Standards Based Grading in the Classroom Part 1 - Why Standards Based Grading? Kim Lackey, Denise Pahl, and Julie Weitzel Rockwood School District Eureka, Missouri

Tell your name, where and what you teach, and describe how you feel about Standards Based Learning/Grading in 5 words or less.

Who are we and why are we here? Julie Weitzel, Eureka High School, Spanish II and IV Denise Pahl, Spanish Teacher, Retired (as of May 2014!) Kim Lackey, Eureka High School, Spanish III and IV

What are the Standards? World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages An example of the Standards we use for World Language: ●Presentational Communication ●Interpersonal Communication ●Interpretive Communication

What are the Standards for your curricular area(s)? How are they determined? ●Common Core? ●Nationwide Organization? ●State Organization? ●District Curriculum? ●Professional Learning Community? ●Textbook? ●Teacher-created?

The Standards for your curricular area should drive your decisions about what to teach, how to teach, and how to assess.

What do teachers count in students’ grades? Homework Quizzes Portfolios Participation In-class Practice Work Lab reports Extra Credit Speaking Assessments Writing Assessments Reading Assessments Listening Assessments Presentations Projects Chapter Tests

What do you think should count in students’ grades? Homework Quizzes Portfolios Participation In-class Practice Work Lab reports Extra Credit Speaking Assessments Writing Assessments Reading Assessments Listening Assessments Presentations Projects Chapter Tests

Different Mindsets About the Purposes of Grades Student grades are meant to rank students. Student grades can be used to control/punish student behavior. Student grades communicate what students know and are able to do. Maybe all of the above?

What should count in a grade: A grade should reflect what a student knows and is able to do. (For World Language, this means…) –Assessments of students’ ability to communicate in the language. –Assessments of cultural and linguistic knowledge. What does this mean for you?

What shouldn’t count in a grade? Extra Credit Participation Homework or practice for completion points Anything that uses grades as a punishment (cheating, late work) Anything that doesn’t clearly communicate what kids know and are able to do.

But if I don’t count it or count off for it... My kids just don’t do homework if it’s not for a grade. They’re not working up to their potential! They don’t respect deadlines and consistently turn work in late! They need to learn to be more responsible! Agh! Someone cheated!

Extra credit?

Engaging students and encouraging participation Technology for formative assessment (clickers, Socrative, Conjuguemos/Quizlet) Stamping student sheets for participation in small group conversations Exit tickets Differentiated instruction and student choice Project Based Learning Games and Competition - Around the world, Head of the class, Row Races What else?

How do we encourage students to complete homework? Include formative assessment with feedback in your teaching. Make sure students can see clear connections between formative and summative work. Feedback for formative assessments can be reported as inactive assignments. Reward students with stickers, stamps, candy, positive parent contact, etc.

How do we handle cheating? Which consequence would be most effective? ● A zero on the assessment? ● Write-up, meeting with principal, parent phone call, and detentions?

Late / Missing work? ● Due date vs. the drop dead date ○ Incentives for turning in by due date ○ Drop dead date for teacher sanity ● Preventing Late Work ○ Student reminders (Remind 101 → Remind!) ○ Parent communication ( , Teacher Messenger, newsletter) ○ Fewer at home projects and more in-class assessments ● Assign a detention and have the student complete their work during that time.

Other ideas for Interventions: Intervention #1 - Student Conference How can I help you? What’s going on? Is everything OK? Let’s figure this out! I’m worried about you. Let’s make a plan!

Intervention #2 - Parent Contact Comments on Infinite Campus Phone call Group s / Teacher Messenger to parents of students who o Get below proficient on an assessment o Didn’t complete their homework o Turned in an assignment late o Are missing work that needs to be made up

Intervention #3 - Disciplinary action Mandatory Academic Tutoring Session / Academic Detention / 8th hour

Retakes / Reasssessment / Redos Our policy: REASSESSMENT OPPORTUNITIES Students who have not shown proficiency will be re-assessed with the exception of listening and reading assessments. Students will be required to complete supplemental review work before being allowed to re- take a quiz. Although retaking a quiz may be an option, students should prepare for all assessments and give their best effort when assessments are originally given. Reassessments are primarily for those students who have not yet demonstrated proficiency. The new grade on the re-take will replace the old grade even if it is lower than the original score because the new score represents the most recent evidence of what the student knows and is able to do. When graded assessments are returned to students, students who have not yet demonstrated proficiency will receive feedback providing a plan for reassessment. Students will commit to taking ownership of their learning by following the reassessment plan as well as committing to a date and time outside of class for reassessment. Why?

Practice Quiz

Assessment

Reassessment

Make-up Work and Delayed Assessments Our policy: MAKE-UP WORK AND DELAYED ASSESSMENTS Students who miss an assessment due to absence will be asked to commit to a date and time outside of class to make-up the assessment. In extreme cases, students may receive permission from their teacher to postpone taking an assessment. Students will commit to a date and time outside of class to take the assessment. A parent may be sent to explain the agreement. Students who do not complete their assessment in a timely manner will be assigned an academic detention. Scores for assessments that are not taken on the scheduled date will be entered into Infinite Campus as an M which counts as a “0”. After the assessment is completed and graded, this score will be changed and full credit will be given. Why?

How can we manage retakes? How do we manage our time and use it efficiently? ● Designed for students who do not demonstrate proficiency (not prepared to move forward in their learning), but OK for anyone to re-take. ●Generally done before or after school ○Academic Lab situation - department / school responsibility for all students ○One day per unit - Make-up/Retake day in class ●Students who abuse the privilege of retakes can be banned from retaking assessments.

But... will kids be ready for college if they get to retake quizzes and don’t have to do their homework? Current system often advances students who are not ready and holds back kids who could be excelling. The best way to prepare students for college is by rewarding achievement and teaching them what quality work looks like. More and more colleges are realizing the limitations of traditional grading systems and making changes.

Student Reactions to Standards-Based Learning & Assessment and Reassessment

How should we set up our gradebook? Online Gradebook categories? Weighting? Options: Types of assessments/assignments (Quizzes, Tests, Homework) The Standards (Presentational, Interpretive, and Interpersonal Communication + Linguistic and Cultural Competence) Something else? What makes sense in your curricular area? Could the Standards be grouped? Who makes the decision?

How we set up our Online Gradebook Our Infinite Campus Categories: 25% Linguistic and Cultural Competence 25% Presentational Communication 25% Interpretive Communication 25% Interpersonal Communication (Could include inactive assignments in any category to reflect homework, participation, practice work, etc.)

What will be your take-away from this morning? Who will you share this with? What are the “Standards” for your curricular area? What should count in a grade / What should grades reflect? Strategies for participation, homework, cheating, late work, low-quality work Managing Reassessments Gradebook categories that support Standards Based Learning / Grading