Many teachers tend to agree with the "Standards-Based Mindset." We believe that grades should accurately reflect a student's level of mastery at the end of the semester. We feel a sense of cognitive dissonance when we believe a student's progress has been misrepresented through inaccurate grades.
Regardless of the situation, we can take action in our own classroom to ensure that grades are a fair representation of our students' mastery. Here are some policies that you can implement in your own classroom, starting as soon as the fall!
- Perhaps a student clearly has mastered the material but is involved in many extracurricular activities, so she was not able to turn in all of her homework assignments on time. The late penalties are really bringing her grade down.
- Perhaps a student had a rough start at the beginning of the semester but finished stronger than you had imagined! Unfortunately, the first few chapter tests are weighing heavily on his semester grade.
- Perhaps a student takes a little bit longer than the average student to master the material in your course. They always put in a good effort and end up getting there, but they just need a little more time! Unfortunately, they don't quite "get it" in time for the assessments, so their grade is much lower than you believe it should be.
Regardless of the situation, we can take action in our own classroom to ensure that grades are a fair representation of our students' mastery. Here are some policies that you can implement in your own classroom, starting as soon as the fall!
Three Easy Ways to Embrace Standards-Based Grading
1. Reconsider your homework policies. Make sure the homework that you give students is meaningful practice. Before counting homework as a grade, considering the following:
For more information about effective homework practices, feel free to read the first chapter of ASCD's The Cult(ure) of Homework or the "Homework" chapter in Grading Smarter, Not Harder by Myron Dueck.
2. Allow re-assessment to give students the chance to re-learn and prove mastery. We all know that students take different amounts of time to master material. In the grand scheme of things, it really doesn't matter whether or not a student masters a skill the day after an assessment. Consider giving students the opportunity to re-assess particular skills with which they had difficulty the first time around. The re-assessment does not have to be a new test. You can give students an alternate assessment in any form that you choose, including:
For more information about re-assessment, consider reading the "Retesting" chapter in Grading Smarter, Not Harder by Myron Dueck. Dane Ehlert wrote an eloquent piece on how re-assessment can promote a Growth Mindset.
3. Separate your gradebook into standards instead of assignments. By making this simple change, you can ensure that your grades have meaning! Students will have more accurate information about their progress through the semester and parents will have an increased ability to provide appropriate support along the way. This is the easiest way to help students take ownership of their learning.
More information on how to make Integrade work for you can be found here.
- Was it easy for students to copy or cheat on this assignment?
- Will you assign a "completion grade" for the assignment?
- Was this assignment practice for a skill that was just learned in class?
For more information about effective homework practices, feel free to read the first chapter of ASCD's The Cult(ure) of Homework or the "Homework" chapter in Grading Smarter, Not Harder by Myron Dueck.
2. Allow re-assessment to give students the chance to re-learn and prove mastery. We all know that students take different amounts of time to master material. In the grand scheme of things, it really doesn't matter whether or not a student masters a skill the day after an assessment. Consider giving students the opportunity to re-assess particular skills with which they had difficulty the first time around. The re-assessment does not have to be a new test. You can give students an alternate assessment in any form that you choose, including:
- Oral examination - ask the student a few questions to assess their new level of understanding
- Project - ask the student to create a visual representation of their understanding of a skill
- Short quiz - give the student a few questions that specifically target the skill in question
- Assess old information retroactively on a new class assessment - this can save you time if many students need to re-assess a particular skill
For more information about re-assessment, consider reading the "Retesting" chapter in Grading Smarter, Not Harder by Myron Dueck. Dane Ehlert wrote an eloquent piece on how re-assessment can promote a Growth Mindset.
3. Separate your gradebook into standards instead of assignments. By making this simple change, you can ensure that your grades have meaning! Students will have more accurate information about their progress through the semester and parents will have an increased ability to provide appropriate support along the way. This is the easiest way to help students take ownership of their learning.
More information on how to make Integrade work for you can be found here.