math leadership support network ’08-’09 january mlsn

Math Leadership Support Network ’08-’09

January MLSN

“The grading system here is all over the place. You would get a better shot at fairness going to the Olympics – in figure skating!”

Teacher at Winslow High School on Boston Public, Winter, 2002

“What is an ‘A’?”

Grades are a great way to ___

(a) provide meaningful feedback

(b) sort students by ability (c) get them to complete work (d) reward the good ones(e) none of the above.

(e) none of the above.

A grade at the top of a paper doesn't say much. What does an "A" mean if a student didn't learn anything? Bribing students to finish their work is an excuse to avoid creating learning tasks with intrinsic value. I don't give many traditional grades because qualitative feedback, student self-assessment, and reflection work better to turn students into active learners.

If I don't give out grades, students will ___

(a) stop working(b) wonder if the sky is falling(c) react positively to other

feedback systems(d) complain.

(c) Students work hard in an environment that deemphasizes grades and emphasizes engagement, self-reflection, and striving for improvement. My goal is never to hear, "Mr. Barnwell, is this for a grade?" Too many educators (including me, several years ago) fail to acknowledge that our brains are hardwired to seek out exciting learning experiences. If I create the right conditions, most students will learn for the sake of learning-although no system works with every student.

Many parents believe that grades ___

(a) are a good indicator of student

learning(b) are the be all and end all(c) will lead to diplomas(d) all of the above.

(d) Unfortunately, grades often dominate parent-teacher conferences. Parents aren't well-versed in alternative assessments, largely because the grading tradition is so strong. But I try to discuss student engagement, improvement, and specific learning objectives with parents.

4. Struggling students often feel ___

(a) motivated by grades(b) unmotivated by grades(c) excited about their textbooks and tests(d) eager to know where they stand

compared to their peers.

~Barnwell, neatoday, January/February 2009

(b) Students having difficulty with academic work often fail because they aren't motivated by grades. They may respond if you threaten to fail them, but the fix doesn't usually last.

What is meant by standard?

With your talking partner/partners discuss how you would explain “standards”/learning goals to students and

parents.

1) Supports Learning2) Improves Communication3) Consistency/Fairness

How do you organize your grade book?

Share, at your table, the advantages and disadvantages of organizing grade books

by standard, rather than assessment type?Look at the grade sheet on page 54 of HTGFL

“The use of columns in a grade book to

represent standards, instead of assignments, tests, and activities, is

a major shift in thinking…

Under this system, when anassessment is designed, the teacher

must think in terms of the standards itis intended to address. If a (test) is

given that covers three standards, thenthe teacher makes three entries in the

grade book for each student – oneentry for each standard – as opposed

to one overall entry for the entire(test).”

~Marzano, R., and J. Kendall, A Comprehensive Guide to Developing Standards-based Districts, Schools, and Classrooms. McREL, Aurora, CO, 1996, pg. 150.

Ken O’Conner #7

Take a few minutes and write several descriptors (bullets or sentences) clearly

describing what an A (or a 4 or whatever symbol is top of your grading scale) means in your

grading scheme. (Try to do this WITHOUT using the word or symbol for percent in your

description.)

Learning Standards…Solve Equations

Learning

TargetsOne stepTwo step…

Unpack the standards and benchmarks.

“Do we really have to take the

time to unpack the standards

and benchmarks?

TOPIC TOPIC TOPIC

CONTENT STANDARD

• Benchmark

Reporting Students’ Progress

Too broad for feedback

Too many, not

feasible

“My request is that teachers who share a course discuss the consistency of the grades they issue with the intent of eliminating inconsistencies that would be attributable tosignificant differences in teachers’ expectations.”~Craig Olson, Principal

Link Grades to learning goalsHave clear understanding of what

learning results are expectedReport using detailed information on

goalsCredit should be granted only when

students have mastered the critical learning goals

HTGFL, pg 58

Why use standards based grading?

Why not use it?

Do you have uncertainty?

Do you agree or disagree with the guideline, or are you unsure at this time?

Would you use this guideline now?

Show us what good work looks like and what we have to do to get

there.8 year old student

Norm (pgs. 62 – 63 (“Sally’s Shocking Grade”), 64, and 66-68)*

Criterion (pg. 65 and 68) *Tacit Knowledge (pg. 65)Verbally (pg. 65)Key examplesCombination of methods (pg. 65)*

Developing Standards… Five

Methods

ReadDiscussDefineProvide 2 examples

“no student grade should ever depend

on what other students do”

“Grading on the curve makes learning a highly competitive activity in which

students compete against one another for the few scarce rewards

(high grades) distributed by the teacher. Under these conditions, students readily see that helping

others become successful threatens their own chances for success. As a result, learning becomes a game of

winners and losers; and because the number of rewards is kept arbitrarily small, most students are forced to be

losers.” Guskey, T. (Ed.), Communicating Student Learning: The

1996 ASCD Yearbook, ASCD, Alexandria, VA, 1996, pgs. 18-19.

Guideline for GradingGuideline for GradingUse criterion-referenced Use criterion-referenced performance standards as reference performance standards as reference points to determine grades.points to determine grades.a. The meaning of grades (letters or numbers) should a. The meaning of grades (letters or numbers) should come from clear descriptors of performance standardscome from clear descriptors of performance standardsb. “If they hit the goal, they get the grade!” – i.e., NO bell b. “If they hit the goal, they get the grade!” – i.e., NO bell curve!curve!

IssueIssue ConcernConcernReference PointReference Point Performance Performance

standards – what?standards – what? How good is good How good is good

enough? To enough? To curve or not to curve or not to curve?curve?

TraditionalTraditional Standards-basedStandards-basedNorm referenced orNorm referenced or Criterion-referenced Criterion-referenced

standardsstandardsa mix of crit. and norma mix of crit. and normCriteria unclearCriteria unclear Public criteria/targetsPublic criteria/targetsor assumed to be knownor assumed to be known

What do you think would happen if What do you think would happen if you did an outstanding job, all of you did an outstanding job, all of the students in your class did an the students in your class did an outstanding job, and all of the outstanding job, and all of the students received a grade of 90% students received a grade of 90% or higher?or higher?

What do you think would happen if What do you think would happen if you did a good job, most of the you did a good job, most of the students in your class were students in your class were unmotivated and did a poor job, unmotivated and did a poor job, and almost all of the students and almost all of the students received failing grades?received failing grades?

“Performance standards specify ‘how good is good enough.’ They relate to issues of assessment that gauge the degree to which content standards have been attained . . . They are indices of quality that

specify how adept or competent a student demonstration should be.”Kendall, J. and R. Marzano, Content Knowledge:

A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education, First Edition, McREL, 1997, pgs. 16-17.

How good is good enough?

Traditional School ApproachesA 90-100% - OutstandingExcellentB 80-89% - Above Average GoodC 70-79% - AverageSatisfactoryD 60-69% - Below Average PoorF <60% - FailingUnacceptable

How good is good enough?

Standards-Based Approaches(Should be described by levels; may be linked to letter grades

Distinguished Above standardProficient Meets standardApprentice Below but

approaching standardNovice Well below standard

Number of levels? Labels?

• Words or symbols, or both? Clarity, richness of descriptors?

• Problem words?• Progression between levels?• Consistency within a level?

Achievement, growth or progress? Links to letter grades, grading scale? When – at time of report or year end?

Do you pass?

4 Parallel parks exactly 6 inches from the curb; stops at all lights and signals right on the white line; drives at posted speed limit at all times.

3 Parallel parks sufficiently (car is within 3 inch range and at no more than 15 degree angle to curb); stops within 6 inches of white line; drives within 3-5 miles of posted speed limit.

2 Parallel parks such that the car is on the curb or more than 18 inches from it; stops at 90% of stop signs and all lights within 2 feet of white line; drives within 7-10 miles of posted speed limit.

1 Cannot parallel park; misses stopping at posted signs and lights; drives more than 10 miles over posted speed limit.

4 Parallel parks exactly 6 inches from the curb; stops at all lights and signals right on the white line; drives at posted speed limit at all times.

3 Parallel parks sufficiently (car is within 3 inch range and at no more than 15 degree angle to curb); stops within 6 inches of white line; drives within 3-5 miles of posted speed limit.

2 Parallel parks such that the car is on the curb or more than 18 inches from it; stops at 90% of stop signs and all lights within 2 feet of white line; drives within 7-10 miles of posted speed limit.

1 Cannot parallel park; misses stopping at posted signs and lights; drives more than 10 miles over posted speed limit.

1. Avoid comparative language, e.g. “average”;

2. Provide examples based on student work;3. Distinguish between “Levels of

Understanding” (quality) and “Frequency of Display.” (quantity)

4. Be consistent (across grade levels)

Guskey, T.R., “The Communication Challenge of Standards – Based Reporting.”, Kappan, December 2004, 327 - 328

Work the problemDesign rubric with groupLook and score student work independently

Come back together for discussion and comparison of scores

“We found parents generally interpreted thelabels according to their personal experienceswith grading…

…certain labels were singled out by parents asconfusing or meaningless. Parents were especially baffled by the labels “Pre – Emergent” and “Emerging”…

Another label parents found puzzling was“Exceeds Standard.”

Got it!

Nearly there!

Oh no! Oops!

Why use criterion-referenced standards as reference points to determine grades?

Why not use it?

Do you have uncertainty?

Do you agree or disagree with the guideline, or are you unsure at this time?

Would you use this guideline now?

“The Grading Box is alive and well, and in some schools and classrooms it is

impenetrable. Fair does not mean equal; yet when it comes to grades, we insist that it

does.”~Patterson, William “Breaking Out of our Boxes”

Kappan April 2003 572

Without talking• Read the Letter• In writing, express your thoughts• Share your thoughts with your group

“Too often, educational tests, grades, and report cards are treated by teachers as autopsies when they should be viewed as physicals.”Douglas Reeves

GRADES vs KCCT PERFORMANCE LEVELS

A B C D FGRADES

DISTINGUISHED

PROFICIENT

APPRENTICE

NOVICE

Grade Level Groups:Complete all but the last two columns of the

table for your classroomMerge all items from column one onto the

chart paper Be sure to include all items listed by the

members of your groupChart the group’s thoughts for the last two

columns of the tableDo a gallery walk

“…grades often reflect a combination of achievement, progress, and other factors.

…this tendency to collapse several independent elements into a single grade may blur their meaning.”

Bailey, J. and J. McTighe, “Reporting Achievement at the Secondary School Level: What and How?,” in T. Guskey, (Ed.), Communicating Student Learning: ASCD Yearbook 1996, ASCD, Alexandria, VA, 1996, pg. 121.

Imagine that your seventh-grade daughter’s midterm progress report in mathematics says she is getting a C, yet the only tests and assignments you have seen have had As or Bs on them. Your daughter tells you she’s done all the required work and can’t explain where the C came from.

You meet with the teacher, who checks your daughter’s records on the computer. The printout shows the following list of entries leading to an average of 76%. Unit 1 Test: 95% “Prime Number” Project: 85% Unit 2 Test: 85% “Scale Drawing” Project: 40%

The Dilemma of Late Work

The teacher tells you that your daughter’s last report was one week late. Her policy is to subtract 10 points for each day an assignment is late, so had your daughter’s “Scale Drawing” project been on time, she would have received a score of 90%. But, you point out, your daughter seems to be grasping the concepts very well. “Well, this is how we figure grades,” the teacher replies.

The Dilemma of Late Work

The Dilemma of Late WorkWhat does a C communicate to

others?What problems does the practice of

reducing the grade for late work solve?

What problems does it cause?What are the teacher’s options for

dealing with late work?

Getting Work in on TimeSet clear and reasonable timelines with

some student input.Ensure that the expectations for the

task/assignment are clearly established and understood.

Support the students who will predictably struggle with the task without intervention.

Find out why other students’ work is late and assist them.Adapted from “Creating a Culture of Responsibility” by the York Region District School Board, Ontario, Canada

Getting Work in on Time Establish the consequences for late work, such as:

Before/after school follow-up Make-up responsibility within a supervised setting Parent contact Notation in the grade book for each assignment which is late “grades” on learning skills/work habits section of the report

card Comments on report card that reflect chronic lateness

Provide opportunity for students to extend timelines: Student must communicate with the teacher in advance of the

due date Student must choose situations carefully as this extension may

only be used once/twice per term/semester If all the above “fails” (i.e., work is still late/not done), use small

mark penalties/deductions which do not distort achievement or motivation.

Adapted from “Creating a Culture of Responsibility” by the York Region District School Board, Ontario, Canada

“Factoring effort into the grade may send the wrong message to students. In real life trying hard to do a good job is virtually never enough.”

Stiggins, 1997, 418

“Group grades are so blatantly unfair that on this basis alone they should never be used.”

Kagan, S., “Group Grades Miss the Mark,” Educational Leadership, May, 1995, pg. 69.

Kagan’s 7 Reasons for Opposing Group Grades

No(t) fair Debase report cards Undermine motivation Convey the wrong message Violate individual accountability Are responsible for resistance to

cooperative learning May be challenged in court.

Guideline for GradingLimit the valued attributes included in the grades to individual achievement.a. Grades should be based on achievement, i.e., demonstrations of the knowledge and skill components of the standards. Effort, participation, attitude, and other behaviors should be reported separately.b. Grades should be based on individual achievement.

Issue ConcernIngredients Learning skills/work habits/effort

Late assignments/extra credit

Group grades/marks

Traditional Standards-basedUncertain mix of achieve- Achievement only

ment, attitude, effort, and

behavior

Often includes group marks Individual

math leadership support network ’08-’09 january mlsn

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