MDIRSS Philosophy of Assessment, Grading & Reporting
All assessment, grading and reporting practices will support the learning process, focus on accomplishment, guide next steps for teaching and learning, and encourage student success.
Purposes of Communicating Students’ Level of Achievement
Communicate achievement status to students, parents, community, post-secondary institutions and prospective employers
Provide information that students can use for self-evaluation and goal setting
Identify students for available educational supports and opportunities (e.g., courses or programs)
The Advantages of Standards-Based Grading
Standards-based grading evaluates student performance on objective criteria (a.k.a standards) as identified by law through the Maine Learning Results (MLR) and clearly communicates achievement to students, parents, colleges, and employers.
Students’ grades represent what students know and are able to do.
Quality habits of work (how students interact with others, approach learning challenges, and class participation) are essential to college and career readiness. These are reported separately in teacher comments. Separating habits of work from the course grade improves communication, making students' knowledge and skills more transparent.
Teachers teach to the needs of their students--Standards are clearly articulated to students, assessments give feedback on progress, and reteaching, relearning and/or extension is administered within the course or in the next course in the sequence.
Grade Scales
Teachers will use rubrics, assessment checklists, and other types of scoring guides to provide feedback and assess students that are consistent with the scale that the state uses for the MHSA and is comparable to the 4.0 scale which is used in many schools and colleges:
Note: If the evidence does not support a positive change in score, the average calculation will stand.
Teachers will use both formative and summative assessment practices . . .
*A formative assessment is an assessment for learning. It is used to check students' understanding and to plan subsequent instruction. Formative assessments are identified as Prep and Practice (see below).
*A summative assessment is an assessment of learning. It is used to provide teachers and students with information about the attainment of knowledge. Summative assessments are identified as Body of Evidence (see below).
Assignments & Scoring
Prep and Practice
Prep and Practice assignments give students the opportunity to get feedback without penalty. Scores on Prep and Practice assignments do not count toward the final grade of a standard. Instead, scores are intended to communicate progress and show readiness for success on a Body of Evidence assignment.
Body of Evidence
Students are required to demonstrate proficiency in the course standards through their work. A Body of Evidence assignment will count towards the final grade on that standard (or standards). All of the evidence scored for each standard will be averaged together to calculate a final standard score.
Homework
There are three purposes for homework in a proficiency-based system:
Preview - To prepare students to learn new material
Practice – To help students master learning outcomes
Evidence – To provide evidence of a student’s progress toward a learning outcome
Not all homework is assessed but all homework is important. If teachers assess homework, they will use rubrics, assessment checklists, and other types of scoring guides in order give feedback toward a learning outcome or to contribute to a students' Body of Evidence.
Meeting the Standards
Below is the average range that corresponds to each level of proficiency for a standard. For example, if you have three scores for a standard (2,3,3) that average a calculation of 2.6, you are meeting that standard.
3.5-4.0 =Exceeds
2.5-3.49=Meets
2.0-2.49=Partially
1.0-1.99=Does not Meet
Multiple Opportunities and Professional Judgement
Students will have multiple opportunities to demonstrate proficiency on standards within a course or the next course in the sequence. As such, deadlines are appropriate and a teacher can assign a score on a student assignment and move on.
If a student has been fully participating in the teaching and learning cycle and needs more time to achieve mastery, students will be given another opportunity to try again at the teacher’s discretion after the student has shown additional preparation and/or practice. This may be in the form of another attempt within the next assignment, or in the form of a redo/retake using the Try Again Form.
Professional judgment is integral to grading practices. Throughout the course, students contribute to a Body of Evidence that, with the exception of math, is an average calculation of their scores on standards. Near the end of the course, teachers will review and evaluate the Body of Evidence and document how students have performed on individual standards using our Grade Scales (see above).
Final Evidence is an opportunity for students to show that they have met or exceeded the identified standards.
Criteria for Evaluating Student Achievement
The object of a grading system is to indicate briefly and accurately the student’s progress and achievement in school. This is done by a method using terms readily understood by anyone: faculty, students, parents, prospective employers, citizens, college and other post-secondary admission officers.
To evaluate a student’s achievement a clear set of standards is defined for each course. For any student to receive a particular grade, he/she must meet performance as follows:
I (Incomplete)
An Incomplete will be awarded with teacher discretion and only under special circumstances. This is a temporary grade for a marking period that allows no more than two weeks of additional time to meet requirements. At the end of this extension, the teacher will evaluate the body of evidence produced and assign a final grade.
Report Cards
Report Cards indicate a student’s final grade for any given course. Report Cards are e-mailed soon after the date indicated on the schedule. Please make arrangements for paper copies through the Main Office.