Rik in MA, humbled to co-moderate #sblchat alongside @garnet_hillman and @KatieBudrow on the Topic of "Increasing Accuracy in Grading". We're pleased to receive your participation tonight! Ready? Set? Grow!
Hello #sblchat! Katie, science teacher, tweeting from the Chicagoland area tonight! Happy to be co-moderating with the amazing @garnet_hillman and @RoweRikW tonight!
Hello #sblchat! Katie, science teacher, tweeting from the Chicagoland area tonight! Happy to be co-moderating with the amazing @garnet_hillman and @RoweRikW tonight!
Ken, Mount Venon, KY, 7th grade science, recently focused on protecting my teacher pension and opposing the privatization of public education in KY #sblchat
We have six questions for your consideration tonight about Accuracy with Grading.Please include A1, A2, etc. in your responses and don't forget #sblchat!
Our Standards-Based Learning & Grading Crew collaborates on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month. Our next #sblchat is scheduled for Wednesday 2/7 at 8CT/9ET. @garnet_hillman@KatieBudrow
A1 The purpose of grading is to communicate where students are in relation to the standards at a given moment in time. If they are going to communicate achievement, accuracy is key! #sblchat
A1 - It's as important that grades accurately reflect Student learning as our evaluations accurately reflect our passion extended to our profession. #sblchat
A1: Academic grade should reflect student attainment of standards. Confounding factors should be excluded, such as behavior, extra credit, punctuality, etc. #sblchat
A1: Grades are pieces of communication - since learning is our goal we have to be able to measure growth and share that info with stakeholders. Sharing other information has much less meaning #sblchat
A1 - #sblchat Our Learners received their Unit 3 Assessments back today. One Learner saw:
> Determine Slope (4.0)
> Write Linear Equations (3.8)
> Graph Linear Equations (3.5)
> Scatter Plots (2.0)
Having these separated is far more meaningful than the average of 3.2.
A1: Learning is at the center of every conversation. If grades aren't accurate, or aren't about learning, then we can't have the right conversations about a student's progress #sblchat
A1: Grades are pieces of communication - since learning is our goal we have to be able to measure growth and share that info with stakeholders. Sharing other information has much less meaning #sblchat
A1 Because very important decisions about and by students are made on the basis of grades and to have good decisions grades need to be accurate. #sblchat
A1 Grades need to reflect what a student knows and can demonstrate in class so the student, teacher, and others can plan and collaborate on a way forward towards mastery of standards. #sblchat
Ken, Mount Vernon, KY, 7th grade science, recently focused on protecting my teacher pension and opposing the privatization of public education in KY #sblchat
A1: For some, grades are still the most important communication between school and home/community. B/c they are relied on so much, they have to accurately depict a student's true level of understanding, not just how well they play the game! #sblchat
A1 Grades (SBL type) also comm to S and to P where our journey is gonna take us! What areas we need to work on? Cant do that with a letter grade over EVERYTHING. #sblchat
A1: Grades have been institutionalized, but we need to utilize them to best show student learning. Since Ss and parents are accustomed to them, we can use this to our advantage. Changing HOW and WHAT we grade will make a student's final grade more revealing of progress #sblchat
#sblchat A1 the grades should be a communication tool to reflect Ss progress towards mastery of standards. Ps should be educated on what this journey looks like to minimize frustrations. Reciprocal feedback is key here.
A1: When a grade accurately reflects a student’s level of demonstrated proficiency on grade level standards, it has the power to “ inform.” It can inform the student, the parent, and the teacher. It can lead to better learning, better planning, and better teaching. #sblchat
#sblchat A1 because grades, or feedback, should always ne a guide for the learner in order to continue their lesrning. If it's not accurate then the learner gets off course.
A1 : Education is more about learning that it is about performance. Because learning is a continuum, grades should reflect progress as well as potential; encouraging students to set goals and improve skills #sblchat
A1 #Grades should measure learning accurately so understanding of product, process and progress on specific standards are clearly communicated to students and parents. #sblchat
A1: Student grades are used for many decisions that have significant impacts on students’ lives. If we care about our students, we must care for the accuracy & validity of their grades #sblchat
A1: When a grade accurately reflects a student’s level of demonstrated proficiency on grade level standards, it has the power to “ inform.” It can inform the student, the parent, and the teacher. It can lead to better learning, better planning, and better teaching. #sblchat
Our staff mtg today had a discussion of intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation for students and how they need both in middle school to be successful. #sblchat
A2 - Commit to grade ONLY on the demonstrated proficiency of our Learners. Please don't muddy the grade with HW Practice, Extra Credit, Kleenex points and the like. If you do, kindly #STOPIT. #sblchat
A2 Eliminate extra credit, grades for completion and compliance with rules, giving a higher grade because of effort, participation grades and scores for cooperation with others. #sblchat
Hi Barb. I struggled answering this question for a similar reason. Finding that formative feedback is way more important than grades. But, if we have to have grades, they need to be accurate, so I see that point too. #sblchat
A! Grades should be clear communication of what students know, understand and can do in regards to their learning. If they are inaccurate... we've missed the mark! Students deserve accuracy. #sblchat
A2 - It's as important that we provide meaningful and accurate feedback as it is to record meaningful and accurate grades. Grade ONLY the latest evidence of their Learning. #NoMoreNoLess#sblchat
A2: Completion grades, Extra Credit, HW grades, assignments so long they can't realistically be given descriptive feedback. All should be avoided in order to not inflate grades. #sblchat
Our staff mtg today had a discussion of intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation for students and how they need both in middle school to be successful. #sblchat
Could not agree more! Our district has gone to performance standards for reporting. Not perfect but soooo happy we ditched grades and are focusing more on formative assessment methods to communicate and set a path for learning. Your books have helped so many! TY #sblchat
A1 Grades should be clear communication of what students know, understand, and can do in regards to their learning. If they are inaccurate... we've missed the mark! Students deserve accuracy. #sblchat
A2 We use a rubric with clear descriptors for each level of achievement for each standard so the students know what is expected. Also no behaviors are used to inflate the grade. HW is 0% of the grade. #sblchat
A2 be mindful - some kids like my daughter like playing the game of school to get top marks....but often redos are because she wants to prove to her teachers that she has learned it all. All. #sblchat
A2: Inflation happens with extra credit, but it also happens if we don't establish clear success criteria. When Ts shift to teaching a new concept (perhaps a change in curriculum), the 1st round may be a learning curve for him/her to really get a feel for the Standard #sblchat
A2: Only academic summative assessments go into the grade, nothing else. Examining and collaborating on what our grades mean and ensuring common understanding of expectations. #sblchat
#sblchat A2, clear and concise expectation of what the the evidence of learning is; expectation that yhe learning target is met with redo/reteach as often as needed.
A2 be mindful - some kids like my daughter like playing the game of school to get top marks....but often redos are because she wants to prove to her teachers that she has learned it all. All. #sblchat
A2: I think getting rid of all the basic completion grades. They can be a good grade helper but when they take up a huge chunk of the gradebook you lose sight of the where the student actually is knowledge wise at the present moment. #sblchat
A2 are “marks” being given for task completion or are they earned for reaching a standard? Is it the journey or the destination? Both? Neither? #sblchat
You're right - I need to focus on the things I can control instead of worrying about those I can't. The classroom culture can be impacted even though they know there will be a letter grade at the end of the course. #sblchat
I mostly agree, but if grades indicate student growth, then report cards must clearly communicate this. Most stakeholders assume that grades indicate student learning at a particular point in time. #sblchat
A2: in a traditional system, students’ knowledge and demonstrated abilities, are often clouded by the inclusion of non academic indicators such as behavior, effort, extra credit, or class participation. Removing them helps to alleviate grade inflation. #sblchat
Flexibility is a start.
Customized rubrics that clearly describe the measure of learning—ensuring that the indicators are comparable to whatever framework is used in your school
#sblchat
A2: Flexibility is a start.
Customized rubrics that clearly describe the measure of learning—ensuring that the indicators are comparable to whatever framework is used in your school
#sblchat
You're right - I need to focus on the things I can control instead of worrying about those I can't. The classroom culture can be impacted even though they know there will be a letter grade at the end of the course. #sblchat
A2 But make sure that we don’t suggest that all students getting high grades is automatically grade inflation. Great teaching and great learning should result in high grades! #sblchat
A2 Inflated grades are likely the result of extra points, unclear expectations, emphasis on "things" not related to learning and focus on "getting an A" #sblchat
She is very self aware. She hates making simple operation mistakes that take away from her goal of 100%. But sometimes she won’t take risks because “she knows what her tescher(s) want”
#sblchat
And if they know what their grade is based on, get multiple opportunities to demo mastery, they become the owner of the grade. They have control. #sblchat
In reply to
@DRich0696, @garnet_hillman, @kenoc7, @BradLatzke
She is very self aware. She hates making simple operation mistakes that take away from her goal of 100%. But sometimes she won’t take risks because “she knows what her tescher(s) want”
#sblchat
A3 - One PD session offered in our district yesterday was centered on the use of frequent Exit Tickets, ungraded Extended Practice (HW) only when needed, and a culture of reassessment until learning occurs. This helps grades be more accurate. #sblchat@RetrieveLearn
A3 Eliminate unrecoverable zeros, punitive grades for non-compliance with rules or behavioral expectations, averaging where students begin with where they end, late work and ‘one and done’ assessment policies. #sblchat
A3 - To preserve the accuracy with grades, refrain from deducting points due to "late learning", averaging an original grade with a REDO, or recording a ZERO when no evidence has been provided...YET! #sblchat
A3 No deductions for late work. Don't include effort. Make sure there is the option to reassess. Group scores also could deflate here as well. #sblchat
A3- Prevent grade deflation by never letting students give up on themselves. Allow them (sometimes "force them" to be honest) to re-learn, re-do, re-take and reassess. #sblchat
A3: I am shifting a bit more to #sbl this semester, and while I know my population's general abilities, Ts who are new to a grade level may unintentionally deflate grades if they misjudge what attainment of a standard looks like at a specific grade level
#sblchat
A3: Give students every opportunity to reach mastery. Redos, reteach, alternative assessments, whatever it takes. After all, we are there to help them learn, not just crunch numbers and give them a label. #sblchat
A2: The basic questions to start the conversations are: What does a grade mean? What should it reflect? I will be sharing with teachers next week about this topic. Excited to learn and grow from this group tonight! #sblchat
She likes asynchronous collaboration rather than “forced groups with engaged & uninterested learners” and wishes she could use google to collaborate at school (not yet though....only at home for keeping track of what her learning partners are doing) #sblchat
Agreed. Effective grading does not have to be standards-based to report behaviors and academics separately, focus on recent performance rather than averaging grades, and not assign zeroes. #sblchat
A3: Constantly checking our reflex to use grades as a stick. I constantly seek second opinions if I think I’m mixing behavior with achievement. #sblchat
A3: No zeros, no reduced marks for late assignment....etc. However, the biggest challenge is to not deflate marks in other, more subtle ways. Temptations like comparing one students work to another instead of the criteria. #sblchat
#SBLchat She might be very frustrated in our classes. We don't have assignments; learners "show what they know" through venue of their choice. Drives our PreAp kuds nuts because " just tell me what you want."
Especially when they vet high scores....why take a risk and go down the snake (snakes and ladders analogy) when safe gets you to the finish point anyway... #sblchat
A3: Give students every opportunity to reach mastery. Redos, reteach, alternative assessments, whatever it takes. After all, we are there to help them learn, not just crunch numbers and give them a label. #sblchat
A3 Clear performance standards and don't include homework and behaviour in grades. Don’t label the top level “exceeds” or “exemplary” - those words set the bar too high. #sblchat
A3: We don't deflate grades when we give students penalty free practice. Ss should have opportunities to try new things and get feedback w/out a score. Only with enough practice should we think about certifying the learning with a grade/score. #sblchat
A3 Define and communicate expectations throughout the learning process. Coming to consensus with those who teach the same course so we report out consistently. #sblchat
A3: making students the chief stakeholders by clearly stating every learning outcome and their contribution to ensure success
Giving them multiple ‘at bats’ when measuring skills #sblchat
A3- Prevent grade deflation by never letting students give up on themselves. Allow them (sometimes "force them" to be honest) to re-learn, re-do, re-take and reassess. #sblchat
No. She’d like that. She rises to challenges. Some university will be very happy to get her. She is taking a double course load and doing some neat bonus work for the school and teachers that do push her thinking & doing #sblchat
A3: No zeros, no reduced marks for late assignment....etc. However, the biggest challenge is to not deflate marks in other, more subtle ways. Temptations like comparing one students work to another instead of the criteria. #sblchat
A3 Clear performance standards and don't include homework and behaviour in grades. Don’t label the top level “exceeds” or “exemplary” - those words set the bar too high. #sblchat
#sblchat A3 if there are descriptors for what is expected to meet the standard and all learners are expected to reach the standard no matter how many tries; if the attitude is not when but that the standard is met, there should be no deflation.
A2&3 Reflecting about how and why grades can be inflated and deflated are excellent reflection questions for all of us to ask educators we work with so grades are #accurate, #fair, and #meaningful. #sblchat
A3 no zeros and if you must average get creative - don’t just use the mean avg - there’s mode median and range to play with! So really...don’t average. #sblchat
Must make a confession. I never deflated a grade and, yes, I combined achievement with behaviors in the traditional grade book. Didn't know better. But, there were underdogs that benefitted from my use of pencil to record grades. #sblchat
A4 Behavioral attributes need their own place for record keeping and reporting. Choose 3-6 behaviors for reporting and be clear about the expectations for students with them and their parents alike. #sblchat
A4 - Our Learners and their Parents prefer weekly #GoodCallsHome to communicate timely feedback to the homes of our Learners. We separate behaviors from grade as far as the East is from the West! #sblchat
A4 Report them separately. My district does this with frequency, which we call Habits of Success. However, I personally really like a good narrative for this! #sblchat
A4: The same way we report academics - clearly defined expectations and clearly identifiable language for reporting - with both formative and “summative” reporting #sblchat
Yes, we've had this discussion in our district with the move to performance-based summative assessment. Still working on that, but perhaps single-point rubrics are helpful? #sblchat
A4 I have students reflect on self-assess based on a rubric of four behaviors that are then communicated separately in the report card comments. Not part of the achievement grade. #sblchat
A4: Just as we are looking to reframe grades, I believe we need to reframe behavior as well. We know that 'in the real world,' behavior/work habits are just as important as content knowledge. Why are they a throw away column that seems to be overlooked? #sblchat
A4: We rolled out a "Work Habits Tool" that will be used to measure and establish levels of proficiency to report to parents. #sblchat organization & readiness, productivity & accountability, and collaboration skills
A4: Separate reporting sounds best, but at the school level we don't have a system for that (report-card-wise). I suppose I could add comments to our online gradebook because otherwise only the students who get referrals get calls home (unless I call separately)
#sblchat
A4 We also use separate categories in our gradebook that are 0% of the grade but allow communication of progress on behaviors. We set behavior goals as part of our learning goals for the day. #sblchat
#SBLchat yes, yes sometimes summative turn into formatives. I woukldd also argue that a formative can become summative. If I am checking in with a learner, or conferring to check understanding, and they have nailed the target, they are ready to move on.
A4: Being consistent.
I remember having a day every week that I called all parents and told students: “I will only tell your parents what I see in class and on paper—you determine the convo”
also including the student in the discussion
#sblchat
#sblchat A4 Perhaps we should, first, focus on what instructional behaviors look like that influence the Ss behaviors, attitudes, morays, etc. Authentic reflection and self-assesment by the adults should be an integral part of the process if we expect to influence the Ss.
A4: our curriculum has "core competencies" embedded now. This helps with communicating, because we communicate them through "I can" statements on a continuum of learning #sblchat
I'm working on having Ss email home weekly on academic progress (I must check before sending). This may be a place I can ask students to mention their behaviors (on-task, focused, off-task, etc.) #sblchat
A4 Select behaviors or attributes that will be meaningful to provide feedback about, communicate criteria, and empower reflection and goal setting about the behaviors and attributes. #sblchat
A4- Just about every teacher I know, myself included, could do a better job communicating w/ families beyond the systems & structures of our gradebooks. Non-academic communication is equally important & can just as easily be tracked and/or expressed outside of gradebook. #sblchat
A4 I have students reflect on self-assess based on a rubric of four behaviors that are then communicated separately in the report card comments. Not part of the achievement grade. #sblchat
But do parents/community give them equal standing? I also wonder if an employer would rather have a new employee with lower mastery scores in content but higher behavior/work habits, or someone with mastery across the bored in content but low in behavior/work habits. #sblchat
#sblchat A4 we have a comments section on our report card and that is where we report behavior/ work habits. Emails and phone calls are our main form of communicating those categories.
I speak from experience. My mom would check out the grade column and if things were up to her standards, her eyes didn't go anywhere else on that page! #sblchat
Although I have not made time for it, I thought I should write a form letter of recommendation for each S, and edit it throughout the semester based on the S's engagement/performance. Then, they'd have a usable letter from me at the end of the semester for job apps #sblchat
A5 A traditional report card with a single letter grade combines overall academic achievement, behaviors, & growth. When a SB report card is used, there is a separate place for each to give a clear picture of the child. Academics are also broken down to specific skills. #sblchat
A5 - Our district is not there yet, but I'd like to see proficiency levels reported by Standard rather than averaged into one somewhat meaningess letter grade. What does a C really mean? #sblchat
This was an idea that @tguskey helped our district explore some when we started looking at modifying our report card to separate out behaviors from achievement. Not there yet as a district but working that way. #sblchat
sure they r the life and career skills #sblchat
LCS.12.1 Flexibility and Adaptability to Change
LCS.12.2 Initiative and Self Direction
LCS.12.3 Social and Cross Cultural Skills
LCS12.4 Productivity and Accountability
LCS.12.5 Leadership and Responsibility
A5: I have to give a single grade on our report card. I used to use a calculation, based on target performance, for this. Now I use logic rules to determine grade. One of the best things I've ever done. #sblchat
A5: include the learning outcomes and skill standards to demonstrate progress as opposed to “sentencing”
Make them Mastery based
Students should also have a section on the rc for a reflective statement that can be used to set goals for the next rc #sblchat
A5 starting to get into the realm that report cards were/are not designed for - tracking learning journeys. Why I like efolios https://t.co/YkSUZweWO6#sblchat
Good guess! 78%. One of the biggest challenges I have with SBG is that students grades tend to be lower than in their other classes. No EC, no homework. It all depends on whether or not they know physics. #sblchat
A5. Report behaviors and academics separately, don’t assign zeroes, decrease 101 point scale to 4 or 5, don’t average grades, and provide process for re-dos. #sblchat
#SBLchat we opened a new school this year and our principal @MarkMccord10 based his hiring on philosophical alignment with thd belief that you can coach a teacher in curriculum, but you can't coach them into a philosophy. It has made a diffetence.
A5 Restructuring current report cards is like tinkering with the combustible engine. The return value is negligible, especially when improved models will soon become widespread. #sblchat
A3: Constantly checking our reflex to use grades as a stick. I constantly seek second opinions if I think I’m mixing behavior with achievement. #sblchat
A5: Separate areas for behavior reporting. Also working harder to make sure all Ts are reporting the same - Does each “A” mean the same thing? Are they clearly defined on the report? #sblchat
Are there indicators that determine if a student is going to respond positively to praise for what they know rather than respond positively to criticism for their errors?
A5 Report cards aren’t the starting point but grades for standards and separating achievement and behaviour improve accuracy and value of grades. #sblchat
My PLC established grade determination protocols based on the multiple assessments for each standard - those "rules" made it easy to base grades directly on performance against the standards. #sblchat
Send me an email at ken.mattingly(at)https://t.co/sgC9v0vTym and I'll send you an electronic copy. It may help you start a conversation about where you want to go. #sblchat
#sblchat A5 I would love our report cards to look like our proficiency scales with the descriptors of each level( novice, developing, proficient, exemplary). Also an area for describing behavior/work habits.
Critical things to do are to eliminate anything but summative assessments from grades (thus no weighting) and to eliminate percentages and averaging. #sblchat
It is possible but the parents can see the current grade at any moment based on averages. I can only override the grade when posting the final grade. #sblchat
In reply to
@garnet_hillman, @kenmattingly, @KatieBudrow
Research has demonstrated that grades do not serve as feedback. They actually get in the way of it. Feedback should be descriptive without a score. #sblchat
So does descriptive feedback connected to performance standards/exemplars - more than “77% keep working hard!” Descriptive feedback loops are becoming my favourite more and more! #sblchat
Great question. Yes, it's attainable. And can be achieved with Ss resubmitting previous assignment to show growth and mastery. Also Ss needs to maintain 4.
The only other work around I used in a traditional grade book that averaged is to use the 'no count' setting for formative work. Or make it a category weighted at 0. #sblchat
In reply to
@brian_arnot, @kenmattingly, @KatieBudrow
I have used SBG for ten years, but am the only one in my building that grades that way. It's exhausting trying to keep up with the justification and fighting back against the constant "I just don't understand your grading system" #sblchat
A6 - Our HS Math Learners are more interested in becoming Proficient (Green sticker) or reaching for Exemplary (Blue sticker) than chasing points on the 101-point scale. It takes time, but it's worth the journey. #sblchat
A6 101 different levels of learning cannot be described. What is the difference between a 76 and a 78 in terms of learning? Using a four level scale allows teachers to effectively describe what learning looks like at each level and increases inter-rater reliability. #sblchat
A6: My students understand the difference between my 4 levels and what they have to do to move up a level. No one know the difference between 101 levels. #sblchat
A6: 101 levels are so minute: what is the difference between, say a 83% and an 84%. At that point, the numbers don't matter (thanks @tguskey! I loved ON YOUR MARK). Fewer categories allow us to be more accurate (as more categories mean we may mis-place a S's performance) #sblchat
I have used SBG for ten years, but am the only one in my building that grades that way. It's exhausting trying to keep up with the justification and fighting back against the constant "I just don't understand your grading system" #sblchat
#sblchat i would also love for our grade reporting to be across the year, not by grading periods. In reality, we ate teaching a year's worth of standard's so learners shoukd have a year to succeed in them.
Thank you everyone for another great evening of ideas, conversation, and challenges! I haven't been back in awhile, but hope to make it back soon! #sblchat
Cheat. Always ways to reach the right symbol. My best indicator of if final sharings are right tends to be when I wake up in the middle of the night because of the first draft symbol #sblchat
In reply to
@kenoc7, @brian_arnot, @kenmattingly, @KatieBudrow
Research has demonstrated that grades do not serve as feedback. They actually get in the way of it. Feedback should be descriptive without a score. #sblchat
3- meets 2-approaching 1-below. We use to have 4-exceeds but it causes issues with parents. “Why isn’t my child exceeding expectations?” Meeting expectations was no ok to them.
I only use summative assessments. I actually went back to averaging (sort of). The way I was reporting made for widely fluctuating grades and it just didn't seem to reflect well on how they might end up at the end. #sblchat
Oh yeah. She’s blasted through many of those. She’s not bored - she loves to learn. She’s just been listening to me a bit too much and likes to tweak me every now and then! #sblchat
Reminder: Our Standards-Based Learning & Grading Crew collaborates on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month. Our next #sblchat is scheduled for Wednesday 2/7 at 8CT/9ET. Join us then! @garnet_hillman@KatieBudrow
I agree with this! When we place a quarter grade that must be averaged with another quarter's grade, we are shooting ourselves in the foot with SBG. I wonder if I should just overwrite at the end of each semester (we do intensified blocks, so 1/2 year classes) #sblchat
Q6- For one thing, a 4-pt scale saves students from the harm of a failing grade. How is it helpful to student learning to tell students not only that they failed but also to what degree? #sblchat
A6 101 different levels of learning cannot be described. What is the difference between a 76 and a 78 in terms of learning? Using a four level scale allows teachers to effectively describe what learning looks like at each level and increases inter-rater reliability. #sblchat
Our HS Math Learners really like the stickers:
4.0 - Excelling (maybe?) - Blue
3.0 - Proficient - Green
2.0 - Approaching - Yellow
1.0 - Beginning - Red
Our Learners strive to be part of the #BlueManGroup! #sblchat
#sblchat A6 I don't think the 1-4 is the important part. It's the descriptors and the continuum that matters. Learners need to know clearly where they are, where tje2y need to go and how they need to get there and be allowed to recalculate as many times as needed.
The Blue, Green, Yellow, and Red stickers go on papers along with written feedback. The colored sticker communicates where I think they are so a conversation can ensue. #sblchat
