Questions for Consistency

As I mentioned, several other teachers are going to be piloting the same system as me, well a similar system.  One of the greatest complains with points grading is the inconsistencies.  Thus, we want to make sure we, as a group, are consistent in our implementation of SBG and AFL.  Here are a few of the issues we need to address:

·         Number of levels

o   I use a 5-1 scale.

o   4-1 is used for EOC’s

o   4-0 has been suggested, as has 5-0

·         Zeros

o   I’ve been putting in 1’s for no data but I dunno about the logic of that. . .

o   Will we use them at all? 

o   How will we use them?

·         Missing/late work

o   This pertains particularly to missing/late summative grades like papers, presentations and lab reports.

o   Again, I am using 1’s for assessments

o   For homework and practice, I grade anything any time they turn it in. 

o   Zeros?

o   Rules for accepting it?

·         Retakes

o   I allow retakes on everything, given the completed retake ticket.

o   Allowed on all tests? Some tests?

o   Protocol for retakes?

o   Full credit, partial credit, no credit?

o   Admission price?

·         Homework policy

o   For me, it’s just practice

o   Just practice?

o   Part of summative grade?

o   Recorded? Not recorded?

o   Collected and graded or not?

·         Percent conversions

o   Basically, 5=A+, 4=A-, 3=B-, 2=C- <2=F.  I have some smaller gradations in there because the + and – factor into GPA. 

o   How will the mastery levels be converted back into percents for the regular grade card?

I will add more as we come up with these questions and the responses we generate. . . . stay tuned!

Getting Started

October 21, 2011

Starting suggestions

I thought it might be beneficial for me to throw out a few suggestions for anyone interested in attempting a journey similar to mine.  This is essentially the process I have followed. 

 

1.       Come up with standards

§  It will take a few tries, but start with CLE’s, throw in your curriculum and rephrase

·         The CLE’s have never seemed clear to me so I created my own standards and referenced the CLE’s.

·         Don’t always start with CLE’s.  You know you teach the CLE’s.  Start with your wording and reference the CLE’s

§  Get them all typed up then you can rearrange it.

·         Just type.  That’s the easiest way.  You’ll never have the perfect order, just one good enough for now.   

§  Could also start with state standards and use a, b, c to clarify under standards.

2.       Determine how you want to assess these standards

§  Backwards design!

§  Will you use a 5 level scale, 4 level scale, points . . .

§  Retakes fall in this category too

·         Will you allow retakes?

·         Will students retake same test, entire test, parts of test?

3.       Come up with grade book setup

§  Will you grade homework?

§  Will you record homework?

§  Will you use percentages or mastery levels?

§  How many assessments are necessary to know mastery?

§  Will you use bound paper grade book, binder paper or excel?

4.       Determine if there are any necessary changes to your classroom practices

§  Most of the time, little needs to change. 

§  The classroom will naturally shift itself to a focus on learning and away from points or that has been my experience. 

The best advice I can give is just to start.  You will never find the perfect approach and odds are you will never be completely happy with the system you have created.  I know I’m not.  I am immensely pleased with the progress and changes I have seen in my classroom thus far but it is far from perfect.  Every day brings a new set of challenges and every group of students is different and requires a slightly different approach.  But the rewards are well worth it.  I’m seeing students excited about learning, students who ordinarily give up are striving for better, exceptionally bright students are learning and not just looking for the points game.  It really is amazing. 

Newest thoughts

These are the note I took during our most recent Assessment for Learning committee meeting. 

October 3, 2011 AFL

Rockwood Assessment practices

·         Academic and Non-academic indicators

o   Addition of non-academic standard might be good. Would allow behavior back in grade, but needs to be very specific.

·         Time commitment before retake is required

o   A writing assignment or conference with teacher before retake

o   Might be good to avoid students rushing into retakes. 

o   Still need formatives to prove mastery.  Conference would provide opportunity for that conversation

Thoughts

·         More Student Involvement (Parkway)

o   Have students co-create levels of mastery using anchor examples, they sort into levels

o   Teacher sets goals with each student about where they are and what the next step is

§  Would go well in journals

§  Meet with individual students while class works on practice.

·         But with 26 kids in one room, how do you find the time AND keep the rest engaged and involved?

·         “Gradekeeper” online grade book

o   No parent portal

o   Does 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 scale

·         Need more self-assessment

o   Goes with goal setting in journal

o   Look at folder, how do scores look. . . weekly self-assessment?

§  If I were to give you the test today, how would you do?  Does the teacher agree with your assessment?

·         Benchmarks

o   Since HC will be in the middle of st2, allow benchmark to be flexible.  Have the summative for st2 somewhere in late October.  Let the st1 part be a replacement assessment for something from st1 and the st2 be formative until the summative in late October.

o   Or let It stand. . . retention is important too. . .

·         Summative Assessments

o   All tests should be cumulative?????

o   Or. . . only final exam is cumulative????

·         Step by step plan of attack for implementing standards based grading

o   Come up with standards (you’ve done BYOC-build your own curriculum-, you already have standards)

§  Yes it will take a few tries, but start with CLE’s, throw in your curriculum and rephrase

§  Get them all typed up then you can rearrange it.

§  Don’t always start with CLE’s.  You know you teach the CLE’s.  Start with your wording and reference the CLE’s

§  Could also start with state standards and use a, b, c to clarify under standards.

o   Come up with how you want to assess these standards

§  5 level scale, 4 level scale, points

§  Will you allow retakes?

§  Retake same test, entire test, parts of test?

o   Come up with grade book setup

§  Will you grade homework?

§  Will you record homework?

§  Will you use percentages or mastery levels?

§  How many assessments are necessary to know mastery?

§  Will you use bound paper, binder paper or excel?

SBG-the Adventure Begins!

Now that introductions are out of the way, I can get to the real reason I began this blog.  I teach chemistry at the high school level and spent the last two years fretting and fussing over the points game.  I discovered that while I had quite a few gems who wanted to improve and learn simply for the academic pleasure of intelligence, most of my students were playing the points game.  It did not matter how much or little they learned, only that they achieved the score they needed to escape punishments at home or get into the university program of their choice.  Even my brighter students spent most of their time begging for extra credit and extra points simply to boost their GPA.  The joy of learning, the pursuit of knowledge in all its mystery and glory has faded.  And I am not ok with this.  I realize I am a rare bird that enjoys knowledge simply for that joy of intellectual prowess but I feel that with this glow of intellect gone, school has lost its purpose.  Why learn when you could just do extra credit and achieve the same result?  So in an attempt to solve this problem, to put the focus back on learning, to take points out of their ill-gotten spot light, this year I have done away with points entirely.  At the high school where I teach, I am part of a committee that has spent a fair amount of time studying the works of Anne Davies and Ken O'Conner.  I have to say both opened my eyes and gave me hope that all was not lost in the rapidly dimming world of homework scores and extra credit. 

To briefly summarize my approach, as previously stated, there are no points or percentages on any assignment.  All papers, tests and labs are graded on a mastery scale from 1-5, with 5 being the highest score of absolute perfection, 3 being profiecient and on down the line.  Only summative assessments affect a student’s grade.  These take the form of pencil and paper tests, labs or performance assesments.  All other assignments are considered formative (or practice) and are recorded in a student folder and online to create a visible pattern of progress that can be used to justify test retakes, alternative assessments, student conferences and even disciplinary action if the student is not taking responsibility.  Think of homework and classwork as a timeline instead of a point pool.  A list of standards for the entire year's course was created and given to students in the same class folder as their score chart.  All assignments pertaining to a particular standard are grouped as such both online and in the student folder. By doing all this, I hope to simplify the reporting piece of the education process.  By clarifying the meaning of scores and allow students to experience the process of learning as opposed to experiencing the defeatist system to often encountered, I hope to put the emphasis back where it belongs: on the learning.  Through standards based grading (SBG) and assessment for learning (AFL) I hope to bring back that spark to the learning process. 

And so I document my journey into the great unknown. . .