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Standards-Based Grading Practices and Report Cards

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This video provides an overview of Grandview's standards-based grading practices and standards-based report card.

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hi this is Jamie Lusher the chief academic officer for the Grandview Heights City Schools and I thank you very much for joining me and this walk through and talk through of standards-based grading practices this document is been created as a support and a resource for you as parents to be able to understand and build background knowledge about what standards-based report cards really entail and what practices we use that are aligned with the evidence before right about student progress Barbie on our latest tests or report card that all the preparation the studying and sometimes cramming paid off with a letter grade that we were proud to show our parents Henry's it years however research has shown that using traditional letter grades in report cards may not provide the student parents or teacher with the most accurate picture regarding the students mileage traditional grades take into account class averages like they'll curse shouldn't Behavior another attributes that may not necessarily tied directly into students crest  it's a one-size-fits-all grading scale that doesn't measure if students are learning the content they need to know on faced on the specific standards in response Grandview Heights City Schools decided in 2007 to address this change and we transition to Sanders bass report card and Grading practices to revive students and information on their progress and achievement offers better feedback by evaluating how students are meeting the measurable met mile post in other words correctly aligned to what the students are learning not work completed not based on Lake grades or homework for zeros find turn improves instruction for each individual student and allows the student more ways to demonstrate what they've learned in the material before moving on teachers can use search based grading as a way to individualize instruction from student to student soon to demonstrate early Mastery of skills can be challenged by their teachers with more rigorous activities students who may need additional time and support can receive that time and support until they meet standards at the end of each creating. The standards-based report card may look a little bit different content but it does provide students and parents with more precise and detailed information regarding academic progress rather than how many points accumulated or percentage generated in creativity for students to be successful in their College and Career Readiness pathways  overall are transition to standards face grades has occurred incrementally with each one of our grade levels beginning in 2007 with our kindergarten students and we've now ushered and those practices to our current 7th graders who are at Larry Larson Middle School should we continue to build our knowledge around this we need to make sure that our current language is aligned with the learning standards and as a district last we've spent time as a K-12 staff articulating and aligning our curriculum and as a result we really needed to look closely at the pledge of our standards-based report cards in our kindergarten through sixth grade classrooms so the document that we're going to navigate through today is one that was produced should be able to support that understanding and to be able to build some more language around wide as we use Sanders bass report cards and what exactly we came from those so first and foremost you should know that there's learning standards describe what your child should be able to know and do it each grade level in all subject areas the report card and provide information to you and your kids progress towards achieving that standard at that grade level again it is not a comparative look it is not a comparison of what students are letting in comparison to other sins and our class or within the district so what goes into a grade let's start with the foundational research will grades are supposed to provide an accurate and undiluted indicator of students Mastery of learning the standards  this is a notion that may be foreign to some of us because we were very used to systems where we had late work or we didn't turn something it was completed in totality off and time that may not have been great it I'm that is an old model of thinking room talk a little bit about how we tease out some of those variables that we know important in our learning attributes but in terms of what is supposed to be actually in in precisely a part of a grade should be given as feedback to students it should inform instructional decisions and there's are the primary reasons that we actually provide evidence through a grade and then to further this conversation it's real p**** Expose and Grading practices that have been labeled toxic because there's so and effective the first is the use of zeros for missing work essentially those zeros are gaps and student turning in some districts zeros are actually not allowed as part of board prop policies II is the practice of we know that research would support looking at the median which means that you're getting a more appropriate or consistent look of that students morning which is why we use the median and not the plane mirror the average and then finally is the idea of what was often known in that I remember as a college student as the semester killer it's very little point that working late over this semester and then you if one final exam in that either Mater we're broke you in terms of your GPA so as we think about the research to support the Los farole's Center to be screwed just a mention some of the foundational research as we continue to revisit this topic so what are standards-based grades and why do we continue to who's those here in the district scroll down here  and again just to give you the overarching peace I've hit some just some some major points throughout the the research and then ultimately as we've implemented these it since 2007 will first student performances evaluated against the San do not compare to play with others Sanders or directly aligned to what students are learning and not completed and not work completed all students are given the opportunity to femur extend beyond the learning standards there's no frequency distribution in terms of our own learned experience we knew that there was a distribution of Grey in that there were two proprium out of a given B's and C's in the preponderance of grades were given in the VNC range between those two deviations on that is not was based how grading practices involved provides a student parent more precise and detailed information regarding academic progress so instead of just getting a b and social how do you tease that out and look closely at those demanes or strand so whether it's geography or people in Societies or history we can look specifically at what the students demonstration of achievement is in each one of those particular areas so in this portion of the document you'll see that I've done it compare to the losses between standards-based and Traditional report cards so you'll see when you look at standard space that they should provide consistency across all buildings and all grade levels so when our district on that was not where we were last year so as a committee we form case 6 cross every grade and content level and within Steven at Addison into Larson we begin to look closely at two things one Clarity and it Precision of language and making sure that was a play the limit to the new learning standards and then to consistency consistency not only with the language we use on the report card but then ultimately the evidence we use to do weather child is going to get a 432 or 1 so and many ways our language was really in our language and the lack of consistency was really supporting more of a traditional artist we could say that we had standards-based report cards but we were really operating under a more traditional model because we did not have consistency at every grade level and I gave us Makerspace for reporting evidence it's based on the outcome from the learning standards not based on the subject area or reporting based on a particular grade level again our evidence is rapport directly as students are responding to the requirements under the standards which are built and criminally like stairsteps Wheaties out them what are known as learning tributes and this is an area where our committee really focus our efforts this year to provide Clarity but then also to transition away from some of these compliance or behavioral a we've all seen it where it says you know I am prepared for class I turn my work in on time well really ask the question of our teachers what is it the word you trying to accomplish when you think about a portrait of a garage when we think about a student leaving Randy what soft skills and 21st Century Learning attributes will they have to help them be housefull and essentially these are the attributes that either get you promoted or terminated so what does that look like so when we tease that will when we talked about late work how many things in on time what does that really what does that really teeth out to me there's no more powerful and precise language we can use and that's where we arrive to some more on what I could see his read an overarching learning attributes like accountability collaboration communication empathy honesty perseverance resourcefulness respectfulness and safety and these are reported separately and not calculated as part of the greater the student's Mastery of a particular learning standards it is very different than the National model that many of us I'm experienced when we were in school  Sanders beats crazy again I reported on an in our district as a floor which is extending extending beyond the grade level expectations or standards 3 which would be achieving which is exactly where they need to be there cheating in their mastering at the grade level standard A2 would be Pro towards achieving that standard receiving support from teachers and then finally meeting and requiring support to make any progress or I want that when you look at your ditional model reporting out and grade cards a letter grade is generated from a percentage most often the average of a total where is our evidence very different something that is unique is that many times especially when you're in the emerging grades of there will be information that is not provided on the report card there are some standards that are not evaluated in a given grading. that has not been instructed to the frequency it needs to order CEST so for example in science the teacher may be working diligently through unit on chemistry so there'd be grades and evidence reported out for physical science but there might be a blank space for life science because you did not teach her a set that this nine weeks you really focus focusing lavishing our attention on physical science what traditional poor card you often see letter grades or incomplete that might be given the subject areas when who's haven't turned in all of their work that they need to have him placed four letter grade to be averaged  so what are the is really mean and again this is where our committee committee said its sights on providing some additional and more precise language to help support not only our students but to give pair a really good idea of again what specifically goes into a greater that number so I'm going to start with the end in mind some going to scroll down first and we're going to talk first then I just explain what reported met that means if it's blank we have not exposed to enough information at this time to be able to evaluate that standard and that is okay and that will happen extending the student independently extends Beyond achieving the grade level or developmental expectations what that means their grade level that means the standard and where should be within that grade level developmental expectations I will talk through those but the student independently extends Beyond achieving the great level or developmental Expectations by consistently in the key word here is consistently find their learning through Innovative approaches at a variety of situations so they're thinking about things in different ways they're making connections with knowledge that they have be they've mastered an extended beyond that might be highly interested in this area and they might be quite honestly very gifted in this particular area or Devane so that's where you would see students getting of now we don't set a percentage on the number of students that should should should be there who will tell you that the proponents of students are achieving but we do see a significant portion of our population really ending in areas of Interest or where is a natural talent for them also what's the 303 is it cheating and sometimes you hear the word meeting but I think that sent a different message them you really mean by threes at these students are achieving and meeting and independently consistent consistently demonstrating successful Mastery of the grade level standard developmental expectations which are those learning attributes through instruction and practice so this Honors that release of responsibility that we know is best practice and instruction that I do we do now you do if students are cheating after instruction they can independently consistently access that grade level standard so it's a fraction a demonstrated for me that we can do it together now I release responsibility in the replying that I'm able to end apparently consistently show me that they know how to add indoor you know subtract fractions if that's the sand again that's where we want if we want all of our students distraction extendo students on that are able to take it to the next level progressing now no expectations but it's taking multiple exposures and some instructional support to do so so we asked her teachers to think about the evidence they're providing to parents whether it's for mastering the standard or maybe they're trying to build skills and interpersonal communication or empathy one of the learning attributes we ask them this question how much physical and end of lifting are you doing as the teacher have you been able to release responsibility for students if you have to say that you're providing a high level of in multiple exposures in that students probably not at a place where they're going to get a three in achieving the standard they're progressing towards it they're making progress but you're giving an a lot of your instructional cognitive and physical energies to make that happen so it's really important that we have evidence to support that because then that's where we can partner with parents and able to support those students in building the skills that they can do it on their own and independently and then finally a one requiring support this means that a student is requiring continuum listen support to make any progress towards the grade level or developmental expectations of a couple of scenarios might be here they might a student who is extremely and very very knowledgeable and gifted and maybe extending it they might have a hard time keeping their hands to themselves and Avery they require some additional time and support to have this behaviour as a part of a plan and something that can be looked at as a function in for was in a classroom for requiring a lot of support and particular areas this would be where we would look at a one and that would be something we do some problem-solving at the grade level problem solving with building the maybe some conversations as a team to determine how we can set that stood enough for success to put them on some additional time and support whether its intervention weather it is an upper will be for them to have repeated exposure to the curriculum is outside of the school those type of thing that should require additional time for I consistent basis said to even demonstrate any growth  so we're going to scroll down here and I've evoluted and talk to Stop Those 21st century skills and I used some language earlier about these are the skills that either get you promoted or terminated and we talk about those 20% Reese kills these are what take you from being good at what you do to research to be able to ask great probing questions to use your curiosity and your imagination and your creativity to develop an it's right here at this perseverance and self-direction in the self-discipline to adapt and move in to initiate and idea or a solution to a problem its ability to be versatile and your communication whether it's oral or written whether it's digitally or in person and then ultimately leadership qualifications and did the ability to work in a team to collaborate to delegate responsibilities I'm in to use you in Virtual work spaces we know that information technology in that litter CPS is absolutely critical and that the jobs were pairing our students for today don't don't exist yet so we will be making sure that within 10 not only are we implementing these opportunities within our classroom but then we need to also have a loop to be able to provide evidence to parents and also to guide our instruction because we believe is your absolutely critical and we every single content area every grade level every part of our school environment needs to nurture and stocked and helps to still these skills because when they walk out our doors we want them to be Civic minded we want them to have an idea about what social justice really needed them and many opportunities to have been able to be put in real life situations where they composite Solutions and think about others first how we want them to have the ability to manage their own budgets to think again where they fit into the largest Keys game of Economics not only in local communities but then as a nation and and globally off altimate Lee so when you think about all of you first century learning skills there really the heart of the work that we should be doing in our in our schools but ultimately if you're not intentional about it and you aren't providing evidence students and teachers aren't getting good evidence to be able to guide instruction then we lose some of the power of that conversation which is exactly why our grade card committee came back and looked at some of variables hearing you'll see talk about health and wellness in a second but you'll see that are learning attributes have been identified and are grounded in those 21st century skills so we brighter learning attributes that we've included on the report card directly from that research supporting the intentional instruction 21st century 21st century skills in our schools these are the attributes again that are associated with College and Career Readiness in a globally competitive world so I want to talk a little bit about though so again I said that we transition from I would consider to be very compliance-based kinds of statements like I come to class prepared I turn my work in on time and we really began to have robust discussion about what really what are we really looking for with those skills and if we have them separate on the report card in those are learning attributes that we want to be intentionally instructing for students then let's really cheese out the most important in the central pieces so that we can make sure that we have those integrated in our classrooms every day of every week of every year to the first is accountability and turn on ability for your actions for myself for organization learning work materials and timeliness collaboration the ability to work actively with adults peers Partners small groups and whole groups communication interpersonally digitally reciprocally to be an attentive listener and I have those formal informal opportunities where you are building knowledge or giving information in a way that your consumer needs it and to see you know what does a big piece for us when we think about that well-rounded student who walks out our doors as a graduate their ability to be thoughtful crash and other people's needs and then again being able to walk in someone else's shoes as they have conversations that's a really big precursor as we think about that ability to communicating but relationships this idea of empathy important to have it as one of her attributes honestly with yourself honesty with a to see with peers your that is the unit found a tional piece of integrity and that is you know doing what's right whether you're by yourself or in a crowd of others so we included that perseverance grit we know that students that can take risks that demonstrate perseverance and don't give up that seek Elsa you know I got a b-plus on this and I really want an A so how am I going to get that a they don't let failure Define them and it's not that the failure has put a an obstacle in their way it's that you know I didn't get it this time but I'm going to get it next time so how do we Foster and build upon perseverance and then also in a high-achieving district like this one talk about perseverance lot of students her very high achieving who don't get many things wrong and so we have to look at failure as an opportunity to grow and can can you to flourish because our students can often be perfectionist and they don't want to take risks and you have students that are you wavering back and forth should I take that 30 P Corso shouldn't should I take her risk in my writing because you know this is a safer bet my first draft so really wanting to build those skills in that threshold for building stem a scale starting the first of the inner doors are doors and kindergarten and then resourcefulness seeking out appropriate adults Pier supplies technology to be stressful when we think about that that is so critical and so very different than the educational opportunities and experiences we had you know I will grow up Dewey Decimal System so winning look stuff in the library and everything was hard copy copy in microfiche today our kids can info Ohio or researcher Google anything and find odle's formation out there so the ability to be able to be you know what an educated consumer to find the appropriate resource for the purpose and task I'm it really flips the Paradigm for you know what are teachers rolling that is you know we used to be the conduit of all that information now we have to facilitate those opportunities so it makes less even more important in that role of learning and helping our students find and be resourceful across across the board so that is definitely an area focus and in crosses we look at one making sure we haven't seneschal instruction and then to providing evidence to students and families respectfulness of self adult peers materials play fits into that whole idea of Wellness you know respecting that your body needs appropriate fuel it needs to move physically you have to have strategies to Escalade and to handle stress and anxiety so you'll see many of these learning attributed not all of them as part of the K-12 Wellness curriculum in model we are building and that includes components from obviously to help on National Health standards the Ohio learning standards in physical education as well as the Ohio standards and science are School counseling standards under the ASCA model so we're really looking at integrated opportunities and ways to make sure that we are teaching and instructing as well as our 21st Century Learning team what time is it look at technology and best practices and instruction they will be integrating and using this language as well and finally that threads into you know obviously a Maslow's hierarchy are your kidneys we think about just safety I only physical safety but digital literacy and the safety of our digital Footprints and that is something is unique to this generation of Learners that we have to be having conversations around from day one and so we're crafting essential questions like that I really say that did I really list to give students the opportunity to have those discussions on as they continue their Journeys through our grade levels in and there are different curriculum opportunities so again I want to just go back up and show you these learning attributes and these are going to be really accessible and integrated points I'm learning across grade levels across Contin areas for our support service teachers that are integrating into classrooms but the end in mind being that are students when they graduate key skills intact and are ready to demonstrate their versatility and ability not only to achieve it high levels but then to have this 21st century skills are going to allow them to I'm not only be a part of it competed but to lead and shape what's happening I'm in 21st century that we are in  so let's get back to you then that the original versation we had about you know what are we really gain by having that standards-based report credible its consistency and its Clarity well how they are teachers and look at the same types of Evan to determine a grade well that is a great question and something that I think our district will continue to revisit because we use many ways of formula Lee assessing students and Wii U is formative assessments to guide our instructions so much that we call those formative instructional practices and those can include things like and they're not limited to discussions observations enzyme journal entries interviews exit slips on could be pre and post assessments on after something is Todd could be white boards at can be the use of Technology and getting feedback I'm from clickers any of those that are used in to provide evidence about how students are performing based on the learning objective and again that's North our teachers did last school year the 2014-15 school year when we looked closely at those standards and we teased out clear objectives for learning as well as the academic and intendo cabinet at students would need to access that content area so that's how we determine those who those grades and that's how we determine if a student is extending an A4 shooting at a three or progressing a tattoo or is really requiring support as one so let's talk about this because this can be very confusing again live and had only be experienced of traditional great so I get a great question sometimes and that is can students receive a for for a nine weeks and then the phone can I mix get A3 absolutely it is very possible that a student receiving a for the first nine weeks could get A3 the second 9 weeks what is being taught in what is being assessed so I give an example here that you know third grade writing student maybe extending and narrative writing and that's what happens the first nine weeks the second nine weeks they may move into some more advanced in technical writing with informational writing and informational text and they may not be extending their it may not allowed show as much of their creativity as they were able to demonstrate through narrative writing so there a cheating at this level now does that mean the child is absolutely not particular standard and what's being taught the students are achieving or meeting that standard not extending at this time so that's really important because in a traditional grade it would all be lumped into an English language arts grade and you would have no specific or precise feedback about what area a parent or teacher continue to support that child's learning so for me as I think about my son and I know he's a strong reader and I know he can write certain things but I know there might be areas need to focus on I need to give him some more practice and we go on vacation he's taking a journal with him and he's writing based on an artifact we've collected he's doing that and more technical as opposed to narrative what gives us more prescriptive and descriptive language and content to focus on so that we can make sure that every single child is growing we know they're going achieve 80% of our students are Advanced or accelerated on standardized tests they're going to achieve so as we continue through the document and we walk through here you'll see that we provided a fourth and fifth grade example of what a report card would look like you can see that being learning contributes again or consistent and will be consistent throughout the grade levels for the 2015-16 school year you will see consistency in grades 4 5 and 6 we are going to be working with Stevenson in a k-3 building on as a goal for the 2016-17 year because you want to make sure that we have time to have those discussions and conversations because it's really important that our teachers understand the Nexus or the alignment between the learning objectives and standards and then the evidence were providing as a result paws on the grades that we are giving as what goes into a 4 3 2 or 1 so again it's just walks you through as we go through the learning attributes can we come down you can see we move into the English language arts and you see that we use the direct language when the standards so and fourth and fifth grade we still teaches foundational skills don't see that in sixth grade because they scaffold out and then we move into Reading literature reading informational text writing language and speaking and listening so a 4 3 2 or 1 we narrator for each one of these strands which gives a parent more descriptive language and understanding of exactly how students are progressing towards grade level standard so that means that you perhaps the student is doing great in their foundational skills may be there even extending and will be on it and there were two four and the same that give you two for on literature but maybe a three and informational text and it to in writing and it's human language within the very articulate and communicate beautifully inner showing what they now and they're getting a for their so will see more description in more precise on the evidence as as it applies to the standard the same here you'll see the tenants and the the search from the mathematics standards  I'm going to move into science receive the domains there of Earth and space and moving to physical and life science the other piece freeway included was the anchor application because this is where you see reading and writing living and every content-area so you'll see shared research opportunities reading and writing technical on text and that happens as an integrated part of our science work Additionally you see the same application here in social studies so not only are we providing evidence and information around the difference when's our domains with and social studies you're also seeing then how they're applying that and utilizing the reading and writing skills and again we'll go back to the language and what goes into a grade in the end then what that means when a student generates or there evidence yields either a 432 or 1 Shen in really good discussion that surrounds this idea and philosophy in the research support standards-based grading practices I'm if you would like to have some more Converse can I am hosting an event on October 22nd at 6 p.m. in the Grandview Heights Public Library it's entitled standards-based report cards are can you confused me too because this is a conversation that we need to continue to have and what you'll find is that in most districts that have implemented standards-based grading practices and report cards but it's a conversation that needs to continue to happen because as our expectations for our students continue to Evan flow with alignment to standards our new assessment that we need to always be making sure that there is a direct Nexus between what we're asking students to / 2 2 produce and then the evidence that we're providing in terms of their turn up progress I'm so I encourage you if you want to learn more and have more discussion please do attend to that meeting we will put this information on our website and continue to update also be sending out some save some through web blasts on an additional if you have any questions at all or want to talk through this I'm happy to answer any questions that you have my contact information Jamie Lusher is all lowercase Jamie Jamie. Lusher Lusher gasd.org tell me or give me a call at 614-485-4023 you know I'm as you think about this and you think about those next pieces I get a lot of what about everything up standards for the high school or middle school now we will live with standards-based on and keep those as well live in rrr more formative years of kindergarten through sixth grade one thing they noticed this year on the 6th grade report card if you have six grade students is in as a percentage of equivalency because we felt like we needed to help start help parents from what are standards-based to letter grades it's just generated to the you can see that if your student did have a great generated this year it would be no a 92% which is or you know what math if that's an area where you feel like they are just meeting expectation you want to know what they're great equivalency would be teachers are going to provide that because in 7th play that is the first year that they receive a traditional letter grade and as we increase our offerings for High School Credit in the Middle School it's going to be really important that students have that background knowledge so you'll that grade level equivalency percentage on those six grade report cards as well so I thank you very much for hanging with me I thank you for going through this information supporting your child

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