Grading Policy Considerations
Within our traditional grading system and grade book setup, transitioning to SRG was sort or a challenge. You have to decide if you are going to employ a scale (rubric or scoring guide based) or % grading system. There are many articles and schools of thought on this, the ones we investigated can be summed up effectively in this handout and relied on research from Dr. Marzano'a research group (Marzano was used as a book study with the Middle School).
While you can choose any value for your levels of proficiency, a typical SRG rubric has 4 levels like Advanced, Proficient, Basic and Below Basic. Other teachers use 3 and even 2 levels. A simple 2-point binary or pass/fail system (which could be useful in tracking classroom attendance) may define 1 point as Accomplished and 0 points as Not Accomplished.
In some situations, like Math, a simple % might be a clear method of reporting mastery. Either way, having a clear method to report specific skill mastery is the goal (even finding a way to show the depth of the mastery is important). Both the teachers, parents and students use this information to make decisions about educational time, practice and groupings.
SRG (providing meaningful feedback) has been labeled as useful in Marzano's literature for helping facilitate a teacher and student's ability to discuss performance and the ease of incorporating data for student reflection. (see our page for examples of using SRG in data tracking and student sheets we have used in student data notebooks).
While you can choose any value for your levels of proficiency, a typical SRG rubric has 4 levels like Advanced, Proficient, Basic and Below Basic. Other teachers use 3 and even 2 levels. A simple 2-point binary or pass/fail system (which could be useful in tracking classroom attendance) may define 1 point as Accomplished and 0 points as Not Accomplished.
In some situations, like Math, a simple % might be a clear method of reporting mastery. Either way, having a clear method to report specific skill mastery is the goal (even finding a way to show the depth of the mastery is important). Both the teachers, parents and students use this information to make decisions about educational time, practice and groupings.
SRG (providing meaningful feedback) has been labeled as useful in Marzano's literature for helping facilitate a teacher and student's ability to discuss performance and the ease of incorporating data for student reflection. (see our page for examples of using SRG in data tracking and student sheets we have used in student data notebooks).
Grade Book Setup
The fundamental problem with setting up our district grade book is that it is set up for a traditional grade (avg. for all items entered, reporting a single A,B, C, D, or F), and our board policy of requiring weekly updating grades. While the board policy is built to "force" continued communication between educators and parents, it does pose a problem for SBG. With SBG, if we are truly striving to only report mastery of a certain standard or topic, as shown through assessment(s), the "grades" may not be updating 'weekly'. So to meet the board policy I have changed my reporting of practice scores (a daily thing), to not be included in the class grade, justified by reporting for growth information to all stakeholders, not as proof of mastery, just proof of practice and getting better towards mastery of the standard.
I believe with incorporating, SBG we can give so much more information about our learners than a single grade of mastery. We can, with pin-point accuracy, tell all educational stakeholders exactly what each learner knows and can do. We've discovered that by reporting even practice scores (not included in the course grade) by standard, we can show growth, while reporting assessments scores (included in the course grade) helps show mastery. Ideally, Standards based graders would like to transition to a report format that would allow a score, grade or metric that would allow mastery to be shown on each individual goals/standards. As of now, in our district, all course grades a shown with a single grade at end of term, but click incorporating these idea SBG ideas a better 'picture' of the students overall learning can had too.
The overall goal of any SBG grade book or reporting is to quickly convey overall mastery or performance on established standards or goals.
Through trial and error, we have discovered a way to use our current PowerSchool set-up, and still fulfill our current board policy, to report in a Standards Based way.
I believe with incorporating, SBG we can give so much more information about our learners than a single grade of mastery. We can, with pin-point accuracy, tell all educational stakeholders exactly what each learner knows and can do. We've discovered that by reporting even practice scores (not included in the course grade) by standard, we can show growth, while reporting assessments scores (included in the course grade) helps show mastery. Ideally, Standards based graders would like to transition to a report format that would allow a score, grade or metric that would allow mastery to be shown on each individual goals/standards. As of now, in our district, all course grades a shown with a single grade at end of term, but click incorporating these idea SBG ideas a better 'picture' of the students overall learning can had too.
The overall goal of any SBG grade book or reporting is to quickly convey overall mastery or performance on established standards or goals.
Through trial and error, we have discovered a way to use our current PowerSchool set-up, and still fulfill our current board policy, to report in a Standards Based way.