Standards Based Grading

What is Standards Based Grading?

Standards Based Grading, or SBG, allows teachers, students and parents to see a student's level of achievement on specific, clearly defined standards or skills within a subject area. This allows teachers to report on the student's ability as an individual on these specific standards, demonstrating not only areas of progress, but also highlighting the particular areas or skills where the student needs further support and assistance.

One of the key reasons that SBG is beneficial across the public school system is that it levels the playing field. Parents can ensure that all students in all public schools are meeting the same standards no matter the school or teacher.

What are priority standards? How are they scored?

The MOED has identified approximately 12-15 Priority Standards for each subject at each grade level (see M3 ELA Priority Standards for our class's specific standards). Each standard is graded based on a 4-point Proficiency Scale, which is explained in the image below. Our target is for each student to obtain a "3" in each standard, demonstrating grade-level proficiency by the end of the school year. A "4" means that a student is working above grade level.

Please note that the image below demonstrates the general Proficiency Scale progression; students will be provided with a detailed proficiency scale for each standard so they know exactly what a 1, 2, 3 and 4 looks like at their grade level. This provides students with the opportunity to take personal responsibility for their learning, with the support of their teacher, and work toward their own learning goals.

M3 ELA Scales

A student getting a 2.0 or 2.5, especially early in their learning, is GOOD! It means they are well on their way to reaching grade-level mastery in that particular skill! It does not mean they are getting a 2.5 out of 4 (62%) or that they are failing a class.

Will my child only learn the Priority Standards?

Priority Standards are those skills and knowledge content that have been deemed essential for learning, as they are lifelong skills, are necessary for learning at higher levels of education, and may even cross subjects. The priority standards are all very robust, and include many factors, including some supplementary standards and skills. Students, however, will frequently learn skills and knowledge that are not covered on the scales. That said, teachers will report grades only on these Priority Standards.

For example, take the M2 standard: "Preferences & Opinions/Book Recommendations."

To obtain a 3.0, a student must not only be able to recall terminology, read a variety of genres and forms, keep a reader's notebook, compare and contrast genres and notice writer's crafting strategies (all level 2.0 skills), they must also be able to share their preferences; comment on style, format, etc.; and make recommendations, including: a summary, personal opinion, provide textual evidence, explain who might like the text and why, and, if in written format, be written cleanly with good spelling, punctuation, and so forth.

Students will also need to demonstrate their proficiency at each standard across a variety of genres. This is part of the reason why it can take so long to see 3.0s in ELA!

How will SBG look in the classroom?

Students will be given specific Learning Intentions (LI) for each class period - this is the goal of each day's lesson. The LI will be presented in student-friendly language, complete with a purpose or reason, usually along this format:

We Are Learning To (WALT)..... This Is Because (TIB)....

Each LI will also be coupled with clearly defined Success Criteria which allows the student to know exactly what steps they need to take to be successful. Formative Assessments (mini assessments) will be made at each step to ensure your child is on the right path. These assessments are, essentially, mini check points along the learning process to ensure that no skill or step is missed and that student errors and misunderstandings are corrected quickly. Formative Assessments can take on many different formats and sometimes students may not even realize they are happening.

Traditional testing (Summative Assessments) will still be a part of the learning process and will be used at the end of the teaching process to determine a child's proficiency on the taught standards and skills. However, "re-testing" will also be a part of the process. Summative Assessments only provide a snap-shot and can be used, like Formative Assessments, to show areas where re-teaching and re-learning are necessary. Remember, the learning process doesn't end.

How can my child get a "4.0"?

I will be working one-on-one with your child to determine their proficiency and mastery of each standard. Students will be able to use the provided Proficiency Scales to help guide them. If a student can independently demonstrate all aspects of the standard consistently and without error in their own work, they will earn a 3.0.

In order to earn a 4.0, the student has to be working at a HIGHER or DEEPER level than what is expected in their grade level (above grade level), then I can consider giving a higher score.

Generally speaking:

A 3.0 means that a student has demonstrated grade-level mastery of that proficiency scale.
A 3.5 means that a student is working 1 grade above in that scale.
A 4.0 means that a student is working 2 or more grades above in that scale.

Because of the nature of English Language Arts, do not be surprised to not see 3.0s until after January.

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