1. School Improvement Technical Assistance Days May 12, 9:00-11:00 and 1:00-4:00 May 18, 8:00-11:00 and 1:00-4:00 May 31, 8:00-11:00 and 1:00-4:00 Skype: School.Improvement.Kent.ISD

2. 2 SMART Measurable Objective Example All students will increase skills in the area of number and operations on MEAP: The average percent correct score of students without disabilities will increase from ____ % to ____ % by Fall, 2012. The average percent correct score of students with disabilities will increase from ____ % to ____ % by Fall, 2012. Continued on next slide

3. 3 SMART Measurable Objective Example All students will increase skills in the area of number and operations on targeted local assessments: The average percent correct score of students without disabilities will increase from ____ % to ____ % by the end of the 2011-2012 school year. The average percent correct score of students with disabilities will increase from ____ % to ____ % by the end of the 2011-2012 school year.

4. 30 slots still available

5. 59 slots still availalble

6. MS – 24 slots; HS – 19 slots still available

7. KLC MAY 5, 2011 A Repair Kit for Grading: 15 Fixes for Broken Grades

8. FIXES TO SUPPORT LEARNING Fixes 13-15 At your table divide into two groups. Read the chapter(s). 1. Group 1: Read Fix 13, pp. 95-105 2. Group 2: Read Fixes 14 & 15, pp. 106-114  Use the “First Turn/Last Turn” protocol with “like fix” group  Share highlights with whole group

9. FIXES TO SUPPORT LEARNING Fix 13: Don’t use information from formative assessments and practice to determine grades; use only summative evidence

10. “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.” Littky, D., with S. Grabelle, The Big Picture, ASCD, Alexandria, VA, 2004

11. 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

12. “Consider this dreary message shared with me by an assistant superintendent: I was meeting with our high school Advanced Placement teachers, who were expressing concerns about our open enrollment process and the high failure rate. One math teacher said that while a particular student was now (getting marks) in the 80’s, she had made a 12 on the initial test, ‘so there is no way she is going to make a passing grade for the first nine weeks’.” Grant Wiggins, “Unthinking Grading,” Big Ideas, Volume 2, Issue 2, 2006, (on-line newsletter at www.authenticeducation.org)

13. 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. Guskey, Thomas R. (Editor), Communicating Student Learning: The 1996 ASCD Yearbook, ASCD, Alexandria, VA, 1996, 21

14. Fix #14

15. “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

16. 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.

17. “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”

18. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS 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?

19. 15 Fixes for Broken Grades What are the next steps in your district?