Parents/Guardians:
We have recently implemented a new grading system in several classrooms called “Standard-Based Grading”. We wanted to let parents know what it is all about and why we are using it.
What is Standard-Based Grading?
It is a refined way of reporting what students know and how they demonstrate their learning of the state standards.
How does Standard-Based Grading Work?
Traditional grading averages in grades as well as other factors over a grading period. SBG removes extraneous factors and solely focuses on proficiency.
How does Standard-Based Grading differ from Traditional Grading?
Standard-Based grading shows what students have actually learned and know over a period of time. If a student doesn’t understand a concept, it is taught again, and then student has the opportunity to test again on it. These are called “Learning Checks” and they will be given at random times during a unit. The highest grade that they obtain after retaking is what is recorded in the grade book. We let the students retake so that they are exposed to the content over and over until they learn it. Repetition is one of the greatest ways to learn and the point of grades is to show what students know.
Traditional grading includes other factors like effort, attitude and participation and this can greatly influence a letter grade positively or negatively. These factors do not show what the students “know” and shouldn’t be included within the grading system.
Traditional grading allows for “zeroes” on assignments if a student fails to turn them in. This does not show what a student knows. If a student doesn’t turn in an assignment they will be pulled out 8th period to redo it so that they are exposed to the material.
What You Will See on Infinite Campus?
Some of the classes are grading on a 1-3 scale for learning targets, others are using a 1-4 scale. Basically what this means is that if your child scores a 1 or a 2 they are below proficient on that particular learning target, a score of a 3 or 4 means that they understand the concept and they have “mastered” it and know it. One learning check may be divided up into 3 or 4 learning targets and that will make it 3 or 4 different grades on infinite campus. Traditional grading would have that as one grade Infinite Campus that would stick and the students would not have the opportunity to improve on it.
With this new grading system, grades should be better for almost every child because they have the opportunity to “retake” until they reach that desired level of proficiency.
-Mrs. Jana Lovins
WMS 7th Grade Teacher