In this class, your grade is based on your understanding of concepts.

Scoring:

Assessment Questions:

• Students will score a 0, 1, or 2 on Assessment Questions throughout a unit.
• Assessment Questions will focus on Standards students are expected to understand. They will be asked to write about each standard at least twice over the course of a semester, and their grade will be updated to the most recent assessment, not their highest score.
• Students may score a full credit on the first Assessment Question about a specific topic. However, if a student scores differently on the next Assessment Question about that same topic, their grade is changed to reflect the most recent score.
  • If students truly understand a concept, they will be able to consistently and correctly explain it.
  • This helps students seek mastery in a subject, instead of a "Memorize for the test" perspective.
• Students may attempt unlimited Assessment Questions per standard.

Effort and Participation:

• Students will score a 0, 1, or 2 on Effort and Participation each week.
• This grade may change throughout a week, but is finalized on Friday.
• Students will be earn points for one or more of the following aspects each week:
  • Participation
  • Meaningful Group Work
  • Lab Work
  • Positive Attitude

• Will I have a letter grade on Infinite Campus? Yes! Your grade will change throughout a unit and the semester to reflect your current level of each standard.
• Are we graded based on work completed? Not directly. You are only graded on your Assessment Questions. All other work is included in an Effort and Participation grade.
• What happens if I have a bad day and answer a question wrong, even though I normally get it? You have Unlimited attempts to answer Assessment Questions to demonstrate your understanding. If you have a bad day, you can come in the next day and complete a new Assessment Question. This option is available until the end of the final exam.
• Why isn't this class graded like my other classes with a normal 100% scale? Good question! Education has been using the same grading scale for over 100 years! Just because we have always graded this way, does not mean that it is the best way to grade. Educational research shows that Standards Based grading is far more effective at helping students master concepts and develop life long learning skills.

There are many reasons to change to standards based grading:

1. Promotes Deeper Understanding of Content. Students must defend their understanding of concepts throughout the semester. "Memorizing for the Test" will not cut it.
2. Clear Communication of Understanding. Students, Teachers, and Parents can see at a glance student understanding of specific concepts. It is easy to see where a student is meeting expectations and where a student needs to spend more time and energy working on a specific concept.
3. "Busy Work" no longer exists. Students are only graded on their understanding, not work completed. Students who have already reached mastery are expected to participate by seeking deeper levels of understanding and helping tutor other students, but are not expected to complete countless worksheets on concepts they already understand.
4. Promotion of a Growth Mindset. Students have unlimited attempts to seek better understanding and improve their grade. This encourages students to view assessment questions as a learning opportunity, rather than a pass/fail grade. Students who embrace growth mindsets—the belief that they can learn more or become smarter if they work hard and persevere—may learn more, learn it more quickly, and view challenges and failures as opportunities to improve their learning and skills. (If you are interested in learning more about the growth mindset, I recommend this Ted Talk by Carol Dweck)
5. Students are not punished for having a bad day. Traditional grading scales have serious consequences if a student has a bad day and forgets to turn in an assignment or does poorly on an exam. Standards based grading helps balance out bad days with multiple opportunities for success and lower risk if student understanding is not there yet. (If you are interested in learning more about non-traditional grading scales, I recommend this article: The Case Against the Zero by Douglas B. Reeves.)