Community of Practice on Grading and Reporting
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Ted Hall, Senior Associate David J. Ruff, Executive Director
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Research Quotes Open the envelope at your tables and pass the statements around your table to read one at a time As each person reads her/his quote, select something that seems significant and why. Discuss the quote briefly with your table group. Repeat with each quote. What consensus, if any, emerged for the group?
Table Talk
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Welcome, Introductions, Agenda Overview
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Participants will:
•Understand key components of student-centered learning
•Understand how these components could be implemented in their context
•Gather and give feedback on implementation with other participants
Series Outcomes
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Participants will:
• Unpack the ways in which grading and reporting present different challenges in implementing a Mastery-Based Learning system
• Anticipate and address scenarios that complicate changes in grading and reporting in schools.
• Explore a framework for guiding decision-making around grading and reporting
• Continue district and school work
Today’s Outcomes
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AgendaWelcome, Overview, IntroductionsTable Talk: Research QuotesGrading and Reporting: What are the Differences?“Who is the Audience” activityBreak“Make Your Case” preparation and presentationScenarios on Grading and Reporting LunchGuidelines, Questions, & ConsiderationsTeam Time, followed by Feedback from ColleaguesClosing and Feedback
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LogisticsTiming for today (and all sessions): 8:30 - 3:00
One Date Remaining: May 1
Virtual Coaching Sessions—still available
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Is a non-profit support organization based in Portland, Maine working nationally with schools, districts and state agencies, providing coaching, and developing
tools.
WHO WE ARE
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WE BELIEVEIn equitable, personalized, rigorous learning for all students leading to readiness for college, careers, and citizenship
That schools must simultaneously attend to policy, practice, and community engagement
School improvement is context-based, not one-size fits all
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Grading and Reporting: What’s the Difference?
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The practice of evaluating a student’s level of proficiency using a task, assessment, or other evidence.
Grading
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The practice of communicating a student’s level of proficiency to a variety of stakeholders.
Reporting
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2016 NEW ENG
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16 N
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1 INITIATING
STEP 1 >> READ THE PERFORMANCE DESCRIPTIONS
3 DEVELOPING 5 PERFORMING
STEP 4 >> SCORE YOUR SCHOOLPlace an X on the scale below to indicate your school’s performance in this dimension.
1 2 3 4 5
NOT ADDRESSED INITIATING DEVELOPING PERFORMING12GLOBAL BEST PRACTICES | 2ND EDITION 1.4 PROFICIENCY-BASED EDUCATION
Some efforts have been made to align coursework with college- and career-ready learning standards, but in practice many teachers continue to use lessons that are unaligned or outdated. The school uses a standardized credit system based on seat time, letter grades, number averaging, and other traditional practices to measure academic progress and determine readiness for graduation. There is a great deal of variation from classroom to classroom in grading practices. Reporting practices do not provide clear information about how students are performing against the school’s standards or indicate what students have learned. Students are often unaware of learning expectations for courses and lessons, and they rarely receive descriptive feedback on assignments. High-stakes external assessments often unilaterally drive instruction and lesson design. There is no consensus across the school and the district regarding what all students should learn and be able to demonstrate.
School-wide curricula and instruction have been aligned with common learning standards, but this effort has not been systematic or systemic. District and school leaders have engaged in conversations about adopting a standards-based system that leads to college- and career-readiness for all students. The principal and teacher-leaders have examined schools that are using effective proficiency-based practices. Some common scoring criteria have been developed to enhance the consistency of grading and reporting, but this practice has not been embraced by all teachers or institutionalized school-wide. Teachers use multiple formative assessment strategies in the classroom aligned with standards, and academic support is available to struggling students. Few opportunities exist for students to demonstrate learning in different ways. In some cases, learning expectations remain unclear and many students are still unaware of their own learning strengths and weaknesses or which learning standards teachers are addressing.
The school and district have publicly committed to becoming a standards-based learning community, and graduation policy has been modified to require all students to demonstrate achievement of learning expectations to ensure college and career readiness before receiving a diploma. The faculty has prioritized learning standards so that each learner demonstrates the most essential cross-curricular and discipline content, skills, as well as habits of work. The grading and reporting system aligns with these standards and distinguishes content knowledge and skills from habits of work. .All teachers use common scoring criteria that provide detailed descriptions of learning standards at each expected level of performance. Assessments are aligned to learning standards and results are used to inform instructional practice and identify students’ levels of performance against these standards. Students receive ongoing, specific feedback related to their progress toward achieving the learning standards. Alternative learning experiences are provided to all students so they have enough time and support to learn and demonstrate achievement consistent with the learning standards. Students who have met the learning standards have access to extensions or opportunities to move on to another learning experience.TE
ACH
ING
+ L
EARN
ING
©2016 NEW
ENGLAND
SECONDARY SCHO
OL CO
NSORTIUM
©20
16 N
EW E
NGLA
ND S
ECO
NDAR
Y SC
HOO
L CO
NSO
RTIU
M
1 INITIATING
STEP 1 >> READ THE PERFORMANCE DESCRIPTIONS
3 DEVELOPING 5 PERFORMING
STEP 4 >> SCORE YOUR SCHOOLPlace an X on the scale below to indicate your school’s performance in this dimension.
1 2 3 4 5
NOT ADDRESSED INITIATING DEVELOPING PERFORMING12GLOBAL BEST PRACTICES | 2ND EDITION 1.4 PROFICIENCY-BASED EDUCATION
Some efforts have been made to align coursework with college- and career-ready learning standards, but in practice many teachers continue to use lessons that are unaligned or outdated. The school uses a standardized credit system based on seat time, letter grades, number averaging, and other traditional practices to measure academic progress and determine readiness for graduation. There is a great deal of variation from classroom to classroom in grading practices. Reporting practices do not provide clear information about how students are performing against the school’s standards or indicate what students have learned. Students are often unaware of learning expectations for courses and lessons, and they rarely receive descriptive feedback on assignments. High-stakes external assessments often unilaterally drive instruction and lesson design. There is no consensus across the school and the district regarding what all students should learn and be able to demonstrate.
School-wide curricula and instruction have been aligned with common learning standards, but this effort has not been systematic or systemic. District and school leaders have engaged in conversations about adopting a standards-based system that leads to college- and career-readiness for all students. The principal and teacher-leaders have examined schools that are using effective proficiency-based practices. Some common scoring criteria have been developed to enhance the consistency of grading and reporting, but this practice has not been embraced by all teachers or institutionalized school-wide. Teachers use multiple formative assessment strategies in the classroom aligned with standards, and academic support is available to struggling students. Few opportunities exist for students to demonstrate learning in different ways. In some cases, learning expectations remain unclear and many students are still unaware of their own learning strengths and weaknesses or which learning standards teachers are addressing.
The school and district have publicly committed to becoming a standards-based learning community, and graduation policy has been modified to require all students to demonstrate achievement of learning expectations to ensure college and career readiness before receiving a diploma. The faculty has prioritized learning standards so that each learner demonstrates the most essential cross-curricular and discipline content, skills, as well as habits of work. The grading and reporting system aligns with these standards and distinguishes content knowledge and skills from habits of work. .All teachers use common scoring criteria that provide detailed descriptions of learning standards at each expected level of performance. Assessments are aligned to learning standards and results are used to inform instructional practice and identify students’ levels of performance against these standards. Students receive ongoing, specific feedback related to their progress toward achieving the learning standards. Alternative learning experiences are provided to all students so they have enough time and support to learn and demonstrate achievement consistent with the learning standards. Students who have met the learning standards have access to extensions or opportunities to move on to another learning experience.
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Consider your Audience
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Who is the audience for the grade book?
and what do they need to know?
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Who is the audience for the report card?
and what do they need to know?
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Who is the audience for the transcript?
and what do they need to know?
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Make the Case!
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“Make the Case” Activity and Discussion
Purpose: To push your thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of using different methods of reporting out
student progress on report cards and transcripts as schools transition to MasteryBased Learning.
Assumptions:
● Your school is transitioning to MasteryBased Learning and a decision needs to be made about how to report out student
progress.
● There are three options on the table (see below).
● There are advantages and disadvantages of each option.
● The school has developed graduation standards, performance indicators, and scoring criteria that are (or soon will be) used to
guide instruction and assessment in all subjects and classrooms.
Outline of Steps:
1. In small groups, you will be assigned one of three positions to take:
● Use AF to report on student progress on report cards and transcripts
● Use 0100 to report on student progress on report cards and transcripts
● Use 14 to report on student progress on report cards and transcripts
2. In your group, be prepared to “Make the Case” for the position you are assigned. Take into account all factors associated with
the transition to masterybased learning and think about all of the stakeholders affected by this decision.
3. Present your position to other colleagues who have been assigned the two other positions and listen to the presentations
made by colleagues promoting the other two positions. Use the following process:
● First group presents their position, including answering as many questions as they can about why this is the
best approach. While the group presents, others make notes on the back of this sheet. (5 min)
● Other group members ask both clarifying and probing questions (2 min)
● First group makes a final statement (1 min)
● Second and third group goes through same steps (8 min each)
● Written reflection using prompts on the back (3 minutes)
● Whole group debrief (10 minutes)
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Tables 1, 4, 7 (this room) Tables 2, 5, 8 (this room)
Tables 3, 6, 9 (other room)
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Scenarios to Consider
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Guidelines for Scenarios Discussion
Read aloud each scenario in turn Discuss each scenario using these questions:
What went wrong? What might have been done differently? How might the school resolve the problem?
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Lunch!
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What have we learned?
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School Interviews
Casco Bay High School: Maine Sanborn Regional High School: New Hampshire Montpelier High School: Vermont Building 21: Pennsylvania Pittsfield High School: New Hampshire New Haven Academy: Connecticut
GSP staff interviewed:
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Some Examples
All used a 1-4 scale to score student work against defined criteria or scales Some reported 1-4 scores Some report scores for standards, alone, not courses Some translated 1-4 scores to letter grades for courses on report cards and transcripts
Grading and Reporting
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Some Examples
Most continue to require course credit BUT students gain credit by meeting proficiency
Graduation proficiencies are very different among the schools Transcripts are very different among the schools School profiles and grading guides are crucial
Verification for Graduation
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Some Examples
All have begun to separate work habits from academic success in different ways All have different ways of valuing work habits All have created time in the schedule to support students in meeting or exceeding proficiency Most do not combine work habits or the need for intervention in a single course score
Habits of Work; Support and Intervention
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What matters most?
"Daily learning targets make clear what the purpose of the work is. If the course standards and targets and indicators are all connected to criteria that describe levels of performance, accompanied by exemplars, kids know where they’re going and how to get there… Our teachers and students are always having the conversation about what good work looks like.” - Derek Pierce; Casco Bay High School
Clear, Shared Outcomes
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Guidelines, Questions, and Considerations
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Grading and Reporting: Guidelines,
Questions, and Considerations
Steps Questions Considerations/Implications
Build a common
understanding of grades
and grading within the
school community.
● Why do we grade student work and
performance?
● What should grades on tasks or
assessments mean or communicate?
● What purpose do grades serve in our
system?
● To what extent does educational
research support or conflict with our
beliefs about grading?
● Many teachers, students, and parents
have strongly-held, but unexamined,
beliefs about grading and may struggle
to shift their thinking.
● It is possible that a group of educators
could reaffirm beliefs that are not
supported by research (zeroes motivate
students to perform, for instance).
● Abstract agreements about grading will
probably continue to be challenged
when they are actually implemented
Determine the purpose
of each type of grade
across the system.
● How might the purpose of a type of
work a student does (practice,
preparation for class, formative or
summative assessment) impact the way
it is graded or reported?
● How should formative and summative
assessments be valued in the
gradebook?
● How are habits of work and learning
valued in the system?
● If course grades are used, how are they
determined?
● How will the school verify that a student
is ready to graduate?
● A school or district should not try to
answer all of these questions before
digging into other aspects of the system,
but if educators haven’t put them on the
table early in the process, they might
cause problems later.
● At some point, a school will have to
decide what graduation means. What
level of proficiency does a student have
to meet to graduate? How many
proficiencies, and how often? What
requirements exist beyond proficiency?
Will the school retain course
requirements or credits?
March 2018 1
This work by Great Schools Partnership is licensed under a Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercialShareAlike 4.0 International License
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Guidelines, Questions, and Considerations
Read the document quietly “Turn and Talk” with one or two others:
What is an area you think you’ve done well? What is an area that still needs work?
Identify next steps for your school or district
In School and/or District Teams
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Team Time!
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Feedback to Colleagues
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Topics for Discussion Community Engagement/Messaging Transferable Skills Redos and Retakes Midterms and Finals School Information Systems Balance of Autonomy vs Standardization
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Process for Discussion: 1.Go around the group to find out why each person came
2.Decide on what topics you want to explore
3.Discuss!
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+ What worked well today?
Exit Index Card
∆ What could have beenimproved?
(on front of index card)
(on back of index card)
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THANK YOU
482 Congress Street, Suite 500Portland, ME 04101207.773.0505greatschoolspartnership.org
Ted Hall, Senior Associate David J. Ruff, Executive Director
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