1. Standards-Based Grading: Moving From Philosophy to Practice
School Administrators of Iowa
March 22, 2016
Tim Westerberg, Ph.D.

2. Intended Outcome
Participants will develop a standards-based grading exploration or implementation plan that takes into consideration:
The district’s current and proposed school improvement initiatives,
The district’s next and long-term classroom assessment & grading destinations,
The district’s financial, technical, and human resources capacity to affect change,
Key strategies and steps in moving toward or to standards-based grading, and
Ideas and suggestions from other districts that are exploring or implementing SBG.

3. Current and Proposed Initiatives Major Implementation Tasks
Target Dates
Resources Needed

4. Charting a Corse to Standards-Based Grading: Your Destination, Your Pace
ASCD, August 2016

5. Destination 1: Addressing Counterproductive Practices & Beliefs
Goal: “Tighten up” a traditional approach to classroom assessment and grading.
Examine common practices and beliefs:
Zeros
Formative and summative assessments
Homework
Extra credit
Reassessment
Averaging
Combining academic performance and work habits
From “doing your own thing” to common practices & expectations based on best practice research

6. Destination 2: A Guaranteed & Viable Curriculum
Rethinking, repackaging, and redeveloping curriculum, instruction, and assessment
Course units of study that encompass essential elements of relevant state/national standards.
Descriptive scoring scales/rubrics (0-4) for each measurement topic of each unit of study.
Formative and summative assessments targeting each level (2-4) of each measurement topic.
Instruction (materials, activities, assignments) aligned with each level (2-4) of each measurement topic.

7. Sample Rubrics
Geometry 1 Example

8. Destination 2: A Guaranteed & Viable Curriculum
Rethinking, repackaging, and redeveloping curriculum, instruction, and assessment
Course units of study that encompass essential elements of relevant state/national standards.
Descriptive scoring scales (0-4) for each measurement topic of each unit of study.
Formative and summative assessments targeting each level (2-4) of each measurement topic.
Instruction (materials, activities, assignments) aligned with each level (2-4) of each measurement topic.

9. Three Types of Items
Level 2 items: Simpler details and processes that have been explicitly taught.
Level 3 items: Complex ideas and processes that have been explicitly taught.
Level 4 items: Inferences and applications that go beyond what was targeted for all students.

10. Is -4 a solution to -8<3x+5? Level 3: Factor completely: 3x²-2x-8
Math Assessments
Level 2:
Identify the degree of this polynomial and classify it by its number of terms: 3x²-2x-8
Is -4 a solution to -8<3x+5?
Level 3:
Factor completely: 3x²-2x-8
Solve this inequality and graph its solution on a number line: -8<3x+5.

11. Level 4: Math Assessments
Given that (x +2) is a factor of x³–5x² – 2x + 24, factor the polynomial completely.
Describe a situation from business, industry, sports, entertainment, or a similar field where inequalities could be used to model a method of solution to that situation.

12. ENGLISH Assessments Level 2:
How would you define "relationship"? "Love"?
How would you describe the relationship between the Capulets and the Montagues?
How does the balcony scene begin?
Level 3:
Create a picture to illustrate the relationship between the Capulets and the Montagues.
What qualities do you see in Romeo's and Juliet's relationship?
In what ways are the two families similar? Different?

13. ENGLISH Assessments Level 4
What would have happened if the couple had not married in secret?
If Romeo and Juliet had not died, would the families' relationship be better or worse? Explain your answer.
What might you say about groups/families that have been feuding/not getting along?

14. Science Assessments Level 2:
What are the substances formed in a chemical reaction called?
Identify the two subatomic particles in the nucleus.
Level 3:
How does the development of the atomic model compare to the development of other scientific models?
Compare and contrast cations and anions.

15. Science Assessments Level 4:
You are an environmental toxicologist and the local authorities have called on you to investigate the potential effects of a spill on the highway. Two semis, one hauling Sodium Carbonate and one hauling Acetic Acid, collided. The chemicals appear to be reacting and authorities are concerned that the byproducts might be harmful. Perform a controlled experiment with these two chemicals to determine the potential impact on the surrounding area. Write a report explaining the results of your experiment to authorities.

16. The study of economics focuses on:
Social Studies: Level 2
The study of economics focuses on:
A. Production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
B. Earth and its relationship to our environment.
C. Different types of governments and how they operate.
D. Past cultures of different peoples.

17. Social Studies: Level 2
What was the most significant economic impact of the transcontinental railroads during the late 1800s? A. Eliminating overseas trade with Europe. B. Expanding interstate commerce nationwide. C. Decreasing the influence of big business. D. Rapid rebuilding of the South after the Civil War.

18. Social Studies: Level 3
Investigate the causes for and reactions to the Great Depression. Compare the Great Depression causes and reactions to today’s economic situation. Identify the differences and explain why those strategies may or may not work.

19. Social Studies
Level 2: Identify the Democratic and Republican party platforms by viewing the series of debates.
Level 3: Justify the Democratic and/or Republican party platforms expressed in the series of debates.
Level 4: Create your own party and party platform. Include three to five issues and be prepared to present and debate those issues.

20. Sample leveled Assessments
SC12_3_2ndB04R[1]

21. Destination 2: A Guaranteed & Viable Curriculum
Rethinking, repackaging, and redeveloping curriculum, instruction, and assessment
Course units of study that encompass essential elements of relevant state/national standards.
Descriptive scoring scales (0-4) for each measurement topic of each unit of study.
Formative and summative assessments targeting each level (2-4) of each measurement topic.
Instruction (materials, activities, assignments) aligned with each level (2-4) of each measurement topic.

23. Reasonable graph or graphic representation
Scale 1:
Slope, distance, and
equation of line
Scale 2:
Function evaluation
Scale 3:
Reasonable graph or graphic representation
Scale 4:
Graphing equations
Scale 5:
Quadratics
Chapter
Chapter 1
(pages 38-45)
Score
4.0
pages 43-45
3.0
pages 40-42
2.0
pages 38-39

24. Destination 2: Structure
Units of Study: 3-4 per semester?
Topics: 1-3 per unit?
Scoring scale/rubric for each topic : 6-9 per semester?
Aligned assessments for each level (2-4) of each rubric
Aligned instruction

26. Converting Scaled Scores to Letter Grades
= B
= C =D
Below = F
Just an example! 26

27. James Campbell Grading Scale 2011-12--PresentF

28. Destination 3: Standards-Reference Reporting
Report cards are organized around standards
Report cards can include both performance on standards and traditional letter grades (secondary level)
Calls for extensive school community education and engagement
Software implications

30. Destination 4: Competency-Based Education
Students advance based on demonstrated performance on individual standards/clusters of related standards rather than by passing courses
Offers a way to personalize education
Requires a total rethinking of the purposes, nature, and structuring of schooling
Adams 50 School District—Westminster, CO

31. Charting a Course… Your next and long-term destinations?
How does your long-term destination compliment your school improvement master plan? What’s the unifying “big picture?”
Where and when does SBG fit?

32. Current and Proposed Initiatives Major Implementation Tasks
Target Dates
Resources Needed

35. Inquiry & Communication Year Two: Capacity Building Year Three:
Year One:
Inquiry & Communication
Year Two:
Capacity Building
Year Three:
Development
Year Four:
Implementation
Review & disseminate research on best practices.
Establish a grading practices leadership committee.
Conduct focus group sessions re school/district grading practices—teachers, students, parents.
Conduct a gap analysis—best practice/current practice.
Develop a communication plan.
Build a rationale/moral purpose for change.
Determine the need for outside consultants/resources.
Educate teachers & administrators on the tenants of SBE.
Provide PD re necessary prerequisite knowledge.
Provide time & tech support for teams of teachers to develop learning goals, scoring scales, and leveled assessments for a unit of instruction. Monitor and evaluate the implementation of the pilot units.
Equip teachers/administrators to explain the initiative & it’s purposes & answer FAQs.
Educate students, parents, & BOE members re grading issues, best practices, & SBE.
Begin exploration of report card formats.
Continue developing SBE units of instruction.
Align instructional materials.
Develop core beliefs.
Develop a school/district grading policy.
Explore/create SBE-grading software alignment.
Determine project evaluation criteria & processes.
Adapt/adopt/pilot SBG report card.
Continue student, parent, BOE education.
Continue implementation of communication plan.
Ongoing training of new teachers.
Carry out project formative assessment activities.
Monitor implementation and provide ongoing support, modeling, & coaching.
(Tim Westerberg, 2016)

36. Burkburnett Independent School District
Burkburnett, TX
(from A School Leader’s Guide…)

37. The purpose or rationale for changes to classroom assessment and grading in your school/district?

38. Structure the Message to Parents (Vatterott)
“The changes we propose for our students’ learning:
are research based,
are about improving student achievement, and
Will better prepare our students for college and careers.
As a result of our goals, it makes sense that we would change these things about grading.”

39. Moral Purpose (Westerberg)
Students, parents and other stakeholders in the ACME School District deserve classroom assessment and grading practices that:
Accurately reflect students’ demonstrated mastery of the content and skills outlined in applicable local, state, and national standards,
Award the same grade for the same work regardless of the teacher to whom a student is assigned,
Promote and encourage effort and continuous growth, and
Prepare students for college and careers.

40. Elevator Speech
“As you may know, the role of our staff is to educate all students to proficient levels. In order to do so, we are revising our grading practices to be aligned to the standards students must meet. That way, grades will be a clearer indication of what students have learned, not simply a measure of how much work they can turn in or how hard they might try in class. Learning is the indicator of success.” A School Leader’s Guide to Standards-Based Grading. Heflebower, Hoegh, & Warrick. Marzano Research, P. 95.

41. Grading Committee: Qualifications
Do they have high influence with others?
Do they bring a complimentary gift to the table?
Do they hold a strategic position in the organization?
Do they add value to the organization?
Do they positively impact other committee members?
Do they contribute to inclusiveness/diversity—representing all stakeholders?

42. Grading Committee: Roles and Responsibilities
Oversee the SBG Implementation Plan
Serve as a conduit of information and feedback to and from the larger community
Make recommendations to district leadership regarding key implementation decisions
Pilot proposed SBG procedures, practices, and tools.

43. Examining Sample Plans
Divide and Conquer, then:
Mark tasks that would be appropriate items for your plan,
Modify language to fit local needs,
Add missing tasks, and
Share and discuss observations, conclusions, and suggestions.

44. Year One:
Year Two:
Year Three:
Year Four:

45. Pooling Our Best Thinking
Cross-District Sharing

46. Pooling Our Best Thinking
Your next and long-term destinations.
Your destinations and your “big picture.”
Highlights of your exploration or implementation plan.
Questions for others in your group.

47. Comments? Questions?

48. “Stop asking me if we’re almost there.
We’re nomads for crying out loud!”

49. “We have a choice. We can simply defend what we have…or create what we need.”
Gary Marx

50. “We are creating what happens next.”
- Jill Davidson
Coalition of Essential Schools
What happens next?