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Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you are having a wonderful day today. Today we're going to look at the concept of standards-based grading, and really understand every thing that has to do with.
For today's quote, I've chosen one by Walt Disney, which says, "our heritage and ideas, our code and standards are preserved or diminished by how freely we exchange ideas and feelings." I love a good quote about having high standards. I think it really sets the stage for investigating all that there is to know about standards-based grading.
By the end of today's lesson, you will be able to analyze the theories behind standards-based grading. And analyze the impact of standards-based grading on the learner.
First, let's take a look at what standards-based grading is. Typically, students are graded on a scale of proficiency, towards meeting an end of the year standard. There are often multiple standards within each content for covering a number of different areas. And when we grade students based on these standards, we look at whether or not they have reached a certain level of proficiency.
Typical language for proficiency breaks down to proficient with distinction. That is the highest level a student can achieve. We look at then proficient, which, for many people, would be considered a passing understanding of the material. Nearly proficient, which means we are close, but not quite there. And then below proficient, meaning that the student is not proficient in the material. This rubric really lets the students know what part of the standard they've reached and what part they need to continue to work on.
So let's look at how this is different from more traditional grading. It is a very, very different standard from traditional grading because traditional grading is really based on a percent that's made up of an average of different scores across a variety of factors. When we look at traditional grades, they can often include what is known as dirty data. This means that we're not just looking if the student has an A in English. That doesn't necessarily mean that they are exceptionally good at all areas within English. But rather, that could include behavior or timeliness. And there's really a big difference between students who complete the material on time versus students who complete the material well.
Also, a student could have terrible behavior in a class, but be totally proficient or proficient with distinction on the material. That's not to say that behavior or timeliness doesn't matter, but rather, standards-based grading really focuses on the grade, reflecting what the student knows.
Because in traditional grading, there's a lot of confusion. It's difficult for parents and for students to pinpoint areas of strength and weakness when all they see is one large grade or even, a bunch of little grades for assignments. And that assignment may look at a number of different standards.
Now let's look at the impact of standards-based instruction on grading, looking at two researchers within the field-- Guskey and Hattie. First we're going to focus in on the research of Guskey.
Guskey focuses a lot on how standards-based grading is a more accurate reflection of what students know and can do. Much discussion revolves around the power of zero, and how zeros really can tank grades in a traditional setting. Whereas in a standards-based grading system, it's a much more accurate reflection of what students know and are able to do, both competency-based and in standards-based classrooms.
I really want to emphasize here that the power of zero is a term you are going to want to remember and incorporate into your teaching. Zero within a traditional grade book doesn't accurately reflect what happened in that student's situation to get this zero. Perhaps the zero is the student didn't turn the assignment in. Perhaps the zero shows not a lack of knowledge about the information, but an inability to get it in on time. Or perhaps they tried, and they got nothing right, and then it's a zero.
The reason that standards-based grading is so much more effective than this element of traditional grading is that you know exactly what the student knows and doesn't know. Not their ability to get something in on time. Not whether or not their personality or some element of their behavior is impacting their grade on the assignment. So that power of zero is really important when it comes to standards-based grading.
There's also research from Marzano, Guskey, and Reeves that shows how zeros can really throw off an entire grade. And rather, standards-based grading looks at whether a student is not completing the work on time versus if a student is not able to complete the work.
Guskey and the rest of them suggest that work should be non-negotiable. The student should always be working to complete that work, and a zero should never be an option because the work must be completed. Rather than when you put in a zero, a student can determine, well, I'll just take the zero. That should not be an option according to Guskey, Marzano, and Reeve's research.
Hattie also really discusses the benefits of standards-based grading as they work to make learning visible. This is ensuring that students are really pushing themselves to show what they know and what they are having trouble understanding. As well as that high yield instructional strategies forcing teachers through these standards-based grading to really push their students to get that high yield information. And really focused in on students presenting all that they know, rather than being able to skip over a standard, while still presenting other standard. There is a much less likelihood for gaps using this forum, as opposed to traditional.
By the end of this lesson, you are now able to analyze the theories behind the standards-based grading. And analyze the impact of standards-based grading on the learner.
Now I would like to take just a moment for reflection. As you think back on what you have learned and what we have discussed here in terms of standards-based grading, where do you think you will begin as you start to implement standards-based grading into your own grading practices?
As you reflect on how this new information can be applied, you might want to explore the Additional resources section that accompanies this video presentation. This is where you'll find links to resources chosen to really help you deepen your learning and explore ways to apply your newly acquired skill set. That's all we have for right now. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day.
(00:00-00:35) Intro
(00:36-00:47) Objectives
(00:48-01:48) What is Standards Based Grading?
(01:49-03:21) Differences from Traditional Education
(03:22-06:38) Guskey & Hattie
(05:39-06:48) Review
(06:49-07:50) Reflection
A Better Grading System: Standards-Based, Student-Centered Assessment
This article from the National Council of Teachers of English by Jeanetta Jones Miller includes practical strategies and examples of standards based grading and tracking mechanisms for teachers to use in their ELA classrooms.
http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/EJ/1031-sep2013/EJ1031Better.pdf
Standards-Based Grading Information (resource list)
This blog by Jason Buell offers extensive resources and advice on implementing standards based grading practices. Click on the link of the topic that you are interested in exploring relative to standards based grading. If you are interested in having students track their own performance, scroll down for a ready-made template that you can personalized based upon your learners.
http://alwaysformative.blogspot.com/p/standards-based-grading-implementation.html