Opening Activity Activity is in the lefthand side

Opening Activity • • Activity is in the left-hand side of your folder Go through each of the three scenarios, and calculate the final “grade” for each • MA = Missing Assignment • Please work with the people around you! • Write your “grades” on the corresponding chart paper when you are finished working

Standards. Based Grading April Zawlocki & Matt Zawlocki

Join in the Conversation! www. todaysmeet. com/SBG www. zawlockiconsulting. weebly. com

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Report Cards? ?

Outcomes By the end of today, you will. . . 1. Have thought about your own grading beliefs 2. Have a basic understanding of standards-based grading 3. Walk away with at least one thing you can implement right away

The Main Questions 1. Why do you grade? 2. As teachers, what do grades tell us? 3. What do grades tell students and parents?

What Do You Think? Grades are not about what students earn; they are about what students learn. 1. To what degree do you believe that? 2. If you do agree, what are the advantages to you and to your students? 3. If you don't agree, why not?

More to think about… Ask yourself: "How confident am I that the grades students get in my classroom are consistent, accurate, and meaningful, and that they support learning? " "How confident am I that the grades that I assign students accurately reflect my school's published content standards and desired learning outcomes? (O'Connor, 2007)

Calculate the Final Grade C, C, MA, D, C, B, MA, B, A 1 2 3 Adapted from Reeves, 2008

Stop Grading! We shouldn't be: 1. Averaging student behavior with academic performance • Does a student know less or perform at a lower level if they misbehave? 2. Penalizing late work • Does a student know less or perform at a lower level if they turn work in late? 3. Including attendance • Does a student know less or perform at a lower level if they are tardy or absent?

Stop Grading! We shouldn't be: 4. Giving zeros for punishment • How is giving a zero the easy way out? 5. Averaging formative assessments • Why punish the process of learning? 6. Giving extra credit • Why do teachers give extra credit?

Stop Grading! 1. "Traditional" grading does more harm than good. 2. It's a waste of valuable time. 3. It gives administrators, students, and parents a false measure of learning.

Standards-Based Grading Working Definition: Continuous monitoring of students' progress toward mastery of standards and skills

Standards-Based Grading 1. Use formative assessments to inform instruction, and use summative assessments to report out on the student’s progress 2. Use rubrics to assess individual skills or standards 3. Have a scale (1, 2, 3, 4; Unsatisfactory, Basic, Proficient, Distinguished) 4. Separate life skills from academic skills

SBG vs. Traditional Grading Standards-Based Grading • • Directly related to standards Achievement only From summative assessments only Recent information only Uses current learning trend Individual Derived from quality learning assessments All aspects discussed with, and understood by, students Traditional Grading • • Usually related to assessment methods Mix of achievement, attitude, effort, and behavior From formative and summative assessments Everything marked included Uses averages Often includes group marks Huge variation in assessment quality Teacher decided announced Edmonds School District, 2008

Don’t Do It!

A New Way of Thinking The Dreaded "Zero" • • Students are always encouraged to complete assignments, even if they are late Not penalized under content standard Are penalized for life skill - work completion "0" represents no knowledge in a content standard

A New Way of Thinking The Impact of a "0" • • Even just one "0" in the gradebook can severely impact a student's grade More importantly, giving a "0" lets the student "off the hook" for completing the assignment

Assessments Formative vs. Summative • Formative Assessments = Assessments for learning • • Exit slips Quizzes Observations Homework • Summative Assessments = Assessments of learning o o Unit test Culminating activity

Grading Assignments • • • Unnecessary to grade every single assignment using a standards-based grading rubric Choose small parts of assignments to assess that will build up to a final project/assignment It's "OK" to give students only a grade for work completion for an assignment Give students feedback on their work, but it doesn't always have to be a grade May have some "non-negotiables" on assignments

Rubrics • Transition rubrics away from arbitrary points • Break apart "whole project" rubrics into individual skills • Each skill is assessed separately (possibly receiving multiple marks for each assessment)

A New Way of Thinking • "Old" and "New" Rubrics o • Common Core Standards - Everyone working together to educate students o • Narrative www. corestandards. org Based on standards, but customizable for your own class

Unpacking the Common Core • http: //www. isbe. net/common_core/pls/level 1/ html/unpack. htm

Let’s try it! Standard Know’s Do’s (lower level) Do’s (higher level)

A New Way of Thinking Life Skills Participation Behavior Working in Groups Work Completion Anything else! • • •

A New Way of Thinking Life Skills - Work Completion 4 - Turned in on time 3 - Turned in 1 day late 2 - Turned in 2 days late 1 - Turned in more than 2 days late

Your Turn! • Create a rubric for participation

Teacher Tip! • This exercise would be excellent to do with your students • Domain 3 (Distinguished): Students appear to be aware of, and there is some evidence that they have contributed to, the assessment criteria.

Gradebook • Fitting standards-based grading into a traditional gradebook is difficult, but it can be done! • No "perfect" way • Requires weighted categories: o o o Formative Assessments = 10% Summative Assessments = 80% Life Skills = 10% § Work Completion = 2. 5% § Participation = 2. 5% § Working in Groups = 2. 5% § Behavior = 2. 5%

Gradebook One Example: 4 = 100 3 = 90 2 = 80 1 = 70

Gradebook Brainstorm

Student Portfolios • Students monitor their progress towards • • mastery of the standards Many free sites: weebly, livebinders, Google Drive Tool to use from year-to-year to show student growth

Writing Assessments to Show Student Growth • Many different types of assessments • Formative Assessment and Standards-Based Grading by Marzano (Ch. 4)

Impact on Student Achievement • • • Students take responsibility for learning Pressure and anxiety of being "perfect" is lifted Not penalized for learning (failing), encouraged to keep trying for mastery

Standards-Based Grading FAQs

Last Minute Items. . . • • It's "OK" to fail! Culture shift for EVERYONE! Important to educate students, parents, fellow teachers, administrators on changing in grading practices Using standards-based grading is a great way to challenge teachers to differentiate appropriately for all students

Question & Answer Session

Revisiting Outcomes… Walk away with one thing you will implement when you enter the classroom What can you commit to trying? Please complete the evaluation form before leaving today!

Interested in Learning More? April Zawlocki april. zawlocki@gmail. com (630) 802 -7175 Matt Zawlocki mzawlocki@gmail. com (815) 519 -2303