Frequently Asked Questions about Proficiency-Based Education
How long has MDIHS practiced proficiency-based education?
Beginning in 2005, MDIHS has carried out proficiency-based education. Initially, this occurred in a limited form through a Portfolio System. Students were required to demonstrate their mastery of identified standards within courses via portfolio tasks. This practice expanded beginning with the Class of 2018 because our professional experience showed us that it works. Further, research supports that proficiency-based education is the best practice for equitable and impactful teaching and learning. (~Hattie, John. Visible Learning: A Synthesis of over 800 Meta-analyses Relating to Achievement 2009)
What are the goals of proficiency-based education?
The goals of proficiency-based education are to provide students with:
Transparent and consistent criteria for achievement
A curriculum that is consistent by course
Frequent feedback & responsive teaching
What are the Guiding Principles?
The Guiding Principles state that each Maine student must leave school as:
A clear and effective communicator
A self-directed learner
A creative and practical problem solver
A responsible and involved citizen
An integrative and informed thinker
What are Graduation Standards?
The Graduation Standards are concise and clearly articulated descriptions of what students should know and be able to do upon the completion of their K-12 education. They are identified in the Program of Studies in English, math, science and social studies and serve as evidence that students have met the Guiding Principles.
Will there be more standards my child has to demonstrate beyond the graduation standards?
Yes. Freshman and sophomore core courses will emphasize graduation standards. All other courses will teach and assess additional standards. Consistent with past practice, students need to meet graduation standards and additional requirements (credits, community service, senior exhibition, etc.) in order to graduate.
What are the multiple pathways that students have to meet the standards?
Multiple pathways require different programs and courses to be offered that meet students where they are and take them where they need to go in order to be college and career ready. See the Program of Studies for more information.
Will course standards vary between teachers?
No. Course standards will be identified by teams of teachers who teach the same course, will be ratified by the learning area, and will be assessed using consistent, proficiency-based grading methods.
What are the advantages of Proficiency-Based Grading methods?
Students' grades accurately represent what students know and can do against standards as identified by law through the Maine Learning Results (MLR). Students' academic acquisition of knowledge and skill is communicated to students, parents, colleges, and employers. Habits of work (how students interact with others, approach learning challenges, class participation, etc.) are reported separately via comments (not included in the grade calculation). Separating what students and know and can do from behavior allows everyone to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of students with greater accuracy.
Why don't we use letter grades?
The problem with using letter grades in a standards-based system is that it makes unclear exactly what standards-based reporting is designed to achieve: clear and accurate communication of what students know and can do against standards. In our standards-based system, a 3 means that a student has met the standard and 4 means that a student has exceeded the standard. What letter grade would clearly and accurately represent meeting the standard? Meeting the standard is to demonstrate mastery, the comprehensive achievement of knowledge or skill. If a student has met the standard, should the letter grade equivalent be a B? We assess standards with complex reasoning and the evidence a student needs to show to meet the standard is measured against rigorous criteria. To meet the standard is an accomplishment. Is that accomplishment considered good? The meaning of a B is good. Or is mastery excellent and as such, should the letter grade representation then be A? If this is the case, what letter grade equivalent would represent exceeds? Exceeds means to show advanced to superior work against a standard. Is there a letter grade higher than A that best communicates this?
Translations pose problems in maintaining accuracy, relevance, and context. It is not accurate or relevant to communicate meets and exceeds as B (good) and A (excellent). They are two different things. More importantly, the translation masks the context in which the grade was achieved. Standards-based grade scales (1-4) communicate performance in a standards-based system where the rules for achievement are consistent, habits of work are separated from the grade, and grades serve as communication (the evidence put forth by the student demonstrates if he/she has met the standard). Letter grades communicate performance in a traditional system where the criteria for achievement are not consistent, habits of work are included in the grade, and grades serve as compensation (“if you do this, I will give you that”).
What about percentages?
Similar to letter grades, percentages are not a defensible way to communicate progress. Is 85% evidence of proficiency? Consider if 85% is proficient in crossing the street safely? Being honest? Landing a plane safely? Getting a hit in baseball? It depends on the learning goal(s)! As such, 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.
What will happen if my child needs additional time and support to meet the graduation standards?
If your child does not meet the course standards, he/she will be required to take a follow-up course that attends to the graduation standards by building on the previous coursework, providing more explicit scaffolding and direct instruction, and giving more time to practice. Your child may also be assigned to additional supports (Learning Center, Supported Study Hall, Math Lab, etc.) if he/she needs executive functioning support and/or more direct instruction to meet standards.
What do top colleges think of standards-based grading and a PBE transcript?
According to the Hanover Study, none of the admissions offices from America’s top colleges (Harvard, Princeton, Yale, MIT, Stanford, Cal Tech, U Penn, Columbia, Duke, Northwestern, Cornell, Brown, Emory, Vanderbilt, Carnegie Mellon, University of Virginia) expressed a concern. Further, 48 Colleges and Universities have signed a pledge organized by the New England Secondary School Consortium that they are committed to accepting proficiency-based diplomas. More recently, 74 New England Institutions of Higher Education Offer Statements of Support for Proficiency-Based Education, including Babson, Harvard, MIT, Tufts & Wellesley.
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