Standard Reference Grading
Purpose:
At Boone High School we believe that all students can learn and the purpose of grading is to report what students have LEARNED.
Philosophy:
For many years, high schools have assessed student learning on the criteria of did they learn it or did they not learn it, then given a grade to indicate their level of learning. For instance, a student with a grade of A or B did very well in their learning, a C average, and a D or F meant they likely did not learn what was necessary for ongoing success. The fact that some students were not learning did not significantly impact our teaching at the high school level. A and B students progressed nicely while D and F students struggled and, in most cases, fell further and further behind. In this approach, students were invited to learn, and if they didn’t it was often seen as their own fault due to a lack of effort.
What we are learning through the PLC process and other training is that our approach should not be an invitation to learn but a guarantee of learning the essential standards for students to be able to move forward academically and be successful. Instead of holding the students solely accountable for their learning, we are holding ourselves accountable as well. This is evident in the academic approach and many of the changes throughout the district.
Guiding Principles for Grading:
Grades are aligned to the academic essentials standards for all courses using Iowa Core and national standards.
Grades are based on a body of student-produced evidence.
Determination of a grade is based on established proficiency levels, which describe academic learning and levels of performance aligned to a course/grade-level standards.
Academic grades are based on a student’s demonstrated achievement of course/grade-level essential standards. Achievement of behavioral objectives is important enough to report separately and does not factor into the academic grade.