There is nowhere to hide with standards-based grading and reporting!

My biggest “a-ha” from our first semester of standards-based learning, grading, and reporting is that our teachers’ grading practices are exposed at a level that we have never experienced before.  I did not anticipate this, but I do welcome it as it challenges our entire organization to effectively communicate student learning to the absolute best of our ability.  

In our traditional grading system our teachers would deliver the same high level of instruction, however, the grading feedback given to the students for multiple standards would be consolidated into one overall score.  In our standards-based system we are communicating feedback with specificity to each strand or standards that have been covered; our new system provides more information and a deeper dive into each student’s performance and growth.

Some parents, teachers, and students interpret this high level of exposure as increasingly subjective grading practices.  It is fair to think that, but I would argue the opposite.  Everything our teachers do is more visible and any subjectivity is now placed under a microscope that did not exist before.  This is a good thing as we want to be as transparent and communicative as possible when it comes to our students’ learning.  

The reality is that subjectivity in grading is inescapable.  This is true of any grading and reporting system under the sun.  Our goal is to do all that we can to minimize subjectivity in order to best identify and communicate student learning.  A standards-based system reduces subjectivity; meeting or not meeting expectations are far clearer targets than assigning a letter grade.  The fact that we can continue to discuss over the course of months whether an A, a B, or some line in between, reflects meeting expectations in a traditional system demonstrates just that point.

Spending a short time more on letter grades, it is important to note that there simply is no perfect formula to translate or equivocate standards-based reporting to a letter grade system.  Respecting the opinions of all of the stakeholders on this topic, I would personally do away with letter grades altogether if I could change one thing about our current system.  One teacher anecdote that struck me was from 6th grade where the students spent the first semester focused on whether or not they met or exceeded standards.  Once the first report card was released they completely shifted their language to whether or not were earning an “A.”  The focus in this particular class shifted away from growth towards standards to the attainment of a letter that could have multiple meanings.  Moving forward, I anticipate the integration of letter grades will remain a significant point of conversation and reflection, as it should.

Our teachers are working hard, they are working smart, they are working to master the intricacies of a new system, and they are embracing feedback in order to improve our practices and best promote student growth.  They truly get the philosophy of standards-based learning, grading, and reporting.  That does not negate the reality that change is a process and time is needed in order to masterfully implement what we know to be best practice.

As a staff at Caruso Middle School, we have spent the past couple of weeks discussing several trends that have emerged from survey feedback.  We continue to reflect, refine, and revise to uphold best practices in standards-based learning, grading, and reporting.  These feedback trends include the below areas which will be explored in greater detail in a short series of posts that will follow this one:

As we continue to learn and grow together on our SBL journey please do not hesitate to reach out to myself or any staff member at Caruso Middle School to ask questions or provide feedback.