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Standards-Based Grading - Why the Change? Video (To see more videos check out the "Videos" tab)
Note to parents about "Growth Mindset: The Power of Standards-Based Grading"
Dear Parents,
We are excited to share with you the transformative impact that standards-based grading can have on your child's education, particularly in fostering a growth mindset. As educators, we recognize the vital role that mindset plays in shaping students' attitudes toward learning and their ability to overcome challenges. Here's how standards-based grading promotes a growth mindset and empowers your child to thrive academically:
**1. Emphasizing Progress Over Perfection:** Standards-based grading shifts the focus from achieving a perfect score to demonstrating progress and mastery of specific learning objectives. By receiving continuous feedback on their performance, students learn to value the learning process itself rather than simply striving for high grades. This encourages them to embrace challenges, persist through setbacks, and celebrate their growth over time.
**2. Encouraging Self-Reflection:** With standards-based grading, students have greater visibility into their strengths and areas for improvement. By regularly assessing their mastery of individual standards, they develop the habit of self-reflection and self-assessment. This empowers them to take ownership of their learning journey, set meaningful goals, and devise strategies to achieve them. As a result, students become more proactive and self-directed in their pursuit of knowledge.
**3. Cultivating Resilience:** In a standards-based grading system, setbacks are viewed as opportunities for learning and growth rather than indicators of failure. When students encounter challenges or struggle to master a particular standard, they are encouraged to persevere and seek support from teachers and peers. This resilience-building mindset teaches students that intelligence and abilities are not fixed but can be developed through effort and practice. As a result, they become more resilient in the face of adversity and more willing to take on new challenges.
**4. Fostering a Positive Learning Environment:** By prioritizing growth and improvement, standards-based grading creates a supportive and inclusive learning environment where all students feel valued and capable of success. Rather than comparing themselves to their peers, students focus on their individual progress and celebrate each other's achievements. This collaborative atmosphere promotes a sense of community and belonging, where every student is encouraged to reach their full potential.
In summary, standards-based grading promotes a growth mindset by emphasizing progress, encouraging self-reflection, cultivating resilience, and fostering a positive learning environment. By embracing this approach, we aim to empower your child to become a confident, lifelong learner who is equipped to face the challenges of the future with courage and resilience.
Thank you for your continued partnership in your child's education.
Sincerely,
MLS Public Schools
4 Ways Standards-Based Grading Improves Instruction
4 Ways Standards-Based Grading Improves Instruction
1. Instruction is more relevant
1. Instruction is more relevant
In traditional classrooms, you often see teachers routinely presenting curriculum to students—one whole group lesson after another. Sometimes, this is the best method, for example, in an introductory lesson when everyone needs to receive the same information. Over time, though, since students learn at different rates, there will be some who are bored because of the slow pace and some who are confused because they’re struggling to keep up.
Alternatively, in classrooms that employ standards-based grading, teachers better understand student mastery: what it looks like and where students are on the scale. At any time, they can identify the students at a level 3, 2, or 1, so they can offer assignments that are appropriate for that level. Students at level 1 receive practice and activities to help them reach a level 2, and so on. This type of differentiated learning makes lessons more relevant for students, leading to positive learning experiences and a greater interest in school.
2. Teachers provide effective feedback
2. Teachers provide effective feedback
Quality feedback can improve and accelerate student learning. Rather than simply seeing a score of 90% or 7/10, students receive direct feedback on the skill used or task performed so that they understand where they need to focus their efforts to improve. Teachers can also use this feedback opportunity to enhance instruction since they can see if the majority of the class is having difficulty understanding a standard.
3. Grades have deeper meaning
3. Grades have deeper meaning
Students understand why they receive each score. They get a breakdown of how they performed on each standard that details their level of proficiency. Students and parents appreciate being able to track performance so thoroughly, rather than receiving a vague letter grade with no explanation and questionable value.
4. Teachers and students are clear about expectations
4. Teachers and students are clear about expectations
Goals through clearly identified learning targets and proficiency scales are clarified at the beginning of the class, so the teacher knows exactly what they are expected to teach, and students know exactly what they are expected to learn. Using consistent formative assessments, teachers and students can track how well they understand the learning targets and adjust instruction as needed to ensure proficiency.
Power School.com
Why the change? Doesn’t the 100-point scale work?
Why the change? Doesn’t the 100-point scale work?
There are many reasons for the change, including these noteworthy components:
Teachers are able to unify their grading practices (many teachers use different grading methods within the building).
Students need to learn more than just the content of a course in order to be successful and well-prepared for their future. Students must learn content, but they also need to learn transferable skills that prepare them for post-secondary, military, tech schools, and/or the workplace (ND Choice Ready).
We believe in student learning of skills and standards. Late work, extra credit, or attendance (non-academic factors) should not factor into a grade reflection of the standards.
We want to create students who can think critically, problem-solve, communicate well, and ultimately build self-efficacy (self-efficacy is one of the highest indicators of success).
Standards-based grading supports learning by focusing on the concepts and skills that have or have not been learned rather than accumulating or losing points, so parents know what their students need help with.
What are the advantages of SBG?
Improved communication and additional feedback for all stakeholders about student learning and grades:
Parents and students will see areas of academic strengths and weaknesses in the gradebook based off of the Standards.
Teachers will know which Standards they need to re-teach and students will know which Standards they need additional learning opportunities and/or practices.
Teachers can effectively communicate to students their patterns of proficiency (or lack thereof) in a student’s body of evidence. Assessments show student learning and proficiency of Standard(s).
Increase self-efficacy and learn transferable skills far beyond any content area.
If you have any questions or would like further information, please reach out to your child(ren)'s teacher or one of the administrators at MLS!!
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