Well, if you've had your ear to the street, you've probably heard the wave of standards-based grading becoming trendier in high schools. After being inspired by Matt Townsley's descriptions of standards-based grading, I tried a form of standards-based grading for the past 2 years in my classroom in these ways:
1. I boiled my grades down to just 100%, 85%, 75%, 70%, or 50%, nothing in between (and yes, no zeroes; feel free to flame me for that in the comment section below);
2. I focused on teaching specific skills and then only grading those skills. So, for example, when a student turned in an essay, they may have received 3 different grades -- one for a grammar skill such as using semicolons, one for a style skill such as varying syntax, and one for a content skill such as rebutting an opposing view; and
3. I offered multiple retakes and no extra credit.
Alas, I'm still feel like I'm doing it ineffectively. If you want to try standards-based grading, check out Townsley's great description that compares it to traditional assignment-based grading. Let me know if you can fashion a better system than I have.
How much extra paperwork did all of this generate for you?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the shout-out! Tell us more about your 100%, 85%, 75%...system.
ReplyDelete@Pat no extra paper work at all. In fact, it cut my grading time because I only focused on certain elements instead of every little thing. Some students didn't like that for essays because they wanted a grade for the other stuff they did well.
ReplyDelete@Matt I created those grades as a way to do the 1-5 scale that I saw other teachers do in standards based grading. Our school mandates percentages, not just letter grades. Some students did not like the big jump from 100 to 85, and some loved that the lowest grade they could get is 50. By the way I read your new post today and I'm evaluating whether or not I truly changed my assessment mindset.
I totally understand making shifts within the parameters you've inherited at your school, so I hope you don't feel like you have to apologize for using percentages!
DeleteI don't know if this will help or not, but two ways I knew that a shift was happening in my classroom:
1) students started asking questions and explaining how the system differed from what they were used to in other classes, at the time.
2) other classroom procedures and practices started to change as a result of the grading/assessment shift. For example, I made some pretty serious changes in the number of problems I assigned each day/night, how students received feedback on these problems and the purpose of student practice.
Do any of these ideas resonate with you?
@Matt, yes I think my assignment practices changed when I went to SBG, but this year I'll think more deeply about it. Thanks!
DeleteHow is it going so far this year?
DeleteThanks for the post on my blog! I followed your link from there to here.
ReplyDeleteThe one take-away I have from last year is that it is SO necessary to create and discuss with students a specific rubric for each of your standards/learning targets. Traditional grading is transparent in that it is all about percentages; if a student gets a B, it's because he or she got around 85% of the questions correct. I think standards-based grading can seem arbitrary to students by comparison. At least, it will if they are looking for something to complain about and the teacher has not done a good job with the rubrics.
@James I agree. Thank you for the cool explanation on your blog http://jameshosler.blogspot.com/2012/06/standards-based-grading-in-student.html
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