StandardsBased Report Cards: An Overview

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Standards-Based Report CardsAn Overview

• Pioneer RESA Conference
• Summer 2008

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Essential Questions

• How many children are disengaged from school NOT
  because of issues of ability, but because of
  issues of grading?
• If the purpose of grading and reporting is to
  communicate to parents and students, is it more
  important to communicate accurate information in
  a format that is unfamiliar to them or is it more
  important to communicate faulty information in a
  format that they like?
• What needs to change about your current grading
  system?
• What is your capacity to make change happen in
  your district or school?
• What will you take away from todays session that
  will help you in your situation?

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Understanding the Need for Change

• There is a duality in change---we embrace it at
  the same time we fear it.

There is a duality in change--- We embrace it at
the same time we fear it..
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Deep Structure

• Although it is undeniable that society has been
  profoundly changedit seems that schools, at
  their deepest operational level, function much
  the same as ever, regardless of what kinds of
  students are in attendance.
• Tye, 2000, p. 18

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Traditional Practices

• Averaging
• Zeroes
• Behavior and Effort embedded
• Norm-referenced
• Opaque
• Number crunching
• Threat/Punishment

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Traditional Dilemmas

• Accuracy?
• Fairness?
• Engagement?
• Effectiveness?
• Standards-Based?

References include OConnor, Stiggins, Marzano,
Brookhart and Reeves
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Our Class
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James Class
87.25 79.75 69.75

• Sally 85, 94, 100, 70
• Rebecca 85, 94, 100, 40
• James 85, 94, 100, 0

Reference The Learning Leader by Douglas Reeves
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This Happens in a Traditional System

• Student who has demonstrated mastery of ALL of
  the standards, but fails the class
• Student who has demonstrated mastery of only SOME
  of the standards, but passes the class
• Student who turns in everything and follows every
  direction and makes an A
• Student who fails every test and passes the class
• Student who does well on every test and does
  poorly in the class
• A child who fails the class and makes a 95 on the
  End of Course Test
• A child who passes the class and fails to Meet
  Standard.

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Fourth Grade CRCT/Grade Correlation Reading 2007
Made an A in the class and failed the CRCT
Failed the class but passed the CRCT
Details
Passed the class but failed the CRCT
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Third Grade Math, 2007
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Who Do You Want Packing YOUR Parachute?
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Essential Question 1

• How many children are disengaged from school NOT
  because of issues of ability, but because of
  issues of grading?

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The Point?

• If we teach it, does it mean they LEARN it?
• How do you really KNOW if a student has LEARNED?
• How do you REPORT what they have learned?

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Traditional Dilemmas

• Accuracy?
• Fairness?
• Engagement?
• Effectiveness?
• Standards-Based?

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Age of Standards
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Alignment
Standards-Based Grading and Reporting
High-Leverage Strategies
RTI?
Benchmark Assessments
Instruction
UbD Stage 2
UbD Stage 3
Assessment FOR Learning
Assessment
WOW!!
Differentiation
RTI?
Understanding by Design
Curriculum Mapping
Curriculum
UbD Stage 1
RTI?
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What Do Standards-Based Teachers Do?
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In a Standards-Based District.

• Performance and/or Content Standards
• Curriculum Mapping
• Standards-Based Units of Study
• Standards-Based Assessment (FOR and OF)
• Engaging Lessons based on Standards
• Differentiation BASED on formative assessment
• Standards-Based Reporting/Communication

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To be truly standards-based in grading one MUST

• Separate achievement from behaviors
• Not include formative assessment
• Emphasize more recent achievement
• Base the grade received on the standards achieved

Ken OConnor, 2007
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Classroom Differentiation Model
Adapted from Tom Guskey
On to the Next Unit!
Formative Assessment Observations, conversations,
products
High Leverage Strategies!
Provide Remediation for Those Who Have
Misunderstandings
Assess Student Understanding
Complete the Unit
Provide Enrichment/Further Challenge to Those Who
Understand
Implement Unit of Study
Summative Assessment Observation Checklist,
Project, Rubric, Product, Test
Differentiation Context, Activity, Requirements,
Assessment, Delivery
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Feedback Loop
Teacher Designs Standards-Based Work
Student Completes the Work
Teacher Assesses the Work and 1. Better
Understands the Students Needs 2. Gives
students individual feedback on how to improve 3.
Decides what kind of support to give the student
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Purposes of Grading

• Communication to parents and others
• Student self-evaluation
• Select, identify, or group students
• Provide incentives
• Evaluate the effectiveness of instructional
  programs
• Provide evidence of students lack of effort or
  inappropriate responsibility

Thomas Guskey, ASCD Conference, 2005 and GACIS,
2006
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Perspectives on Grading

• Grading..
• is not Essential for Learning
• is complicated
• is subjective and emotional
• is inescapable
• has a limited research base
• has no single best practice
• that is faulty DAMAGES students, and teachers!

Ken OConnor, 2002
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Time to Think
Essential Question 2

• If the purpose of grading and reporting is to
  communicate to parents and students, is it more
  important to communicate accurate information in
  a format that is unfamiliar to them or is it more
  important to communicate faulty information in a
  format that they like?

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Things to Consider

• Flawed Grading Systems
• Standards-based Practice
• Clear Communication
• Student Motivation

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The Continuum

• Flawed
• Unfair
• Ineffective
• Disengaging
• Norm-Referenced

• Accurate
• Fair
• Effective
• Engaging
• Standards-Based

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Where are You?
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What needs to change about your current grading
system?
Essential Question 3
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In Search of..
Accurate, Meaningful, Fair, and Effective
Communication
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Theory in Practice
Find a method of grading and reporting which
provides ACCURATE Information
Find a method of grading and reporting which
provides students with SUPPORT for current and
future learning
Find a method of grading and reporting which
provides teachers and students with USEFUL
information
Find a method where Teaching and Learning the
Standards is the norm for ALL.
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What Have We Done in Forsyth County?
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Our Brief History

• Standards and Benchmarks, 1998
• Grading and Reporting Task Force, 2000- 2006
• Principles and Guidelines, 2001
• Original Pilot, 2001-2002
• BREAK, 2002-2003

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What are the Guiding Principles of
Standards-Based Grading?

• The purpose of grading is to improve student
  learning and guide instruction
• Classroom assessment is a quality process
• Grading is fair, consistent and meaningful
• Communication regarding student achievement is
  based on a body of evidence is timely, accurate
  and appropriate and is aligned to standards
• Professional Development and Collaboration is
  supportive of this work
• Rights, roles and responsibilities for
  stakeholders are clearly defined and communicated

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Task Force Sub-Committees

• Communication
• Research and Development
• Policies and Procedures
• Project Evaluation
• Teacher Support
• Special Populations

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Roll-Out Plan

• Pilot one year
• Implement fully the next
• Pilot one grade level while we implement another
  (usually)

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Our Progress

• 2003 2004
• Kindergarten Full Implementation
• First Grade Pilot
• 2004 2005
• First Grade Full Implementation
• Second Grade Pilot
• 2005 - 2006
• Second Grade Full Implementation
• Third Grade Pilot

• 2006 - 2007
• Third Grade Implementation
• Updated Policy and Procedures
• K 3 Standards-Based
• 4 12 Traditional Report Card Provision for
  Summative to weight higher than Formative
• 2007-2008
• Fourth Grade Pilot
• Updating policies and procedures for middle
  school for 2008-2009

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Our Progress

• 2008 2009
• K 3 Full Implementation Standards-Based
• Grade 4 Pilot at 6 schools
• 6 8 Middle School Improvement/Procedural
  Changes
• 9 12 High School Improvement/Procedural Changes

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Pilots

• Each pilot school has one or more representatives
  on the design team
• In the Spring/Summer, they design
• Report Card
• Rubrics
• Sample Assessments
• Throughout the Pilot Year, every pilot teacher
  meets together 6 times to discuss
• Standards
• Rubrics
• Assessments
• Record-keeping
• Assessment FOR Learning
• Parent Issues
• Design Team reconvenes each quarter to make
  quarterly rubric changes

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Piloting

• Informed process of
• Card Development
• Rubric Development
• Assessment Development
• Teacher Support (Handbook/ToolBox)
• Parent Communication
• Training Needs
• Assessment
• Content
• Instruction

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Development and Implementation Process

• Curriculum Map
• Standards/ Report Card
• Rubrics
• Assessments

Principles and Guidelines
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Key Understanding!!

• Everyone must know the difference between
  Assessment OF Learning and Assessment FOR
  Learning
• Stiggins
• Davies
• Black and Wiliam (Inside the Black Box/Working
  Inside the Black Box)
• Wiggins

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Design Process

• Create Exit Goals
• GPS
• Create Criteria for Meeting Exit Goals
• Determine Criteria for Quarter 3
• Determine Criteria for Quarter 2
• Determine Criteria for Quarter 1
• Create rubrics for all 4 quarters
• Vertical Alignment
• Assessments
• Tasks
• Benchmarks

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The Report Cards K - 3

• Standards Based Report Card
• Key 3 Meets, 2 Progresses, 1 Does not Meet
• Quarterly Rubrics which increase in difficulty
  each quarter
• Teacher rubric, based on 1, 2 and 3
• Parent rubric, shows what it takes to make a 3
• Assessment Evidence, including district-wide
  assessments, and teacher-made assessments
  (Teacher Toolkit)

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4th grade is Different

• Fourth Grade teachers from the pilot schools met
  on May 4, May 11, and May 16.
• Teachers studied Classroom Assessment and Grading
  That Work by Robert Marzano.
• Teachers met in June to create
• Curriculum Maps
• Rubrics for English/Language Arts
• Rubrics for Mathematics
• Assessments
• Benchmark assessments were created in July by the
  Accountability, School Improvement, and
  Assessment Division aligned to the rubrics and
  curriculum maps

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The Percentage Method 3

• Teachers use the rubric to determine 4, 3, 2, 1
  for each standard
• They then assign
• 4 100
• 3 87
• 2 74
• 1 60
• They then average the percentage grades to get
  subject area grades (60 100)

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The Percentage Method 4

• Teachers use 4, 3, 2 and 1 on student work
• Common Assessments
• Formative Are not recorded but teachers use 4,
  3, 2, 1 and
• Summative Are recorded and use
• Report Card Grades
• Standards-based 4, 3, 2 or 1 based on rubric
• Percentage-based Based on average of common
  summative assessment

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Reading Teacher RubricQuarter 1
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Number Sense and Operations Teacher
RubricQuarter 3
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Life Science Teacher Rubric---Before Quarter 4
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(No Transcript)
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Parent Rubric Third GradeNumber Sense and
Operations
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Initiative and Work Skills
S Successful P Progressing N Needs
Improvement
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Training and Support

• First Year of Implementation
• Documents Available in May
• Summer Information Sessions
• Summer Get Organized Sessions
• Early Release Professional Learning
• Assessment FOR Learning Training
• Anne Davies
• Administrators to Stiggins Summer Leadership
  Conference
• Comprehensive On-Line Toolbox
• Quarterly Forums
• Summer Getting Organized workshops
• Parent Communication
• Meetings
• Parent Portfolio
• Web Site
• Rubrics
• Survey

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Building Capacity
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District Support Structure

• District Grading Policy
• Climate
• Assessment Literacy
• Professional Learning Plan
• Early Introduction
• Formal District-Wide Groups
• School Professional Learning Communities
• Analyze Assessments
• Create Assessments
• Assess Student Work
• Discuss Policies
• Organization!!
• Formal/Informal On-Going Support
• Teacher Leadership

• Administrative Support/Training
• Technology
• Report Card
• Grade Book
• Teacher Support (Toolboxes)
• Communication Plan
• Internal
• External
• Process Evaluation (Formal and Informal)

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School Support Structure

• Preparation
• Collegiality
• Eye on instruction
• Teacher assessment format
• Involvement of staff in process
• Building staff development budget
• Time
• Expertise Exchange

• Common Language
• Curriculum
• Mapping
• Standards
• Connotation?
• Instructional Practice
• Learning Styles match
• Assessments
• Authentic Assessments

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Parent Communication

• Parent Academy
• Report Card Sessions
• Individual discussions
• Principals Letter
• Positive monthly
• Clearly and consistently hear same message

• Conferences
• Curriculum Night
• Reading Night
• Teacher Buy-in

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Things to Consider as We Continue

• Lessons Learned
• Research
• Developmental Appropriateness
• GPS/ Rigorous Standards
• Results/Impact on Teaching and Learning
• Training (content, assessment, grading)
• Stakeholders
• Requirements from outside (Policies/Procedures)
• How do we move FORWARD?

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Consider your capacity

• Curriculum
• Staff
• Assessment Literacy
• Professional Learning
• Communication (internal and external)
• Leadership
• Policies and Procedures
• Cultural Norms
• District
• School
• Classroom
• Vision and Focus

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Time to Think
Essential Question 4

• What is your capacity? What is or will be your
  biggest hurdle in implementing standards-based
  report card?

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Forsyth County Plans for the Immediate Future

• Continue Full Implementation, K 3
• Pilot in 4th Grade again in 2008-2009
• Focus on Assessment Training 4 8
• Middle School Improvement 6 8
• Zeroes
• Homework
• Grading Scale
• Formative/Summative
• High School Improvement 9 12
• Homework
• Formative/Summative
• Surveys
• Parent Communication Plan

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Our Thoughts..

• Consider Your Capacity
• Create a Task Force/Guiding Council
• Teachers
• Administrators
• Parents
• Community
• Conduct Research and Study
• Look at policies and procedures
• Design Guiding Principles
• Involve teachers in the design of all parts of
  the process

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Final Thoughts..

• The purpose of assessment is to improve learning
  and to guide instruction.
• Grading should be consistent, fair and
  meaningful.
• Communication regarding student achievement
  should be based upon a body of evidence.
• Grades should reflect what a child knows and can
  do.
• Consider your leadership.
• Consider your capacity.
• Network

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Standards Based Grading

• Serves Students
• Serves Teachers
• Serves Administrators
• Serves School Improvement

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What will you take away from todays session that
will help you in your situation?
Essential Question 5
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Dawn Souter

• Forsyth County Schools
• Curriculum Coordinator
• dsouter_at_forsyth.k12.ga.us
• russelldawn_at_bellsouth.net
• [phone] x 202247
• [phone]