A Standards-Based Grading Approach in Biology Matt Thede

What is Standards-Based Grading (SBG)? “…method of reporting what students have learned and how they demonstrated their learning…” –Bruce Oliver, Just For the Asking, January, 2011 “…measuring students' proficiency on well- defined course objectives.” –Scriffiny, P., “Seven Reasons for Standards-Based Grading,” Educational Leadership, Oct. 2008, 66

Why Standards-Based Grading (SBG)? (Rationale) Our current grading system lacks real meaning Grades serve multiple purposes, which is a problem - it makes it very challenging to figure out exactly what they mean. We have a current system that is outdated and “no longer makes sense in the current educational climate.” “…sensible, realistic, and up-to-date.” Bruce Oliver, Just For the Asking, January, 2011

Why SBG? “Grades are meant to report student progress toward learning goals – giving students, their families, and teachers useful information on where to make adjustments to achieve these goals.” Varlas, Laura, How We Got Grading Wrong, and What to Do About It, ASCD, October, 2013, 55

Why SBG? “Systems that are aligned – curriculum, teaching, and assessment – have a greater chance of success for students.” Glenda Lappan, NCTM News Bulletin, October, 1998

Why SBG? Matt Townsley – “…I was getting the right information to the right students while there was still time for learning.”

Research Instruction is more differentiated; creating an environment more conducive to students reaching their individual potential; Students and parents better understand teachers’ expectations for performance; Assessments are better aligned with standards; Teachers feel more confident that they have the evidence they need to support their judgments about student proficiency; and Teachers say their grading and reporting task is easier and quicker (after ‘implementation dip.’) Randy Peters – Drake University

Research Research on SB shows (overwhelmingly) that students: – learn their subjects better – perform better in later education levels such as college Research is consistent with Popham, Reeves, Marzano, Pickering, McTighe, Wiggins, Stiggins, Guskey, Brookhart, O’Connor, and the High Schools That Work Breaking Ranks program. - Owen J. Roberts School District

Research “In a study of 9 th -grade science classrooms…Nolen (2003) found that when students perceived their classrooms as ability-based meritocracies, their performance on a districtwide, curriculum-based test was compromised. Students in other classes who saw teachers and peers to be focused on mastery and independent thinking performed significantly better on the district test.” -Wormeli, 2006, p. 60 Tim Brown – Raising Questions and Finding Answers in Our Grading Practices

Research “You can enhance or destroy students’ desire to succeed in school more quickly and permanently through your use of assessment than with any other tools you have at your disposal.” Richard Stiggins – Assessment Training Institute, (Tim Brown – Raising Questions and Finding Answers in Our Grading Practices)

Research John Hattie reviewed 7,827 studies on learning and instruction. His conclusion: “The most powerful single innovation that enhances achievement is feedback. The simplest prescription for improving education must be ‘dollops’ of feedback.” Cited in Marzano, 2008 (Tim Brown – Raising Questions and Finding Answers in Our Grading Practices)

Research Addressing the previous research, SB: – is mastery based – aligning the curriculum, instruction, and assessment with the Essential Standard/Learning Target – gives new meaning to formative assessments and feedback - homework, quizzes, and other formative assessments become a means to guide and direct instruction, as well as give critical feedback relative to where a student is at in relation to the Essential Standard/Learning Target

Personnel Assistant Administrator – to oversee change initiative Volunteers and Representatives from each department – those wanting and seeing a need for grade reform

Budget Built in costs of teachers wanting and needing time to build structure and implement Allow up to 20 teachers 1 full day $ per day Substitute pay = $2,240.00

Timeline Fall – Build Team (ask for volunteers) – Meet for 3-4 weeks (once per week) – Come together on common ground End of fall/beginning of winter – Staff from team share out what they’ve been doing at PL day – Survey staff to find common beliefs and to identify roadblocks Winter – Address roadblocks, find solutions, and identify common beliefs about grading  then present to staff – Continue collecting data and come up with some common grading guidelines for our school. Spring – If widely accepted, make a recommendation to the board

Facilities Comfortable room to meet with team Staff development in Study Halls (with provided breakfast)

Professional Learning Day 1 (1 hour) – Survey staff about grading beliefs in their classrooms – Staff present “what they’ve been doing and how they did it” regarding grading (include research and rationale) – Discussion questions during the presentation – Leave time for questions at the end *make sure to present from a “this is what I did” point of view versus “top-down” approach

Professional Learning Day 2 (1 hour) – Analyze survey information and present common beliefs about grading – Reveal the roadblocks and present research addressing the roadblocks – Discussion questions about data to help staff arrive at what the data means – Identify common ground in small groups regarding the data and points everyone can possibly agree on

Communication Internal – Exploring – Timeline – Update as more information presents itself External – Parent letter and forum to give general information and answer questions – Know we are moving forward first and have most questions and roadblocks addressed – District-wide announcement about the direction the school is headed and why