What is a Standards-Based Mindset?
Intrigued by what you've heard about standards-based grading? Here are some ideas to consider...
1. There is not one correct way to implement SBG in the classroom. SBG is a philosophy that emphasizes measuring students' mastery level of content. Educators across the country have found a variety of creative ways to shift the grading paradigm in their classroom. You can begin by taking small steps to ensure that your grades reflect student mastery!
2. Grades should reflect academic mastery and should not include "behavioral" scores that mask students' achievement. Behavioral scores refer to measurements such as homework grades, participation points, effort, and extra credit unrelated to content standards (ie, tissue boxes). It is important for us to ensure that the grades we are reporting truly reflect how well the students understand the content.
3. Separate your gradebook into content standards. Instead of reporting scores for "Chapter 9 Quiz" or "In-Class Essay #2," it is beneficial for us to report students' level of mastery on such content standards as "Graphing Quadratic Equations" or "Structuring an Effective Thesis Statement." This will allow students to “own” their progress toward mastering the content and show parents that their child is growing in specific skills.
4. Allow students to prove mastery using re-takes and alternative assessments. If we truly believe that grades should reflect student mastery, then shouldn't students be allowed to prove their mastery by re-assessing particular skills? Here's a question to ask yourself: "Does Suzie really have a lower level of understanding on a particular skill just because it took her two days longer to master it?"
An added benefit to this practice is that it empowers students, especially those with test anxiety. They begin to see assessments as a tool that they can use to identify their strengths and weaknesses instead of a tool that teachers use to pass judgment on their ability level.
5. Eliminate zeros from the gradebook. What does a zero communicate? Nothing. Inputting zeros for a missing assignment gives a numerical value to something that has not been assessed. Instead, try re-assessing the skill in an alternate method or referring to the student to a "work session" during lunch until he or she completes the assignment. Even more importantly, entering zeros into the gradebook can be counterproductive for student motivation. When students believe that it is impossible for them to significantly improve their grades, they begin to give up and enter into a state of learned helplessness or avoidance.
6. Do not penalize students academically for negative "behaviors" such as cheating and late assignments. Find alternate ways to report student behaviors through Synergy. It is possible to input homework scores such as "complete," "partial," "late," and "missing" without assigning a numeric score. This gives parents valuable information about their student's behavioral performance without negatively impacting their grades.
Reporting a zero or a reduced grade for cheating also masks the student's true level of understanding. When possible, try to find a way to re-assess the student's true understanding of the material. Truthfully, when students are given the option to re-take alternate assessments to prove mastery, they are less likely to cheat.
7. Re-think homework. Take a minute to reflect on the homework that you assign in your classroom. What is the purpose of these assignments? Is it to practice a skill or to learn a new one? Either way, homework is a formative task for which students should not be penalized for taking a risk. By grading homework (whether it's for completion or a "correctness" grade), we inadvertently encourage some students to cheat in order to complete assignments. This practice encourages completion and compliance over true understanding. Additionally, students who don't complete "practice" homework assignments but still ace the assessments should not be punished for requiring less practice than another student.
With the emphasis on practice and improvement in SBG, students will begin to see the intrinsic value in homework as a vehicle to content and skill mastery. "We can tell them this day after day with no effect, but when they see the assessment evidence speak for itself and understand that practice really does help, they will come to this realization themselves" (O'Connor, 2011, p. 111). Teachers implementing SBG in RCS have observed students regularly complete assignments with learning, as opposed to point accumulation, in mind.
8. Encourage the Growth Mindset in the classroom. This practice will do wonders for your students' confidence level in class. When students see their academic potential as malleable instead of fixed, they begin to take ownership of their own learning. The Growth Mindset is all about showing students that they can improve their performance (academically and otherwise) through structured practice and feedback from teachers and peers. By allowing re-assessment, you make your classroom a safer place for students to make mistakes and grow from these mistakes without the fear of academic punishment.
9. Use the content standards as the vehicle to develop and deepen student thinking and reflection. Using backwards design, teachers can create learning opportunities that align with learning targets. SBG allows us to develop clear targets for assessing and reporting students' content mastery.
1. There is not one correct way to implement SBG in the classroom. SBG is a philosophy that emphasizes measuring students' mastery level of content. Educators across the country have found a variety of creative ways to shift the grading paradigm in their classroom. You can begin by taking small steps to ensure that your grades reflect student mastery!
2. Grades should reflect academic mastery and should not include "behavioral" scores that mask students' achievement. Behavioral scores refer to measurements such as homework grades, participation points, effort, and extra credit unrelated to content standards (ie, tissue boxes). It is important for us to ensure that the grades we are reporting truly reflect how well the students understand the content.
3. Separate your gradebook into content standards. Instead of reporting scores for "Chapter 9 Quiz" or "In-Class Essay #2," it is beneficial for us to report students' level of mastery on such content standards as "Graphing Quadratic Equations" or "Structuring an Effective Thesis Statement." This will allow students to “own” their progress toward mastering the content and show parents that their child is growing in specific skills.
4. Allow students to prove mastery using re-takes and alternative assessments. If we truly believe that grades should reflect student mastery, then shouldn't students be allowed to prove their mastery by re-assessing particular skills? Here's a question to ask yourself: "Does Suzie really have a lower level of understanding on a particular skill just because it took her two days longer to master it?"
An added benefit to this practice is that it empowers students, especially those with test anxiety. They begin to see assessments as a tool that they can use to identify their strengths and weaknesses instead of a tool that teachers use to pass judgment on their ability level.
5. Eliminate zeros from the gradebook. What does a zero communicate? Nothing. Inputting zeros for a missing assignment gives a numerical value to something that has not been assessed. Instead, try re-assessing the skill in an alternate method or referring to the student to a "work session" during lunch until he or she completes the assignment. Even more importantly, entering zeros into the gradebook can be counterproductive for student motivation. When students believe that it is impossible for them to significantly improve their grades, they begin to give up and enter into a state of learned helplessness or avoidance.
6. Do not penalize students academically for negative "behaviors" such as cheating and late assignments. Find alternate ways to report student behaviors through Synergy. It is possible to input homework scores such as "complete," "partial," "late," and "missing" without assigning a numeric score. This gives parents valuable information about their student's behavioral performance without negatively impacting their grades.
Reporting a zero or a reduced grade for cheating also masks the student's true level of understanding. When possible, try to find a way to re-assess the student's true understanding of the material. Truthfully, when students are given the option to re-take alternate assessments to prove mastery, they are less likely to cheat.
7. Re-think homework. Take a minute to reflect on the homework that you assign in your classroom. What is the purpose of these assignments? Is it to practice a skill or to learn a new one? Either way, homework is a formative task for which students should not be penalized for taking a risk. By grading homework (whether it's for completion or a "correctness" grade), we inadvertently encourage some students to cheat in order to complete assignments. This practice encourages completion and compliance over true understanding. Additionally, students who don't complete "practice" homework assignments but still ace the assessments should not be punished for requiring less practice than another student.
With the emphasis on practice and improvement in SBG, students will begin to see the intrinsic value in homework as a vehicle to content and skill mastery. "We can tell them this day after day with no effect, but when they see the assessment evidence speak for itself and understand that practice really does help, they will come to this realization themselves" (O'Connor, 2011, p. 111). Teachers implementing SBG in RCS have observed students regularly complete assignments with learning, as opposed to point accumulation, in mind.
8. Encourage the Growth Mindset in the classroom. This practice will do wonders for your students' confidence level in class. When students see their academic potential as malleable instead of fixed, they begin to take ownership of their own learning. The Growth Mindset is all about showing students that they can improve their performance (academically and otherwise) through structured practice and feedback from teachers and peers. By allowing re-assessment, you make your classroom a safer place for students to make mistakes and grow from these mistakes without the fear of academic punishment.
9. Use the content standards as the vehicle to develop and deepen student thinking and reflection. Using backwards design, teachers can create learning opportunities that align with learning targets. SBG allows us to develop clear targets for assessing and reporting students' content mastery.
Ready to get started with Standards-Based Grading? Visit the First Steps page to see where you can begin!
For more information about Standards-Based Grading, please visit the Resources page.
For more information about Standards-Based Grading, please visit the Resources page.