggles with skills. What skills or content are assessed on the story test? If a student does not do well, what In this example, 54% of the grade is based on assessment points (story test); however, that will vary depending on the number of practice activities entered and the points assigned to future practice and assessments. Difficult to be intentional with this type of grading. Student 3 - 58%: does very little work and/or does not turn work in on time poor behavior in class Mom made him do extra credit grade on test shows some progression towards understanding and skill (but no specific content or skill identified) Student 4 - 75%: does all of her work and turns work in on time no behavior problems does all extra credit possible grade on test reveals that student is really struggling with understanding and has not developed skills - needs intervention or reteaching (but no specific content or skill identified)

Weighted Category Grading Student 1 Student 2 Student 3 Student 4 Student 1 - 94%: does all of his work and turns work in on time no behavior problems does some extra credit grade on test shows some understanding and skill (but no specific content or skill identified) Student 2 - 75%: does only 60% of his work and/or turns work in late a bit squirrely in class does not do extra credit grade on test shows some understanding and skill (but no specific content or skill identified) Weight is reading 30, writing 30, language 20(skills), assignments (for any others that doesn’t fit) 20 - or something close to that Student 3 - 50%: does very little work and/or does not turn work in on time poor behavior in class grade on test shows some understanding and skill (but no specific content or skill identified) Student 4 - 77%: does all of her work and turns work in on time no behavior problems does all extra credit possible grade on test reveals that student is really struggling with understanding and has not developed skills - needs intervention or reteaching (but no specific content or skill identified)

Comparing Traditional Grading to Standards Based Grading

Comparison of grading models Traditional Grading Standards-Based Grading 1. Based on assessment methods (quizzes, tests, homework, projects, etc.). One grade/entry is given per assessment. 1. Based on learning goals and performance standards. One grade/entry is given per learning goal. 2. Assessments are based on a percentage system. Criteria for success may be unclear. 2. Standards are criterion or proficiency-based. Criteria and targets are made available to students ahead of time. 3. Use an uncertain mix of assessment, achievement, effort, and behavior to determine the final grade. May use late penalties and extra credit. 3. Measures achievement only OR separates achievement from effort/behavior. No penalties or extra credit given. 4. Everything goes in the grade book – regardless of purpose. 4. Selected assessments (tests, quizzes, projects, etc.) are used for grading purposes. 5. Include every score, regardless of when it was collected. Assessments record the average – not the best – work. 5. Emphasize the most recent evidence of learning when grading. Adapted from O’Connor K (2002). How to Grade for Learning: Linking grades to standards (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Standards-Based Grading Student 1 Student 2 Student 3 Student 4 Student 1 - 82%: does all of his work and turns work in on time no behavior problems shows progression towards proficiency in seven standards, but needs support in two others Student 2 - 78%: does only 60% of his work and/or turns work in late a bit squirrely in class shows progression towards proficiency in eight standards, but needs support in one other Weight is 35 reading, 35 writing, 15 language (skills), 10 speaking and listening (participation, 5 work habits (employability skills) Student 3 - 70%: does very little work and/or does not turn work in on time poor behavior in class shows progression towards proficiency in four standards, but needs support in others Student 4 - 68%: does all of her work and turns work in on time no behavior problems scores demonstrate that even with support student is not even progressing to proficiency in many standards *extra credit not offered, but retakes/redos are

Standard Proficiency Scale Standards are assessed according to a four-point scale: 4 exceeds standard / advanced 3 proficient in standard / proficient 2 progressing to standard / basic 1 does not meet standard / below basic

Standard Proficiency Scale Make inferences and use textual evidence to support conclusion. ELA Reading Standard 9-10.1 4 In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and application that go beyond what was taught. 3.5 In addition to score 3.0 performance, partial success at score 4.0 content. 3 The student will: cite textual evidence to support analysis of what a grade-appropriate text says explicitly, as well as to support inferences drawn from the text. 2.5 No major errors or omissions regarding score 2.0 content, and partial success at score 3.0 content. 2 The student will recognize or recall specific vocabulary, such as: analysis, cite, explicit, inference, logical, support, text, textual evidence The student will perform basic processes, such as: describe what a grade-appropriate text says explicitly and draw logical inferences 1.5 Partial success at score 2.0 content, and major errors or omissions regarding score 3.0 content. 1 With help, partial success at score of 2.0 content and score 3.0 content. .5 with help, partial success at score 2.0 content but not at score 3.0 content Even with help, no success. this is the actual standard you can use learning progressions (standards from previous grades) to create the simpler content

Learning Progressions

Conversion Scale to Traditional Grade Scale Score Percentage Score Traditional Grade 3.75 - 4.00 97-100 A+ 3.26 - 3.74 93-96 A 3.00 - 3.25 90-92 A- 2.84 - 2.99 87-89 B+ 2.67 - 2.83 83-86 B 2.50 - 2.66 80-82 B- 2.34 - 2.49 77-79 C+ 2.17 - 2.33 73-76 C 2.00 - 2.16 70-72 C- 1.76 - 1.99 67-69 D+ 1.26- 1.75 63-66 D 1.00 - 1.25 60-62 D- Below 1.00 50 F

The Paradigm Shift

Shifts in our thinking A student’s grade reflects what a student knows and can do. All students learn, but some may need more time and/or more help than others. A student’s grade shouldn’t be penalized for making mistakes or needing more time. Grades are not about competition with other students; grades reflect each student’s mastery. I didn’t become a teacher to grade students; I became a teacher to help kids learn.

Where do I begin?

Where to begin? Carefully select or combine your standards - you don’t need to formally assess every standard and you may want to add in additional standards that are not part of the CCSS. Review your assessments and determine what skills or content is being assessed. Make adjustments to align with your standards.

Shifts in Thinking

Students Tracking Progress Growthmindset Article 9/24/2015 Education Article 9/27/2015 Emerson Education Essay 10/5/2015 Catcher in the Rye excerpt 10/12/2015

Where to begin? The focus is on mastery learning without penalty. Allow students to retake and redo assessments. Provide opportunities for students to show their knowledge or skill in a variety of ways and have choice in how they are assessed. Determine what student work should be included in the gradebook. Not everything has to be in there. Include a separate category for employability skills (timeliness, participation, cooperation, etc.).

You type in your standards Activegrade You type in your standards Student 1 Student 2 Student 3 Student 4 You can assign different calculation methods for each standard. Decaying Average: The most recent score is worth 70% (or whatever you decide) of the grade and the combined average of the other entries is worth 30% of the grade. Most Recent Score: Grade reflects the most recent score and does not take in to account previous scores.

Activegrade You can enter multiple standards for each assessment, allowing students to see what their strengths are and what they may need to work on. Student 1 Student 2 Student 3 Student 4

Student 1 - shows progress in each standard and lists all assessments and scores.

Resources How to Grade for Learning K-12, Third Edition, Ken O’Connor Explains how to improve grading practices by linking grades with standards and establishing policies that better reflect student achievement. Formative Assessment and Standards-Based Grading, Robert Marzano How to design formative assessments, how to track student progress, how to assign meaningful grades. Using Common Core Standards to Enhance Classroom Instruction and Assessment, Robert Marzano Provides an understanding of the CCSS with steps to integrate them into classroom practice. Hundreds of ready-to-use proficiency scales created from the CCSS to help teachers assess students’ progress. https://www.marzanoresearch.com/resources/proficiency-scale-bank This powerpoint can be found at http://reistadschwartz.weebly.com