Standards-based Grading Practices-Math Anne Knackert Learning Technologies Dept

Practices that Inhibit Learning Including behaviors in academic grade Assessments not linked to learning intentions Grading first effort (formative assessment) Assigning Zeros as grades (The Power of Zero) Always using the mean to determine a grade Old and recent scores are given the same weight “Why…would anyone want to change current grading practices? The answer is quite simple: grades are so imprecise that they are almost meaningless.” --Robert Marzano

Current Research on Assessment Current grading practice is highly inaccurate Purpose of grades is feedback on standards Feedback on nonacademic factors should be kept separate Advocates rubric scoring Summative vs. Formative Assessment of Learning vs. Assessment for Learning Value in ungraded practice More from Doug Reeves and Ken O’Connor Grading is always somewhat subjective Grading involves questionable practices Averaging and zeroes create meaningless grades Advocates Standards Based grading Robert Marzano Rick StiggensThomas Guskey

Traditional GradingStandards-based Grading Emphasizes Compliance All activities are graded Activities can be weighted differently Huge advantage for students who come into the course knowing the material. All grades are averaged Zeroes kill Emphasizes Competence Evidence is graded. Practice is not graded (feedback provided). Different pieces of evidence can be weighted differently Equal opportunity for students who learn content during the time of the course New Evidence replaces old evidence Zeroes only exist if students made no effort to provide evidence

Examine your current grading practice… Competence vs. Compliance Separate Academic and Nonacademic Factors Grades are NOT used to Punish--Zeroes Averaging vs. Most Recent Achievement Ungraded Practice vs. only Evidence SBGTrad

Performance Levels – AD: Advanced, exceeding grade level expectations – PR: Proficient, meeting grade level expectations – BA: Basic, just below grade level expectations – MI: Minimal, far below grade level expectations Proficiency Levels entered must be based on grade level expectations for ALL students—special needs, English language learners Separate Effort grade allows teachers to: Allows teachers to report on effort separately for each content area Avoid mixing nonacademic factors into the standards based academic grade Allows teachers to indicate high effort for struggling students or low effort for high performing students—indicate improvement 6

Mathematics Take some time to examine the white documents with the CCSS as they are stated on the new standards-based report card o Which standards will teachers struggle with? o What resources already exist to support teachers? Look at the yellow handout. o How would the handbook pages help the fourth grade teacher understand their CCSS? o What other resources does the handbook provide? 7

Though only 35 MPS schools are using the new standards- based report card in , ALL students at ALL schools in MPS focus on the standards shown in these handbooks. 8

Reflection How can I support math teachers who are using the new standards-based report card by growing their understanding of the CCSS in math? How do the resources for the report card pilot support all teachers in MPS? Can a teacher teach and grade the CCSS if they do not understand the standards themselves? 9

Resources: -Transforming Classroom Grading by Robert Marzano (ASCD) -Grading and Reporting Student Learning by Thomas Guskey -New Mission, New Beliefs: Assessment for Learning by Rick Stiggins -Grading What Matters by Tony Winger (ASCD) How to Grade for Learning by Ken O’Connor 10 Credit Where Credit is Due