Grading Practices

Purpose & Goals of Discussion

1. Provide a Brief Overview of the CMS Grading Practices Journey and Current Status;

2. Provide schools with opportunity to provide feedback prior to implementation.

3. Align individual school needs & priorities before work session February 25th to create Specific School Improvement Plan (Goal & Strategy Document).

Strategic Plan 2018: For a Better Tomorrow

• 1.2.2: Provide high-quality teaching and reteaching opportunities to ensure mastery learning

• 6.1.1: Ensure each student has equitable access to personalized learning

{Insert School Name here and Vision and Mission}

{Insert School Name here and Achievement (or other) Data that helps paint the picture of your school}

There is, in fact, no teaching without learning. One requires the other.Paulo Freire

Skill to do comes of doing.Ralph Waldo Emerson

The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn.Gloria Steinem

Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.

Marian Wright Edelman

Opening Discussion:Take a minute to discuss these quotes with SLT members around you. How do any of these relate to CURRENT grading practices?

What is your Mental Model?•Your Mental Model is developed over time and is

directly connected to your values, beliefs, assumptions and knowledge.

•Four subcategories:• Functional – usually produces effective outcome• Dysfunctional - produces unintended negative

outcomes • Incomplete – lack additional information and practice

to make them functional• Wrong – means just wrong (things will pass)

•We have to Unlearn to Learn

Discuss the following to bring about our current mental models:

• Current School policies/practices per grade level/class• Policies/Practices that existed when “we”

were in school• What works and does not work about

each…• Utilize “Learning By Doing” school

selected questions Click Here

Where from here?

• Connecting the dots to the past is easy, it is forging new ground in the unknown future that defines who we are…

• You will never change someone else, you can only help them see the change they need to make within themselves.

• Be willing to change your own teaching and learning style.

Francis Duffy, Michael Fullan, Malcolm Gladwell

Grading Practices as a district: Where We Have Been

• Teacher Survey• Principal Survey• Multiple Drafts Based on Input (13 since January 2013)

Grading Practices: Where We Are

Mastery Grading Practices:

• Some schools are assigning grades based on teaching, assessing, re-teaching & re-assessing practices;

• Some are not.

• Discuss our current state.

Educational Researcher Doug Reeves presents on “Toxic Grading Practices”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jduiAnmO3w&list=PL124AE44287CADAFD&index=5

Review Article about Mastery Grading Click Here

Discuss Key Points from each

Building Understanding…

Grading Practices: Where We Are Going

CMS Mastery Learning Definition:

Mastery LearningApproaching teaching and learning under the assumption that every student can achieve at the same high level. In doing so, we don't give up on students and students don't give up on themselves. There is a partnership of accountability between teachers, students, and parents.

Grading Practices: Where We Are Going

CMS Mastery Learning Definition Continued:

Mastery LearningA mastery learning approach must include:

•Explicit communication of the learning objectives by the teacher and a laser- like focus on what students should know and be able to do after instruction;

•Use of effective best instructional practices;•Assessment of objectives and timely descriptive feedback to students about their

performance;•Learning alternatives (for students who do not demonstrate mastery) that meet

the individual learner's needs. Remediation, re-teaching, independent practice, etc;

•Reassessment with a parallel assessment.

Grading Practices: Where We Are Going

Draft Professional Development Plan Includes:• Monthly collaborative presentations to provide resources and

demonstrate the “how” within work sessions (with various stakeholders).

• Surveys and FAQ opportunities used to direct specific PD throughout 2014.

Mastery Grading Plans:Schools will provide opportunities for staff, students, and parents to provide feedback on the creation and implementation of the school Mastery Grading Plan.

Grading Practices: Where We Are Going

In order to achieve mastery grading practices for all students in CMS and accomplish the work towards 1.2.2 and 6.11 of Strategic Plan 2018: For a Better Tomorrow, we need the following:

• School Leadership Team input & feedback to drive next steps.• Feedback on LEVEL plan:• Elementary Feedback Click Here• Middle School Feedback Click Here• High School Feedback Click Here

Grading Practices: NEXT STEP

School Leadership Team Feedback and Work:

• Make sure every hyperlink in the Leveled Grading Practices Plans are filled out entirely

• Invitation of SLT members to next Learning Community Principal meeting in building the strategic steps for our school to transition grading practices smoothly. See sample of SIP page for school based strategic planning. (Click here)

Remember- Where from here?

• Connecting the dots to the past is easy, it is forging new ground in the unknown future that defines who we are…

• You will never change someone else, you can only help them see the change they need to make within themselves.

Francis Duffy, Michael FullanGladwell