1. Standards-Based Grading
Mel Kraft and Andrea Stewart

2. Why Change?
"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
Mel

3. Mel

4. Why Change? Growth mindsets promote continuous learning. (Carol Dweck)
Clarity in learning allows for a more individualized and focused instruction.
Accuracy in reporting empowers students, parents, and teachers to take ownership in the shared learning experience by establishing purpose and goals.
Mel

5. Why Do We Assess?
Formative: Assessment FOR learning, rather than OF learning
Purpose: A process that drives what happens next in the classroom
Self-Monitoring: Where am I now? Where am I going? How do I close the gap?
Mel

6. Standards-based Instruction
Students concentrate on true mastery of a topic or skill.
Teachers concentrate on teaching essential standards that every student must learn.
Each lesson taught is connected to a standard, and learning targets along the way mark progress toward meeting the standard.
Learning goals are clear and opportunities to meet them are varied.
Andrea

7. How Teachers Use SBG Professional Learning Communities Iowa Core
What do we expect
students to learn?
How will we know when
they have learned it?
How will we respond
when they don’t know?
when they already know it?
Andrea
DuFour & DuFour
Response to Intervention
Leader in Me
Dr. Stephen Covey

8. SBG in the Classroom
Tom Guskey's keys to quality grading in a proficiency-based system:
Diagnostic pre-assessment
Flexible group-based instruction
Formative assessment (with proficiency scales)
Corrective feedback
Summative assessment when students are ready (with options for reassessment or enrichment)
Andrea

9. Standards-based Assessment
Students know in advance what they will need to learn.
Teachers will use both informal and formal assessment to measure progress.
Assessments can include performances, projects, quizzes, tests, daily assignments, etc.
Students will have multiple assessment opportunities–and different assessment options– to demonstrate their understanding of the standards.
Mel

10. Questionable Grading Practices
Averaging to obtain a course grade
Giving zeros for work missed or turned in late
(On the 100-point scale, there is a 58-point gap between failing with a 59% and a 0%, compared to a 10-point gap for any other individual grade.)
Taking credit away from students for behavior infractions
-Tom Guskey
Mel

11. Standards: Clear Learning Targets
"Students can hit any target that they can see and that doesn't move."
-Rick Stiggins
Mel

12. Standards-based Reporting
Grades reflect that a student is above, at, or below mastery of the standards.
Standards-based education focuses on what a student knows, not how long it took to get there.
It gives students the practice they need and more than one opportunity to demonstrate success—if they need it.
Each student’s work is measured against the standard, not other students’ performance.
Andrea

13. Standards-based Reporting
According to Rick Wormeli, reporting of learning should be fair, meaningful, consistent, and communication-friendly.
Andrea

14. Current Reporting
Student A
Student B
Andrea
What specific skills and concepts does Student A need to refine to succeed in Math?
If both students received the same grade in Reading, does that mean they need the same instruction?
Is Student B being challenged in Math? Is s/he making growth?

15. Current Reporting (Cont.)
Andrea
All three students completed the same assignment and demonstrated a different understanding of the targeted skills, but all three students received the same grade.
What have these students learned?

16. Current Reporting (Cont.)
"Mathematical precision does not yield fairer or more objective grading."
-Tom Guskey
Andrea

17. Current Reporting (Cont.)
Andrea

18. Ideal Reporting Adapted from Marzano and Heflebower Areas for growth
Andrea
Areas for growth
(White)
Most
recent
standard score
Original pretest score
(Dark Grey)
Subject broken down by standard
Growth over time
(Light Grey)
Adapted from Marzano and Heflebower
*3* = Proficiency

19. Ideal Reporting (Cont.)
Andrea
Behavior is reported separately from academic skills to provide a more accurate representation of student academic achievement
Aligns with the Leader in Me skills and vocabulary
*3* = Proficiency

20. SBG and Our School
The fundamental purpose of standards-based grading is to measure and provide individual ongoing support for learning by communicating students’ degree of proficiency relative to Iowa Core academic and 21st century learning standards.
Students take ownership of their own learning
Learning and behaviors are more accurately measured and reported
Board Goal - Improve the use of student data to achieve greater student learning
Students will be more aware of what they know, what they do not know, and what they will need to know
Board Goal - Increase the success of students at all levels by innovating our methods to better meet their needs
Mel

21. Ken O'Connor's Reality Check
Mel

22. Reflection
Which student would you pick to pack your parachute and why?
If these scores were in a typical teacher's grade book, which students would pass? Which students would fail?
Is there any discrepancy between your answer for #1 or #2? Why?
Mel

23. Growth Mindset
Supporting students through "not yet" instead of accepting failure keeps students on the learning trajectory.
-Carol Dweck
Andrea

24. Andrea
Questions?