Sunday, November 2, 2014

Standards Based Grading

Introduction to Standards Based Grading:
Standards based grading appears to be the new educational trend that our schools are now leaning toward. For those of you that are new to standards based grading it is grading students completely on their progress toward meeting the state standards.  Last year the school that I work for completely transitioned to standards based grading and 100% of the students scores were determined by quizzes and tests that measured their knowledge of the common core standards. I'm not even going to lie at times it was a headache and so stressful to figure out. However, this post is completely dedicated to helping you figure out what standards based grading is and how to make it fit in your classroom.

First Step: Find What Your District Expects
First of all, if you are new to standards based grading, take a deep breath! Now exhale... Relax and try not to stress! Easier said than done I know! After you have tried not to stress the first step is to find out what your school expects. Do they want grades to consist of 100% assessments or are they going to weight it differently? Make sure your district is very clear on what they want and expect from you.

Second Step: Plan Your Units
Now that you know what is expected, it is time to plan your units. Think about what your students need to know by the end of the year and develop your units to suit your curriculum, your students, and your teaching style. Personally, I teach a Key Ideas and Details of Fiction Unit, a Personal Narrative Unit, a Key Ideas and Details of Nonfiction Unit, a Craft and Structure of Fiction Unit, a Craft and Structure of Nonfiction Unit, an Informational Writing Unit,  an Integration of Knowledge and Ideas of Fiction Unit, an Integration of Knowledge and Ideas of Nonfiction Unit, and a Persuasive Writing Unit. But then again, this is what works for me in my classroom!

Now that you know what units you need to teach, identify the main learning outcomes. I use the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts. For example, with my Key Ideas and Details of Fiction Unit I teach standards RL 5.1, RL 5.2, and RL 5.3.

Third Step: Create your Assessments
After you know the standards you are going to be addressing during that unit, then create an assessment the measures the students progress toward the learning objectives.

Fourth Step: Teach the Unit with the Student Outcomes in Mind
Teach the unit as you normally would and constantly formatively assess the students progress towards their learning goals. If any students need extra assistance try to work with them one-on-one or in a small group setting to help them get the assistance they need. Remember, formative assessment (unless otherwise noted by your school or district) is no longer part of the students grade. You can provide homework if a student needs extra practice, however, homework is no longer a grade either.

Fifth Step: Give the Assessments, Analyze, Reteach, and Retest
After the unit is complete give the students the assessment that you have planned. Record your grades on a gradebook. I created a grading page for every standard and kept it in a binder for my class. Analyze the assessment and see who mastered the learning objectives and who needs extra instruction. Reteach the students that did not master the standards and once they have practiced the standards they can have the opportunity to retest.

What Problems Did I run Into?
  • The number one problem I had was the time I was running into creating assessments. One way you can reduce this is to use assessments that teachers have already created! I have a great assessment package right now on Teachers Pay Teachers for Reading Literature Standards. I hope to get an assessment package up soon for Reading Informational Standards. But, the point is, use all of the resources you can find! It is definitely worth it to me to pay a little bit for assessments so I can spend the time with my family of the evening!
  • Another problem I had was with the homework, kids were always asking me, "Mrs. Crum, if homework isn't for a grade then why do I have to do it?" My students were only in fifth grade and were already noticing that homework wasn't required. For this reason, I treated homework differently. I only gave homework for the kids that needed extra practice and it was required to be completed before they could retest on a standard.
  • There were some kids that were in special education and they struggled so much at times that they could not master the standard. During this time, I made the accommodations necessary and with the help of the resource teacher I created a learning goal that was rigorous but achievable for them to be successful. I made note that their assessments were modified to meet their needs.
  • The last thing I stressed about was time reteaching. I balanced this out by doing my whole group lesson and during the time students were working independently I pulled small groups or individuals to the side and we worked on the standard they needed extra assistance on.
With all this being said, Standards Based Grading helped our school improve to a distinguished school in one year's time! It is very beneficial to students because it makes the teacher responsible for the reteaching of the students that did not master the learning objective.

Let me know any questions or concerns you have about standards based grading and I will do my best to help you! Be sure to check out my Teacher Pay Teacher store that has many of my assessments and other resources that I have used to incorporate Standards Based Grading into my class!

Chasity

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