SBG FAQ

Standards-Based Grading Information and FAQ

Q: What is standards-based grading?

A: Standards-based grading is a research-based method (Marzano, 2009; ASCD, 2008; Miller, 2013) of measuring students' mastery of specific standards, or skills, in the classroom. SBG relies on Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck's growth mindset philosophy, which says that anybody is capable of achieving proficiency in a skill if they work hard enough at it.

Standards-based grading allows students to take ownership of their own learning by assessing their own proficiency on standards and enables them to demonstrate proficiency repeatedly throughout the year. A student's final grade will be based solely on his or her achievement of the standards and performance on summative assessments.

Q: What is the purpose of standards-based grading?

A: The purpose of standards-based grading is multifaceted:

• To encourage student ownership of their own learning

• To foster a growth mindset in which students realize that they can make great strides in mathematics, regardless of prior experiences

• To support clear communication between teachers and parents about a student's achievement in class

• To teach students that hard work results in achievement

• To eliminate "behavioral grades" from the grade book

Q: What is the process for re-assessing a skill for achievement?

A: Students will have the opportunity to re-assess any given standard throughout the quarter. Re-assessments will be administered on Thursdays (during the students' lunch time) if the following criteria are met:

• Student has participated

• Student has submitted a written request

• Student has completed all assigned homework for that particular standard

• Student submits evidence of extra practice on the day of the re-test (five correct problems that relate to the standard being re-assessed)

Q: Will students still be responsible for completing homework, even though it will not be factored into the grade?

A: Yes. Homework, falls into the "Practice" category in PowerSchool. A green checkmark means the assignment is complete. Tags will be added to for incomplete, completed late, and missing.

The idea is that students require varying amounts of practice. If your student regularly earns "partial" grades on his or her homework, but is able to show mastery of the standards, then there is not much to worry about. However, if your student is earning "partials" or is not doing the assignments and has difficulty demonstrating mastery of the standards, then we will be able to initiate a conversation quickly.

Q: What research supports this method for assessment?

A: Research by renowned education researchers such as Robert Marzano (2009), Ken O'Connor (2011), Myron Dueck (2014), and many others indicate the benefits of standards-based grading. For more information, see the following resources:

Articles:

• Seven Reasons for Standards-Based Grading (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2008)

• A Better Grading System: Standards-Based, Student-Centered Assessment (Jeanetta Miller, 2013)

• How ‘Deprogramming’ Kids From How to ‘Do School’ Could Improve Learning (Katrina Schwartz, 2014)

Books:

• Formative Assessment & Standards-Based Grading (Robert Marzano, 2009)

• A Repair Kit for Grading (Ken O'Connor, 2011)

• Grading Smarter, Not Harder (Myron Dueck, 2014)

• Ten Things that Matter from Assessment to Grading (Tom Schimmer, 2013)

Web Resources:

• Accurate Grading with a Standards-Based Mindset (Tom Schimmer, 2013)