Central Elementary moving towards Standards-Based Education & Grading

Dear Central Elementary Parents & Guardians,

I want to thank you for being patient with us as we work through the transition from traditional report cards to a standards-based education and report card.  As you know, Central Elementary has gone through several changes with multi-age classrooms and a stronger emphasis on the grade level learning standards of the Iowa Core.  Along with developing clear learning targets, we also needed to change the way we reported learning and growth.  In order to truly put an emphasis on learning and not simply the progression through school/grade levels, we have been working the first half of the school year to evolve into standards-based learning and report cards.

Difference between Traditional & Standards-Based

Below is a quick comparison between traditional grading and standards-based grading.  As you can see, the biggest difference is a move from a body of work over a selected period of time with unclear learning objectives, to clear learning targets that separates behavior from academics and provides multiple opportunities for students to achieve the target.

Traditional Grading System	Standards-Based Grading System
1. Based on assessment methods (quizzes, tests, homework, projects, etc.). One grade/entry is given per assessment.	1. Based on learning goals and performance standards. One grade/entry is given per learning goal.
2. Assessments are based on a percentage system. Criteria for success may be unclear.	2. Standards are criterion or proficiency-based. Criteria and targets are made available to students ahead of time.
3. Use an uncertain mix of assessment, achievement, effort, and behavior to determine the final grade. May use late penalties and extra credit.	3. Measures achievement only OR separates achievement from effort/behavior. No penalties or extra credit given.
4. Everything goes in the grade book – regardless of purpose.	4. Selected assessments (tests, quizzes, projects, etc.) are used for grading purposes.
5. Include every score, regardless of when it was collected. Assessments record the average – not the best – work.	5. Emphasize the most recent evidence of learning when grading.

Adapted from O’Connor K (2002).  How to Grade for Learning: Linking grades to standards (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

In a traditional report card, teachers assign a grade to a single subject, example: reading, math, and science.  Each of these subjects includes a broad spectrum of objectives to be studied and mastered in a school year.  A single subject grade offers no information about what was specifically learned in the subject area, giving parents no indication of what students must still work on.  Let me use math as an example:

In a traditional report card, Blake gets the following grades in a quarter.

Test 1, Single addition                                                          98%

Test 2, Multi-figure addition                                           94%

Test 3, Single subtraction                                                  65%

Test 4, Multi-figure subtraction                                   60%

1^st Quarter Math Grade                                                  79% or C+

As a parent I see Blake is getting a C+ in math, but what does that really tell me?  Looking at each learning objective separately, Blake mastered addition, yet struggled with subtraction.  Yet in a traditional report card I would only see Blake is getting a C+ in math.  Now let me use another example of how “behavior” affects a grade in a traditional report card.  In this example homework is worth 10 points, test are worth 25 points:

                  Homework 1                                         0/10 (didn’t hand in)

                  Homework 2                                         5/10 (handed in late so received half credit)

                  Homework 3                                         0/10 (didn’t hand in)

                  Test 1                                                          24/25

                  Homework 4                                         0/10 (didn’t hand in)

                  Homework 5                                         5/10 (handed in late so received half credit)

                  Test 2                                                          25/25

                  1^st Quarter Grade                            54/100, 54% or an F

This student has clearly mastered the learning target, yet in a traditional grading system this student would receive an “F” due to homework not being completed or handed in on time.  That "F" has to do with behavior and does not accurately show that the student has actually mastered the learning target.  In a standards-based grading system, this same student would have been given extended learning opportunities due to mastery of the learning target.  In a standards-based grading system, the above “F” example will look like this at Central:

                  Learning Target: I can round numbers to the nearest ten or 100.

                  Pre-assessment                          7/10 (struggled rounding to the nearest 100)

                  Formative assessment 1          (Not graded but informs the teacher that the student now understands rounding to the nearest 100 and is ready for a summative assessment)

                  Post-assessment                        10/10 (Student gets advanced into rounding to the nearest 1000, etc.)

                  1^st Quarter Grade                    3- Proficient or possibly 4- Advanced, depending on how the student does in extended learning. (Behavior would be graded separately)

Central teachers have been working very hard and we are excited about this move to a clearer focus on student learning.  The new standards-based report cards will be sent home February 26.  I will host a parent meeting in the auditorium on February 27 at 12:30 PM.  This meeting will be a chance for us to answer any questions you may have about the new report cards or standards-based grading in general.  Again, I thank you for your continued patience and support.

Sincerely,

Nick Trenkamp

Superintendent/Elementary Principal