Implementing a K-6 Standards-Based Reporting System in a Large School District: Lessons Learned WERA Spring Conference March 29, 2007

Kent School District Quick Profile Southern King County 26,711 Students (headcount) 37% Free/Reduce Lunch 42% Minority –(Asian 15%, African-American 10%, Hispanic 10%) 14% English Language Learners 114 Home Languages 28 Elementary Schools (K-6) Great variance in demographics from school to school

Purpose of SBRS To communicate student performance in meeting the state and district standards for learning

Belief Statement We believe the Kent School District reporting system will provide timely, accurate and meaningful information of a student’s progress and application of knowledge and skills toward achievement of the state and district standards.

Research Thomas Guskey –1996 ASCD Year Book –Live Seminars on Tape –Developing Grading and Reporting Systems for Student Learning Book –Scoring Rubrics in the Classroom Book –Improving Student Learning with Standards, Assessments and Grading

Additional Research Visitations to other districts Robert Marzano –Comprehensive Guide to Designing Standards-Based District, Schools and Classrooms –Assessing Student Outcomes –Transforming Classroom Grading

1 st Year – Development of –New Report Card – separating academic reporting from behaviors –Parent, student and staff surveys –Rubrics –Glossary of terms –Support groups –Curriculum sub-groups –Communication plan

2 nd and 3 rd Years – Increased number of SBRS participants from 80 to Schools went school-wide 2 nd year and 5 the 3 rd year Continuation of curriculum document development Focus on Assessment tools

Emerging Issues for Schools – school-wide 5– teacher participating – at least 2 per school Better communication Staff development Honor Roll Development of guidelines for aligning assessments with GLEs as they are released Common Format for documents and access for updates resources

Users Self-Reported Stage of Integration of SBRS

“It is not the boulder that stops the mountain climber, it is the pebble in the shoe.”

Boulders Understanding “There is a great difference between knowing something and understanding it.” Charles Kettering Communication “If the finished parts are going to work together, they must be developed by groups that share a common picture of what each part must accomplish. … the challenge of management and team-building is to make that communication happen.” K. Eric Drexler, U.S. researcher, lecturer Resources “That stuff, that stuff can drive you nuts.” Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront

Understanding Issues Meeting standard vs. averaging The sudden need for reflection on grading practices (“What did you do under the old grading system?”) Perceived threats to traditions (e.g. awards) Grades as rewards or punishments

Resources Issues 1.Alignment of existing materials to standards 2.Assessments, rubrics, and anchor sets desired by EARL by subject by grade level for each trimester 3. Demands for even finer granularity.

The Demand for Documents How will we know where students are relative to the standards? What does a 4, a 3, a 2, a 1 look like? What are the standards? Establish standards (e.g. GLEs) Develop Trimester Assessments Develop Rubrics and Anchor Sets

Communication Issues Teachers ↓From 4 pilot schoolwide sites ↓To 11 schoolwide  “Orphans” in 18 sites Administrators –Finding time Parents –Not really a problem

Pebbles in the Shoe Evidential requirements Report card technology Guidelines for report card comments Trend vs. average Students served above or below grade level (e.g., Highly Capable Program, Special Needs) Honor Societies, Presidential Awards … End of year standards vs. on-track standards

Resources Developing Grading and Reporting Systems for Student Learning by Thomas R. Guskey and Jane M. Bailey, Corwin Press, Inc ASCD Year Book 1996, Communicating Student Learning, Edited by Thomas R. Guskey, ASCD Assessing Student Outcomes, Robert J. Marzano, Debra Pickering, Jay McTighe, ASCD, 1993 Transforming Classroom Grading, Robert J. Marzano, ASCD, 2000

“If you can keep your head about you when all about you are losing theirs, it's possible you just haven't grasped the situation.“ --Jean Kerr, American author, playwright “If you can keep your head about you when all about you are losing theirs, it's possible you just haven't grasped the situation.“ --Jean Kerr, American author, playwright Jean KerrJean Kerr