1. A Repair Kit for Grading: 15 Fixes for Broken Grades
2012
Featuring Ken O’ Connor’s
A repair kit for grading: 15 Fixes for broken grades
&
How to grade for Learning K-12
SURVEY ON MARKING AND GRADING PRACTICES – Poster
Pam

2. SURVEY ON MARKING AND GRADING PRACTICES
During break
Pam
Sticky dots: one color for pre during break
15 Fixes User Guide Appendix C

3. OUTCOMES Explore cutting edge research on grading
Reflect upon assumptions about grading
Consider alignment between grades and learning
Reflect on personal and systemic grading practices
Pam
Notice verbs

4. AGENDA 15 FIXES Setting the Stage 15 Fixes Book Exploration Lunch
Introduction
Fixes 1-6
Lunch
15 Fixes Book
Fixes 7-10
Fixes 11-12
Fixes 13-15
Summary
Change Process
Action Planning
Pam

5. WORKING AGREEMENTS Listen. Don’t talk over each other.
Be open to each other’s ideas
Ask questions
Begin and end on time
Silence cell phones 
Take calls outside
Take related conversations outside
“Please bring your conversations to a stopping point. Thank you for bringing your conversations to a close.”
Pam

6. FOUR PERSPECTIVES Student Educator/Teacher/Administrator Employee
Parent
Pam
Process the conversations from these four perspectives.

7. FIXES TO SUPPORT LEARNING
Application Activity #1 : Case Study 6, All or Some, Page 31 in How to Grade for Learning.
Parachute-Packing Test Scores
Read Case Study 6.
Reflect on these questions:
Which student will you choose to pack your parachute? Why?
If these were scores in a typical teacher’s grade book, which students would pass? Fail?
Is there any discrepancy between your answers to the above two questions? If so, why?
Deanna
Handout: Case Study 6: All or Some: Parachute Packing Test Scores (blue)

8. MATERIALS & RESOURCES Books:
A Repair Kit for Grading: 15 Fixes for Broken Grades (AKA “15 Fixes”)
Study Guide for A Repair Kit for Grading : 15 Fixes for Broken Grades
How to Grade for Learning K-12
School Improvement Webpage:
Deanna
Write their names in their book.
Ask participants to write down the Wiki address
Deanna will post ppt to schoolimprovement.kentisd.org

9. WHAT FINAL GRADE SHOULD THIS STUDENT RECEIVE?70 60 80 95
What’s in an A, B, C, D, E or F?
Averaging grades (60)
Median (75)
Zeros (2 zeros)
Formative vs. Summative (last three grades at 80, 95 and 95)
Most recent learning (95 is final)
Grading policy
Feedback/communication with students?
Pam
Group by poster according to groups of A, B, C, D, E/F
Group by letter grade
Choose a spokesperson
Discuss reason for choosing grade
Share out
Issues this raises:
What’s in an A, B, C, D, E or F?
Averaging grades (60)
Median (
Zeros (2 zeros)
Formative vs. Summative (last three grades at 80, 95 and 95)
Most recent learning (95 is final)
Grading policy
Feedback/communication with students?

10. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS For whom do we grade?
What is the purpose of grades?  What should a grade tell us?  Is grading primarily about growth or about amount of knowledge?
What is a “fair” grade?  What does fairness in grading mean?
What should be included in a grade?  What are the implications of including factors besides achievement in grades?
Should grades reflect credit for doing, credit for learning, or both?
How can grading distort student achievement?
How can the quality and organization of evidence impact students’ grades?
What is the relationship between learning and grading?
Deanna Facilitate
Pam Type
Q: Now that we have started have conversations about grading…As you reflect upon this list, what brought you here today? What essential questions would you like to add to today’s conversation? We will bring these questions back to reflect upon and/or add to the list.

11. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS Deanna Facilitate Pam Type
Q: Now that we have started have conversations about grading…As you reflect upon this list, what brought you here today? What essential questions would you like to add to today’s conversation? We will bring these questions back to reflect upon and/or add to the list.

12. How confident are you that the grades students get in your school are:
Consistent,
Accurate,
Meaningful and
Supportive of Learning?
What is your evidence?
Deanna
If grades do not meet these four conditions of quality, they are “broken,” i.e., ineffective.
--Ken O’Connor

13. Purposes for Grading
Communicate the achievement status of students to parents, (students), and others.
Provide information that students can use for self-evaluation.
Select, identify, or group students for certain
educational paths or programs.
Provide incentives to learn.
Evaluate the effectiveness of instructional programs
Rank in order of importance and discuss in groups
Guskey, Thomas R. (Editor), Communicating Student Learning: The1996 ASCD Yearbook, ASCD, Alexandria, VA, 1996, 17

14. GRADING INVENTORY
Using the grading inventory, individually identify the percentage of your grades allocated to each category.
Compare your list with two colleagues.
Conversation:
What similarities or differences exist between your inventories?
Why might the differences exist? Should differences exist?
What grading issues arise from this conversation?
Pam
Materials: Grading Inventory (green)

15. Culture of Performance
School Culture
Culture of Learning
Culture of Performance
Success is defined by improving the level of competence
Focused on Process Goals – job is to learn how to do something
Growth Mindset – intelligence and ability can be increased
Success means doing better than others or achieving at a superior level
Focused on Product Goals – job is to finish a task
Fixed Mindset – Intelligence and ability are fixed
Reflection
What is the result of having one kind of culture vs. the other kind of culture?
What kind of culture should a school promote? How does a school’s perspective on these cultures impact students?
How do these cultures impact how we teach, how we assess, how we grade?
What culture is prevalent in your building? How do you know? What is the impact?
Deanna
Carol Dweck reference
Learning Orientation v. Performance Orientation

16. UNDERPINNING ISSUES
“There are three underpinning issues we must consider before addressing the specifics of how to determine grades. They are fairness, motivation, and objectivity and professional judgment.” O’Connor, p. 9. Divide into groups of 3 to read pp. 7 – 12. Each person reads one section: Fairness, Motivation, Objectivity and Professional Judgment. When everyone in your group has completed the reading, each person shares one quote from the section and explains its relevance.
Deanna
Groups of 3 – at least one from the other school
Materials Needed: Book

17. SURVEY ON MARKING AND GRADING PRACTICES
Deanna
During break
Sticky dots: one color for pre during break
15 Fixes User Guide Appendix C

18. FIXES FOR PRACTICES THAT DISTORT ACHIEVEMENT
Read your assigned Fix. On a piece of chart paper, list the following:
The gist of the Fix (according to the text)
Arguments for using the Fix through the lens of a:
Teacher
Student
Choose who will report out to the larger group. Recall that your listeners have not read your content.
Pam
Divide into 6 groups, with those reading the same fix
Materials: Chart paper, markers

19. FIXES FOR PRACTICES THAT DISTORT ACHIEVEMENT
Fix 1: Don’t include student behaviors (effort, participation, adherence to class rules, etc.) in grades; include only achievement.
Fix 2: Don’t reduce marks on “Work” submitted late; provide support for the learner.
Fix 3: Don’t give points for extra credit or use bonus points; seek only evidence that more work has resulted in a higher level of achievement
Fix 4: Don’t punish academic dishonesty with reduced grades; apply other consequences and reassess to determine actual level of achievement.
Fix 5: Don’t consider attendance in grade determination; report absences separately.
Fix 6: Don’t include group scores in grades; use only individual achievement evidence.
Pam
As they are reporting out, display one “Fix” at a time by clicking “Enter”

20. FIXES FOR PRACTICES THAT DISTORT ACHIEVEMENT
WHAT’S MY THINKING NOW?
How might I use Fixes 1-6 now? Why?
Deanna
Self reflection
Materials: Yellow sheet

21. LUNCH
Lunch Break
Exit slips on stickies: plus/delta

22. FIXES FOR LOW-QUALITY OR POORLY ORGANIZED EVIDENCE
Form a table group of 6 and choose a partner within that group. Assign readings as follows:
Partner group 1 – Fix 7, pp
Partner group 2 – Fix 8, pp
Partner group 3 – Fixes 9 and 10, pp
Each partner group reads its section using the blue “Say Something” protocol.
With the total table group, each partner group shares a brief summary of their section and two “say somethings.”
Deanna
Handout: Say Something Protocol (blue)
Self group into groups of six, among seven tables
Take two books and user guide with them(user guide for the next activity)

23. FIXES FOR LOW-QUALITY OR POORLY ORGANIZED EVIDENCE
Fix 7: Don’t organize information in grading records by assessment methods or simply summarize into a single grade; organize and report evidence by standards/learning goals.
Fix 8: Don’t assign grades using inappropriate or unclear performance standards; provide clear descriptions of achievement expectations.
Fix 9: Don’t assign grades based on student’s achievement compared to other students; compare each student’s performance to present standards.
Fix 10: Don’t rely on evidence gathered using assessments that fail to meet standards of quality; rely only on quality assessments.
Deanna
As they are reporting out, display one “Fix” at a time by clicking “Enter”

24. THE KEYS TO QUALITY ASSESSMENT
Key 1: Clear Purpose: Why assess?
Key 2: Clear Targets: Assess what?
Key 3: Sound Design: Assess how?
Key 4: Effective Communication: Communicate how?
Key 5: Student Involvement: How are students involved?
Review the chart on page 83. Think about assessment in your classroom/building/district. Which of the keys are most evident in your classroom?”
Discuss highlights with elbow partner.
Deanna
Materials: Book, p. 83
Label each bubble with a “key” title
Two versions of “keys”

25. FIXES FOR LOW-QUALITY OR POORLY ORGANIZED EVIDENCE
WHAT’S MY THINKING NOW?
How might I use Fixes 7-10 now? Why?
Deanna
Self reflection
Materials: Sheet (yellow)

26. FIXES FOR INAPPROPRIATE GRADE CALCULATION
Stand up. Form a group of four. Further, divide into pairs.
One pair read Fix 11, pp
Second pair read Fix 12, pp
Use the Text Rendering Protocol sheet to reflect on what you read by choosing a word, phrase, and sentence from the chapter that summarizes a major idea from the reading
Write your word, phrase and sentence on your grey colored handout
Share your word, phrase and sentence with your group of four
Share highlights with whole group
Pam
Text Rendering Protocol (buff)

27. FIXES FOR INAPPROPRIATE GRADE CALCULATION
Fix 11: Don’t rely only on the mean; consider other measures of central tendency and use professional judgment.
Fix 12: Don’t include zeros in grade determination when evidence is missing, or as punishment; use alternatives, such as reassessing to determine real achievement or use “I” for incomplete or insufficient evidence.
Pam
As they are reporting out, display one “Fix” at a time by clicking “Enter”

28. FIXES FOR INAPPROPRIATE GRADE CALCULATION
Assessments in Order
Karen
Alex
Jennifer
Stephen
Assessment 1 63
Assessment 2 10
Assessment 3 62
Assessment 4 90
Assessment 5
100
Assessment 6
Assessment 7
Assessment 8
Assessment 9
Assessment 10
Total
630
Mean
63%
Median
90%
100%
Mode ?
1. What grade should each student receive? Why? 2. Is it accurate to use the same approach with each student? Why? 3. What additional information would help you make this decision?
Pam
Assume these are the marks four students received for 10 summative assessments in a school subject – elementary, secondary, or college – on a similar set of learning goals.
Mean: total of the values divided by the number of values
Median: middle value of the data listed in numerical order
Mode: the most frequently occurring number

29. “Data should be used to INFORM not determine decisions”
Deanna
Management Consultant,
The Hay Group, personal conversation, January 2002

30. “The use of an ‘I’ or ‘Incomplete’ grade is an alternative to assigning zeros that is both educationally sound and potentially quite effective.”
Deanna
Guskey and Bailey, Developing Grading and Reporting Systems for Student Learning, Corwin Press, 2001, 144

31. QUICK WRITE
How do educators lead students to change their focus from point accumulation to learning?
Pam

32. FIXES FOR INAPPROPRIATE GRADE CALCULATION
WHAT’S MY THINKING NOW?
How might I use Fixes 11 & 12 now? Why?
Deanna
Self reflection
What’s my thinking now Fixes 11 & 12 (purple)

33. REFLECTION & EVALUATION
I arrived today thinking…
I’m leaving today thinking…
End first day with this. Hand in ½ sheets.

34. REFLECTION Is school primarily a formative or summative experience?
How does your answer determine your grading practices?
How do your current practices align to your beliefs?
Optional

35. A Repair Kit for Grading: 15 Fixes for Broken Grades
2012
Featuring Ken O’ Connor’s
A repair kit for grading: 15 Fixes for broken grades
&
How to grade for Learning K-12
Pam
SURVEY ON MARKING AND GRADING PRACTICES – Poster

36. I ARRIVED THINKING/I LEFT THINKING
Pam
Begin Day two with these filled in from Day 1 info.
How did 15 Fixes conversation come up last evening?

37. FIXES TO SUPPORT LEARNING
At your table divide into two groups. Read the chapter(s).
Group 1: Read Fix 13, pp
Group 2: Read Fixes 14 & 15, pp
Use the “First Turn/Last Turn” protocol with “like fix” group
Share highlights with whole group
Deanna
Materials: “First Turn Last Turn” protocol handout (Grey)

38. FIXES TO SUPPORT LEARNING
Fix 13: Don’t use information from formative assessments and practice to determine grades; use only summative evidence
Fix 14: Don’t summarize evidence accumulated over time when learning is developmental and will grow with time and repeated opportunities; in those instances, emphasize more recent achievement
Fix 15: Don’t leave students out of the grading process. Involve students; they can – and should – play key roles in assessment and grading that promote achievement
Deanna
As they are reporting out, display one “Fix” at a time by clicking “Enter”
Individually read through Fixes.
Pages

39. FIXES TO SUPPORT LEARNING
Application Activity #2: Huang’s Lunchtime Surprise, Page 186, in How to Grade for Learning.
Huang’s Lunchtime Surprise
How did the English teacher and the coach use feedback differently?
How does quality feedback during the learning process increase student involvement and promote achievement?
What does using past assessment data communicate to students about learning?
What information about grades is important to communicate to students prior to the beginning of a learning experience?
Pam
Handout: Huang’s Lunchtime Surprise (fluorescent green)

40. Fix 13
“The research indicates that improving learning through assessment depends on five, deceptively simple, key factors:
The provision of effective feedback to students
The active involvement of students in their own learning
Adjusting teaching to take account of the results of assessment
A recognition of the profound influence assessment has on the motivation and self-esteem of students, both of which are crucial influences on learning
The need for students to be able to assess themselves and understand how to improve.”
Deanna
Discussion

41. “Schools use grades because it’s one of those things somebody once decided on and now everybody goes along with it. I don’t know where it started, but I know where it stops - in the real world. You don’t see supervisors telling their employees, “Great job, I’m going to give you an A.” Or, “You really screwed up here; that’s a C-.” No, in the real world, adults get real feedback and indications of where they need improvement.”
Deanna
Littky, D., with S. Grabelle, The Big Picture, ASCD, Alexandria, VA, 2004

42. The key question is, “What information provides the most accurate depiction of students’ learning at this time?” In nearly all cases, the answer is
“the most current information.” If students demonstrate that past assessment information no longer accurately reflects their learning, that information must be dropped and replaced by the new information. Continuing to rely on past assessment data miscommunicates students’ learning.
Deanna
Guskey, Thomas R. (Editor), Communicating Student Learning: The 1996 ASCD Yearbook, ASCD, Alexandria, VA, 1996, 21

43. Fix #14
Deanna

44. as a result of trial, practice, adjustments
“We know that students will rarely perform at high levels on challenging learning tasks at their first attempt. Deep understanding or high levels of proficiency are achieved only
as a result of trial, practice, adjustments
based on feedback and more practice.”
McTighe, J., “What Happens Between Assessments”, Educational Leadership, Dec. ‘96 - Jan. ‘97, 11
Deanna

45. FIXES TO SUPPORT LEARNING
WHAT’S MY THINKING NOW?
How might I use Fixes now? Why?
Deanna
Self reflection
What’s my thinking now Fixes 13-15(purple)

46. First Order Change Second Order Change
School Level Change
Not all change is of the same magnitude. Some changes have greater implications than others for various stakeholders. The differences in the magnitude or “order” of change are described below:
First Order Change
Second Order Change
An extension of the past
Within existing paradigms
Consistent with prevailing attitudes and norms
Focused
Bounded
Incremental
Linear
Marginal
Implemented with existing knowledge and skills
Problem and solution oriented
Implemented by experts
A break with the past
Outside of the existing paradigms
Conflicted with prevailing attitudes & norms
Emergent
Unbounded
Complex
Non-linear
A disturbance to the whole system
Requires new skill & knowledge to implement
Neither problem nor solution oriented
Implemented by stakeholders
Deanna

47. First Order Changes Second Order Changes
Process innovation
In the box
Doing work in new ways
Radical innovation/Creative
Out of the box
Doing new work
Recognizing which changes are 1st and 2nd order
Helps leaders select practices and initiatives that are appropriate for individuals and stakeholders
Results in more sustainable efforts
Results in a positive impact on achievement
A negative impact will likely result
if we use 1st order change when 2nd order change is needed
if we assume that 1st and 2nd order changes have the same impact
Paraphrased from Balanced Leadership, McREL 2003
Deanna

48. First and Second Order Changes
First Order Change
Second Order Change
Research shows that second order changes are more likely to lead to increased student achievement than are first order changes.
Changing relationships
and teaching strategies
Smaller classes
Site-based councils
Ninety-minute
teaching blocks
Schools within schools
Collaboration and ownership
Extended teaching and learning opportunities
Deanna
New interactions and relationships
Teaching teams with
common planning
Coordinated focused curriculum

49. Understanding Change = = = = = = = = Trust Vision Skills Resources
Payoff
Action Plan
Shared Values/Beliefs =
Second Order Change
Trust
Vision
Skills
Resources
Payoff
Action Plan
Shared Values/Beliefs =
Sabotage
Trust
Vision
Skills
Resources
Payoff
Action Plan
Shared Values/Beliefs =
Confusion
Trust
Vision
Skills
Resources
Payoff
Action Plan
Shared Values/Beliefs =
Anxiety
Trust
Vision
Skills
Resources
Payoff
Action Plan
Shared Values/Beliefs =
Anger
Deanna
Large Group Processing
Trust
Vision
Skills
Resources
Payoff
Action Plan
Shared Values/Beliefs =
Sporadic Change
Trust
Vision
Skills
Resources
Payoff
Action Plan
Shared Values/Beliefs =
False Starts
Trust
Vision
Skills
Resources
Payoff
Action Plan
Shared Values/Beliefs =
First Order Change

50. CHANGE PROCESS
What level change is represented in 15 Fixes for Broken Grades? Why?
What row best represents your school/district? Why?
If you were to have conversations about grading in your building/district, how might you consider these elements of change?
Deanna
Smaller group conversations
End Change Process Presentation

51. CREATING THE CONVERSATION
What are our next steps as a school/department?
What are my next steps personally?
Pam
Materials: goldenrod half-sheet

52. CREATING THE CONVERSATION
Who is your audience?
Who are your allies?
What might keep you from being successful?
On whom/what else does your success depend?
What is the starting point? How might you relate it to the experience of your audience?
How will you consider the elements of change?
Deanna
Begin Action Planning
Divide into 3 groups- elementary, MS, HS for conversations about how to move this conversation forward in your school/district?

53. ACTION PLANNING TEMPLATE
Strategy(ies)
How will we accomplish our objective?
Activities
What are the specific tasks needed to implement the strategy?
Indicators/ Measures How will we know if we are successful?
Constraints What might keep us from being successful?
Dependencies
On who/what else outside of our team does our success depend upon?
Resources/ Data Needed
What supplies/
information do we need?
Responsible Party
Who will accomplish this task?
Timeline
By when will this task be completed?
Pam
Handouts
Digital version available

54. What insight have you gained around these essential questions?
For whom do we grade?
What is the purpose of grades?  What should a grade tell us?  Is grading primarily about growth or about amount of knowledge?
What is a “fair” grade?  What does fairness in grading mean?
What should be included in a grade?  What are the implications of including factors besides achievement in grades?
Should grades reflect credit for doing, credit for learning, or both?
How can grading distort student achievement?
How can the quality and organization of evidence impact students’ grades?
What is the relationship between learning and grading?
Deanna
Large Group
Q: About which questions have you gained clarity? About which do you still have questions?

55. SIX-WORD NOVEL
Using only six words, summarize your learning or your takeaway from the past two days.
Deanna
Don’t hand out evaluations yet!

56. SURVEY ON MARKING AND GRADING PRACTICES
Deanna
Sticky dots (of different color)
Refer for use in their buildings
15 Fixes User Guide Appendix C

57. OUTCOMES Explore cutting edge research on grading
Reflect upon assumptions about grading
Consider alignment between grades and learning
Reflect on personal and systemic grading practices
Pam

58. REFLECTION & EVALUATION
Printed reflection & evaluation
Five outcomes
What are our next steps as a school/department?
What are my next steps personally?
Deanna
Printed reflection and evaluation