Standards Based Grading: An Intro

Gerry Swan

All men can see the tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.

- Sun Tzu

What is the most annoying response?

“When people ask you why you did it and you say I don't know. That’s brain damage.”

"The revised report cards are known as standard space report cards and are already in use with kindergarten students," Thannum said. "It is an expanded report card that shows more information."

The Carroll Independent School District (Carroll ISD) is an independent PK-12 school district serving the city of Southlake, Texas (USA)

"The revised report cards are known as standard space report cards and are already in use with kindergarten students," Thannum said. "It is an expanded report card that shows more information."

The Carroll Independent School District (Carroll ISD) is an independent PK-12 school district serving the city of Southlake, Texas (USA)

What does/could this mean?

Grading CriteriaGrading Criteria

1. 1. ProductProduct Criteria Criteria

2. 2. ProcessProcess Criteria Criteria

3. 3. ProgressProgress Criteria Criteria

1. 1. ProductProduct Criteria Criteria

2. 2. ProcessProcess Criteria Criteria

3. 3. ProgressProgress Criteria Criteria

Ghostbusters Rule

Does Rudy get an ‘A’?

Let’s Grade Rudy

C Academic PerformanceD Football Skill

A+ Ability to absorb hitsA+ Preparation

A++ Persistence

“You're 5 feet nothin', a 100 and nothin', and you got hardly a speck of athletic ability and you hung in with the best college football team in the land for two years”

*

Does it have face value?

Questionnaire Items% that selected (n=116)

SD D A SA

The amount of information offered 5 1 46 48

The quality of information provided 4 1 57 38

The clarity of the information included 7 1 55 37

The ease of understanding the information 2 6 55 37

Parent Perceptions

Questionnaire Items% that selected (n=70)

SD D A SA

The standards based report provides a thorough picture of my child’s academic life.

3 7 54 36The standards based report is easily understood. 2 2 47 49I prefer the standards based report to the traditional report card. 5 23 35 37letter grade should reflect academic achievement and other processes (conduct, attitude, participation, effort, etc.) should be reported separately.

1 9 53 37

Parent Perceptions

Is it meaningful?

Grade Spearman Rho Coefficient

Kindergarten .576First Grade .760Second Grade

.694

Q4 Composite Grade and Spring MAP

School ELA CorrelationMath

CorrelationA .698 .717B .400 .467C .752 .671D .796 .793E .731 .760F .735 .769G .625 .719H .790 .768I .737 .783J .740 .717

Q4 Composite Grade and KPREP

ρ = 0.93

ρ = 0.93

ρ = 0.93

4 3 2 1Distinguished 57 34    Proficient 87 166 12Apprentice 24 167 80 4Novice 1 59 94 22

K-PREP Grade Alignment

A B C D/FDistinguished 57 34    Proficient 87 166 12Apprentice 24 167 80 4Novice 1 59 94 22

K-PREP Grade Alignment

A B C D F4 26 7 2 1 3 104 80 32 3 42 47 127 110 42 111 8 19 46 48 30

Course Grades

Danger

A B C F4 26 7 2 13 104 80 32 32 47 127 110 421 8 19 46 48

ratios 70% 37% 17% 95%

Course GradesMost alignment noise happens here

Column ratios can help determine problems in grading requirements. Districts should decide what grade levels mean and use that to determine target ratios.

Most alignment noise happens here

4 3 2 1Distinguished 57 34    Proficient 87 166 12Apprentice 24 167 80 4Novice 1 59 94 22

85% 47% 94% 100%

K-PREP Grade Alignment

A B C D/FDistinguished 57 34    Proficient 87 166 12Apprentice 24 167 80 4Novice 1 59 94 22

85% 47% 94% 100%

K-PREP Grade Alignment

Standards Based Grading requires

Coherent & Consistent

Professional Judgment!

Standards Based Grading requires

Coherent & Consistent

Professional Judgment!

What’s an A?

Which block is more dense?

A guy sitting in a boat has a huge 200lb rock with him. The boat is floating in an enclosed pool of water. The rock is thrown overboard and sinks. What happens to the level of water on the side of the pool? And why?

This is not Fleetwood Mac

You can’t go your own way <boom>

Mathematical Precision isNot A Grading Policy

& can get you into trouble

Mathematical Precision isNot A Grading Policy

& can get you into trouble

We need to

Challenge & Change Our Professional Practice

We need to

Challenge & Change Our Professional Practice

When you build something you’re going to need to fasten stuff

In determining grades we have to “fasten” pieces of evidence together.

Why limit ourselves to using the nail of grading (averaging of percentage scores)?

What % of the total grade should EOC exams count?

Consider this burning question:

20%, 30%, 40%

Take this student….

Q1 = 58%Q2 = 68%Q3 = 77%Q4 = 85%

EOC = 90%

73.6% = C

What if we said a student that scores > 80% on the EOC must get at least a C?

What if we said a student must score at least 80% on the EOC to get an A?

I’m not saying percentages are bad, but they are just one type of fastener.

When you build your new structure, look at all your options.

Targets are important, but are specific things we teach to help students get at a larger theme.

Assessing at the strand level keeps the focus on the idea, makes a natural aggregation point (and makes it more manageable).

Strand

Why do we have to put one grade?

Assignment 1Assignment 1

Assignment 2Assignment 2

Assignment 3Assignment 3

Assignment 4Assignment 4

Assignment 5Assignment 5

Strand 1Strand 1

Strand 2Strand 2

Strand 3Strand 3

Strand 1 Strand 2 Strand 3

Assignment A1 A2 A4 A5 A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A1 A3 A5 Final

Jane 4 3 4 4 1 2 3 3 3 4 2 3

Assignment 1Assignment 1

Assignment 2Assignment 2

Assignment 3Assignment 3

Assignment 4Assignment 4

Assignment 5Assignment 5

Strand 1Strand 1

Strand 2Strand 2

Strand 3Strand 3

Strand 1 Strand 2 Strand 3

Assignment A1 A2 A4 A5 A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A1 A3 A5 Final

Jane 4 3 4 4 1 2 3 3 3 4 2 3

Assignment 1Assignment 1

Assignment 2Assignment 2

Assignment 3Assignment 3

Assignment 4Assignment 4

Assignment 5Assignment 5

Strand 1Strand 1

Strand 2Strand 2

Strand 3Strand 3

Strand 1 Strand 2 Strand 3

Assignment A1 A2 A4 A5 A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A1 A3 A5 Final

Jane 4 3 4 4 1 2 3 3 3 4 2 3

Assignment 1Assignment 1

Assignment 2Assignment 2

Assignment 3Assignment 3

Assignment 4Assignment 4

Assignment 5Assignment 5

Strand 1Strand 1

Strand 2Strand 2

Strand 3Strand 3

Strand 1 Strand 2 Strand 3

Assignment A1 A2 A4 A5 A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A1 A3 A5 Final

Jane 4 3 4 4 1 2 3 3 3 4 2 3

3 Overall Achievement

4 Strand 1

3 Strand 2

2 Strand 3

Strand 1 Strand 2 Strand 3

Assignment A1 A2 A4 A5 A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A1 A3 A5 Overall

Jane 4 3 4 4 1 2 3 3 3 4 2 2

++ Teamwork

+ HW

Overall Achievement

Strand 1

Strand 2

Strand 3

++ Teamwork

HW

Category: Strand 1

Assignment 1 4

Assignment 2 3

Assignment 4 4

Assignment 5 4

Category: Strand 2

Assignment 1 1

Assignment 2 2

Assignment 3 3

Assignment 4 3

Assignment 5 3

Category: Strand 3

Assignment 1 4

Assignment 3 2

Assignment 5 2

Category: HW

Homework 1 3

Homework 2 3

Homework etc. 0

Class X for John Doe

3 Overall Achievement

4 Strand 1

3 Strand 2

2 Strand 3

++ Teamwork

+ HW

Category: Strand 1

Assignment 1 4

Assignment 2 3

Assignment 4 4

Assignment 5 4

Category: Strand 2

Assignment 1 1

Assignment 2 2

Assignment 3 3

Assignment 4 3

Assignment 5 3

Category: Strand 3

Assignment 1 4

Assignment 3 2

Assignment 5 2

Category: HW

Homework 1 3

Homework 2 3

Homework etc. 0

Class X for John Doe

Project 1 Project 2 Project 3 Project 4 Project 5 Final

Jen B A B B CJames B A A B BJeremy C C C B BJessica A A A B CJane A B B A B

Grading requires

Thoughtful & Informed

Professional Judgment!

Grading requires

Thoughtful & Informed

Professional Judgment!

Percentages to Scales to Percentages92 4 10095 4 10091 4 10089 3 7576 2 5065 1 2578 2 5083 3 7585 3 7587 3 75

84.1 2.9 72.5

Check your math

Distinguished Proficient Basic Proficiency

Developing Questions & Planning Inquiries

Applying Disciplinary Tools & Concepts

Evaluating Sources & Using Evidence

Communicating Conclusions and Taking Informed Action