World History Initiative Differentiation Grading and Evaluation Credit

Differentiation Differentiation –One size does not fit all. –Different tasks assigned to help different students reach the same understandings. –Goal: Every student takes a next step. –Not everyone will complete the same tasks!

Differentiating for… Different Interests –Those interested in writing song lyrics, sit over here; those interested in cartooning… Different Learning Styles –Those who wish to see a slide presentation, sit over here; those who wish to read… Different Readiness Levels –Are you ready to write a paragraph? An essay? A research paper?

Readiness: Tasks, Projects Straight-Ahead –Instructions guide you from start to finish Uphill –Instructions take you about half-way, then drop you off to see if you can finish Mountainous –Instructions get you started, but you guide the task for most of the journey

Readiness: Tests Straight-Ahead –All SOL content, skills, and language Uphill –Mostly SOL content and skills; language may be slightly above grade-level Mountainous –Content and skills extend beyond the SOL framework; cognitively demanding diction

Who chooses what? Interest: Students choose. Learning style: Students choose. Readiness level: Prather chooses. –You may ignore Prather’s choice, but doing so may affect your grade and credit. –Bottom line: You should never work beneath Prather’s suggestion.

Grading and Evaluation EVERY single job on the face of the planet requires its employees to be… COMPETENT COMPETENT.

Grading Scale DM: Demonstrates Mastery (95%) DC:Demonstrates Competence (85%) SC:Suggests Competence (75%) NY:Does Not Yet Suggest Competence (65%) NYx:Does Not Yet Suggest Competence (55%) Mi:Missing (50%) Others:DC! (89%); SC! (79%); NY! (69%)

3 Equally Weighted Grades Performance –How have you done on tests and projects? Process –How have you handled classroom tasks, daily routines, participation, and homework? Progress –How have you demonstrated improvement since the start of the unit?

Performance Scale DM Demonstrates Mastery Work demonstrates an elevated understanding of the material and may be used to teach others. Evaluator is left without lingering questions and only minor suggestions, if any. DC Demonstrates Competence Work demonstrates a solid understanding of the material but leaves the evaluator with some unanswered questions. Strong effort, high quality, room for growth and mastery. SC Suggests Competence Work suggests an understanding of the content without proving it. Decent foundation but lacks supporting details. A number of how and why questions remain. NY Does Not YET Suggest Competence Work suggests a misunderstanding of the content without proving it. Offers a few basic facts but grossly misinterprets larger understandings. OR Work is incomplete, nonexistent, or non-topical. Fails to demonstrate an engagement of the content.

Process Scale DM Demonstrates Mastery The student participates actively and positively in class by asking questions when confused, by contributing to discussion, and by assisting others. The student consistently submits work of the very highest quality. DC Demonstrates Competence The student participates actively and positively in class by asking questions when confused, by contributing to discussion, and by assisting others. The student consistently submits work of decent-high quality. SC Suggests Competence The student occasionally participates in class, but often the student does not contribute voluntarily and instead must be pulled along. The student struggles to submit work of decent- high quality on a consistent basis. NY Does Not YET Suggest Competence The student rarely participates in class, voluntarily or by request of the teacher. The student consistently submits work of low/unsatisfactory quality. Often the student neglects to engage the daily tasks or home assignments.

Progress Scale DM Demonstrates Mastery The student has made gains in content knowledge, understandings, and skills over the course of the unit by engaging work that is appropriately challenging and by taking advantage of re- engagement opportunities. DC Demonstrates Competence The student has made gains in content knowledge, understandings, and skills by engaging work appropriate to his readiness. But he has not taken advantage of re-engagement opportunities. SC Suggests Competence The student has made only slight gains in content knowledge, understandings, and/or skills. He has not consistently engaged tasks appropriate to his readiness (as suggested by the teacher), although he has taken advantage of some re-engagement opportunities. NY Does Not YET Suggest Competence The student has not progressed in his learning. He chooses to complete tasks beneath his readiness - and sometimes does not bother at all - nor has he taken advantage of re-engagement opportunities.

If you consistently… Demonstrates Mastery in your life… –…then you will likely enjoy opportunities to employ or supervise others. Demonstrates Competence in your life… –…then you will likely earn full-time employment at a job you want with opportunities to advance. Suggests Competence in your life… –…then you will likely receive opportunities to work at a job you want, but employers may worry about your ability to work successfully and responsibly.

If you consistently… Fail to suggest competence in your life… –…then you will likely receive some opportunities for work, but often they will not be the opportunities you desire. Employers might worry that you will fail at your assigned tasks nearly every time. Some will see you as a last option, and you may bounce from part- time job to part-time job.

Credit Students may pursue General, Advanced or Honors credit for World History. Credit will be awarded in June. Credit will be determined by the teacher based on the student’s assessment record (tests and projects).

Honors Credit First Semester –The student must engage mountainous work on at least 4 of the 8 major assessments AND must never work beneath Prather’s readiness suggestions. If Prather suggests a task of mountainous readiness, then the student may NOT complete a straight or uphill assessment. If Prather suggests a task of uphill readiness, then the student may not complete a straight assessment.

Honors Credit Second Semester –The student must engage mountainous work 100% of the time on major assessments. –If the student did not take the mountainous midterm exam, then he must take the mountainous final exam regardless of exam exemption status.

Advanced Credit First Semester –The student must engage uphill/mountainous work on at least 4 of the 8 major assessments AND must never work beneath Prather’s readiness suggestions. If Prather suggests a task of mountainous readiness, then the student may NOT complete a straight or uphill assessment. If Prather suggests a task of uphill readiness, then the student may not complete a straight assessment.

Advanced Credit Second Semester –The student must engage uphill/mountainous work 100% of the time on major assessments. –If the student took the straight midterm exam, then he must take the uphill final exam regardless of exam exemption status.

General Credit First Semester –The student engages straight-ahead work on major assessments more than 50% of the time OR works beneath the teacher’s readiness suggestion on any of the major assessments. Second Semester –The student elects to complete straight-ahead assessments OR neglects to take the uphill final exam despite requirements to do so.