A = Student consistently demonstrates mastery of content objectives beyond grade-level expectations. Student consistently meets work deadlines without teacher support.
B = Student consistently demonstrates mastery of grade-level content objectives, with frequent examples of mastery beyond grade-level expectations. Student regularly meets work deadlines, requiring either no teacher support or only infrequent teacher support.
C = Student regularly demonstrates mastery of grade-level content objectives. Student may require occasional academic interventions or direct teacher support to meet grade-level objectives. Student typically meets work deadlines, but may require teacher support with work behaviors on occasion.
D = Student frequently fails to demonstrate mastery of grade-level content objectives, requiring regular academic interventions and direct teacher support. Student may struggle regularly to meet work deadlines, frequently requiring teacher support with work behaviors.
F = Student consistently fails to demonstrate mastery of grade-level content objectives, requiring ongoing and intensive academic interventions and teacher support. Student regularly fails to meet work deadlines, requiring ongoing teacher support with work behaviors.
By the April staff meeting, I am planning to have a finalized grading framework. It is my responsibility to make a final decision about the definitions of grades, but I am open to making changes to the definitions above. In the comments below, please give your own opinions (in a respectful way) to help me in creating some final definitions of what report card grades should mean.
Thanks!
9 comments:
Here is an alternative proposed by one leadership team member:
Can we change the A to be: Demonstrates grade level mastery, but a deeper and more profound understanding that the average student. For example, I get it, I got it, and I could teach it to someone else. A B would be I get, and I can explain it, but I can’t teach it to someone else.
Here is another alternative proposed by a leadership member:
A – Student consistently demonstrates superior mastery of content objectives. Student is able to extend understanding beyond objectives and apply learned objectives to novel situation or tasks.
B-Student consistently demonstrates high level of master of content objective. Students are able to apply learned objectives to novel situations and tasks.
Concerning retakes and retesting - If we commit to doing it I think there should be a maximum grade of 80 for the following reasons
1. In terms of mastery and level of mastery - I would not consider a student at a high level of mastery if they need to retake an assessment
2. We do not want to encourage retakes - or encourage the attitude _ it does not matter if I pass the test because I can retake after the teacher spends extra time review the test with me.
Jodi Lay said... sorry, I can't figure out how to get my name on this any other way and I wanted to make sure I was playing by the rules:)
Before we begin making decisions about retakes, retesting, and scores of zero I would be very interested in having some conversation centered around "why we do what we do". For example, I do give retakes on certain tests and quizzes. But, I do require students to show up for a workshop, make test corrections, or complete an additional packet before earning the right to a retake. Why do I do this? Because I wasted hours of my time with students who don't study for the first test OR the retake. (You would think after 17 years of teaching I would figure things out a little faster, wouldn't you?)
With that said, I would love to hear what others have to say in regards to why they do what they do. While I do believe I have a pretty strong idea about what works for my students... I am open to the idea that someone might have something that works just as well or better. I am willing to listen...
From 8th grade science:
The 8th grade science department agrees with the definitions listed for an A,C,D, and F but we thought the definition for a B could be worded differently. We agree the wording in the first sentence should read with frequent examples of mastery sometimes at grade-level and below grade-level expectations. The second sentence for defining a B we agree needed no changes.
That do you think about these changes to an A and a B?
A = Student consistently demonstrates mastery of grade-level content and skill objectives, and frequently demonstrates application of knowledge and skills beyond grade-level expectations. Student consistently meets work deadlines without teacher support.
B = Student typically demonstrates mastery of grade-level content and skill objectives, and occasionally demonstrates application of knowledge and skills beyond grade-level expectations. Student regularly meets work deadlines, requiring either no teacher support or only infrequent teacher support.
Parry
Comment from Missy Kosek:
I like the first comment about grades in the blog. The " I got it! I got it! I could teach it to someone else!" I think that idea would work very well with the mainstream population. Even some of the higher functioning sped students who are in the ICR classes could be successful with that grading policy.
My concern is with the ESL, EMD/ID-mild learners. The kids that will never master the concepts on their grade level. The kids that will show growth, but will show growth on a kindergarten-4th grade level. We have students at Lufkin and across the county who are reading at a preschool level, and cannot add or subtract. But they are mainstream into middle school because they did not qualify for Special ed or the TMD classrooms. These children have multiple modifications and accommodations, so that they can be some what successful at their schools. But are the modifications giving the teacher a clear picture of what the student can accomplish? The school is making the assignment easier for the child, but is the child really mastering the concept?
So what do we do? Bring back the Essentials classes (Math, Literacy, Science/Social Studies and Technology) for these types of students and assess them on the skills they learn in these classes? Or come up with a grading system that assesses them on the middle school curriculum but also acknowledges all the modifications. For example, instead of "student will be able to add and subtract fractions with the use of the least common denominator", "student will be able to add and subtract fractions with the use of a fraction calculator"? I used this example because this is what I ran into in my math class earlier this week. If kids do not know their multiplication tables or know how to multiply, they cannot find the LCD.
Bill Muench said:
This is a typical teacher driven process delving into the “how” of grading without ever looking at the “why”.
We are trying to figure out “How to grade” without coming to common consensus on the purpose of our grading system. Do we do what is right or what is fair? Does the end justify the means?
Mastery and Grading are two totally different animals.
Mastery is a measure of how much a student understands of a subject at a given point in time. Retakes should count 100% if measuring mastery. Mastery is a totally objective measure. Standardized tests are an attempt a measuring mastery. Mastery is based on equity. When measuring student mastery of a subject, all that matters is how much they know and can apply. None of the following come into play:
- modified assignments
- modified grading
- effort
- growth
- behavior
- homework
- extra credit
- class work
- student’s best interest
Consistency is the key component in measuring mastery. (Same test, same environment, same everything)
Grading is a vehicle to communicate some hodgepodge of information to parents that includes mastery, effort, growth and behavior. For the most part, teachers use grades to do what is in a child’s best interest often using grades as a motivator. Although very inconsistent in methodology, the results teachers arrive at usually are fairly consistent. Student’s grades are fairly consistent from year to year.
We need to be very careful not to have grading based on just mastery. If we do, low level kids will fail irrespective of effort and growth. Do we really want middle school to be the time when kids get “F’s” based on their intellectual ability? Do we want to convey to some kids that regardless of how hard they try, they are failures? Do we want to convey to others that even if they do nothing they are still successful? Having a grading system based 100% on mastery is not in the best interest of middle school students. We all know that and we all find ways to do what is in each child’s best interest. Giving a non-mastery based grade may have a positive life long effect on a child. We need to ask the question “How would we like our child treated?” Would we like a teacher to deviate from the grading process if we thought that it would be a motivator or possibly have a lifelong impact for our child?
Mastery is a key component of grading but so are effort, growth and behavior. I have my students grade themselves on mastery, effort, growth and behavior using a rubric. I then grade them on the same categories and send it home to parents. The parents then grade them on all four categories. I send this home with report cards one or twice a year. It is my attempt to help parents with the disambiguation of our antediluvian grading system. I will be glad to share or explain my process.
What I find most interesting on the subject of mastery verses grading, is that no group fights harder to keep mastery out of their grading system than teachers. Teachers fight not to be evaluated on EOG/Test scores in lieu of a variety of ambiguous measures.
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