Part four in the standards-based grading "how-to" crowdsourcing project.  Today, we're talking about utilizing the grade book to reflect student growth and progress.  


Our context:
we're open to using systems designed specifically for SBG, however we are simultaneously locked into using PowerSchool as our student information system due to state reporting requirements and local technical support to do so.  


I anticipate our secondary buildings discussing the pros and cons of 4, 5, 10 point scales this year as we dig deeper into our implementation.  Regardless of the scale used, teachers will still need to reconcile reporting student growth and progress from one assessment to the next.  


I'm really struggling to provide practical suggestions, as you can see in the "putting it into practice" table below.  Help!  Comments are open.  




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Grading Guideline:  

“Teachers will determine grade book entries by considering multiple points of data emphasizing the most recent data and provide evidence to support their determination.”



Summary:
What it means....
  • If a student demonstrates a low understanding of a standard on a Monday assessment, but demonstrates a higher understanding two days later, the mark in the grade book for that standard should improve.  
  • Scenario: Student A performs poorly on practice assignments and quizzes, but demonstrates the highest level of understanding on the test/project.  Student B performs well on practices assignments and quizzes and demonstrates the highest level of understanding on the test/project.  Student A and student B should have similar entries in the grade book for the standard(s) assessed.
  • Teachers are able to provide evidence (one or more examples of student work) to support an entry in the grade book.

What it doesn’t mean...
  • Homework, quizzes and/or test scores are simply averaged to calculate the grade book entry for a given standard.
  • The most recent data must be used when determining the grade book entry.  



Briefs from the literature:
[In progress]




Putting it into practice:
What works?
What are the common pitfalls to avoid?

  • Providing students with feedback, based on their understanding of each standard, on each formal assessment
  • Recording student learning using a pre-determined rubric, i.e. 4, 5, 10-point scale, to build consistency from assessment to assessment and standard to standard.  

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Previous posts:

  1. Entries in the grade book that count towards the final grade will be limited to course or grade level standards.**  
  2. Extra credit will not be given at any time.
  3. Students will be allowed multiple opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of classroom standards in various ways.  Retakes and revisions will be allowed.  
  4. Teachers will determine grade book entries by considering multiple points of data emphasizing the most recent data and provide evidence to support their determination.
  5. Students will be provided multiple opportunities to practice standards independently through homework or other class work.  Practice assignments and activities will be consistent with classroom standards for the purpose  of providing feedback.  Practice assignments, including homework, will not be included as part of the final grade.    

**Exceptions will be made for midterm and/or final summative assessments.  These assessments, limited to no more than one per nine-week period may be reported as a whole in the grade book.