Standards Based Grading
Hello Parents,
I started using Standards Based Grading in my math class during the 2015-2016 school year and I love it! Let me fill you in on the changes that you may notice.
In the past, my grades were based on percentages correct on various activities. For example, Johnny may have scored a 79% on his latest quiz. The quiz may have covered half a unit or even the whole unit. The problem is that Johnny (and his parent) doesn’t know what skills he’s mastering and what skills he isn’t. It’s just a percent in the gradebook, with no meaning attached.
As I continue to implement the Common Core State Standards, I found that I wanted more information. I needed to know who was mastering which skills so that I could focus more small group time with those who needed work and more enrichment time for those who already know the content. I decided to move to a system based on learning targets.
The students will have a list of the learning targets for each unit in their math notebooks. As we finish a skill, I give them a quick SBA (Standards Based Assessment). The SBA tells me who has mastered that skill and who hasn’t. As we continue on to the next skill, we continuously spiral back to previous skills so that they remain fresh in the students’ minds. The SBAs also reassess past skills. In this way, if a student did not master the skill the first time, they have multiple chances to show mastery throughout the quarter. I update scores as students move through their three attempts.
My gradebook will have 2 categories of grades.
The first category is Classwork (30%). This is for activities that we complete in class or homework assignments finished outside of class. Students can improve these grades by making corrections on items they made mistakes on the first time.
The second category is Assessments (70%). This is where the SBAs will be found. Although I will keep track of each student’s data from the SBAs, the scores won't "count" in Skyward until after the skill has been spiraled for the third time. As I said before, these will change as the students master more targets.
I hope that as we work our way through the year, you contact me with any questions or concerns that you have. My school email is: jweeks@molineschools.org. My school phone number is (309) 743-8725.
Thank you so much for your time,
Mrs. Weeks