Standards-Based Grading and ReportingSue AndersonTumwater School DistrictJanuary 2011

Agenda

Tumwater SD - Context

Why does this matter?

Sound grading practices

Our report card journey

Lessons learned…so far

Context: TSD’s Focus

What do we want students to know and be able to do?

Power standards, learning targets

How will we know if they’ve learned it?

Assessment FOR learning, common benchmarks

What will we do if they haven’t?Pyramid of Interventions – extra time and support

What will we do for those who already know it?

Enrichment

Why does this matter?

The most important decision-maker about whether or not learning will happen in a classroom is…

Grades are motivating – for students who get good grades.

Many of our established grading practices do not accurately reflect student achievement . They do not engage students in understanding their progress on learning targets or in improving that progress.

Sound Grading Practices: Principles

Grades are consistent, accurate, and meaningful, and they support learning.

Grades accurately reflect student progress in mastering the district’s published learning outcomes.

Practices(with credit to Ken O’Connor)

Don’t include behaviors or attendance in grades – only include achievement.

Don’t reduce scores on late work; support the learner.

No extra credit! Look for evidence that more work has resulted in higher achievement.

Don’t include group scores in grades; use only individual achievement evidence.

Practices (continued)

Organize and report evidence by standard/learning goal, not by assessment method or summarized into a single grade.

Don’t assign grades by comparing a student’s achievement with others; only compare it to the standards. No “curving.”

Don’t rely on averages to determine grades; look at progress over time, other measures of central tendency, and use professional judgment.

Practices (continued)

Don’t include zeroes in grade determination when missing work or as punishment.

Don’t use formative/practice activities to determine grades; use only summative evidence.

INVOLVE STUDENTS IN THE GRADING PROCESS!

Our report card journey

Pilot group representing all grade levels and schools

Assessment Training Institute’s Grading conference – Portland, December

Skyward training

Development of draft report cards

First use: Fall trimester, 2010

Feedback from pilot teachers and parents

Revisions to draft

Continuing pilot in 2011-12

Lessons learned…so far

Begin with a clear statement of philosophy of standards-based and sound grading

Educate parents and students about this

Allow adequate time and resources for professional development on SB grading, Skyward

Allow adequate time to process drafts

Consider phasing in the transition, beginning with kindergarten and first grade

Understand that it is a BIG JOB when done correctly.

Key Resources

O’Connor, Ken. How to Grade for Learning, K-12. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2009.

O’Connor, Ken. A Repair Kit for Grading: 15 Fixes for Broken Grades. Portland, OR: Assessment Training Institute, 2007.

Wormeli, Rick. Fair Isn’t Always Equal. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers, 2006.

Chappuis, Jan. Seven Strategies of Assessment for Learning. Portland, OR: Assessment Training Institute, 2010.

Guskey, Thomas R. and Bailey, Jane. Developing Grading and Reporting Systems for Student Learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2001.

Assessment Training Institute (ATI) Grading Conference, Portland, OR. Annual conference in December, featuring Rick Stiggins, Ken O’Connor, Jan and Steve Chappuis, Judy Arter, and people from a number of districts around the country and world that are changing the way they grade and report student work. See more about this and their other resources at: http://www.assessmentinst.com/