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An Introduction to Standards-Based Grading

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An Introduction to Standards-Based Grading

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An Introduction to Standards-Based Grading

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Communicating Personlized Learning to Familes and Stakeholders

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Communicating Personlized Learning to Familes and Stakeholders

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Communicating Personalized Learning to Families and Stakeholders

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If you are interested in participating in a book study over Genius Hour please let Daniel know.

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This is a podcast from the Google Teacher Tribe and they talked about ePortfolios and provided some examples.

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This is what we wrote on the board during the goal setting process.

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Great Genius Hour and 20% Time resources including grade level success stories, why you would want to do Genius hour, how 20% time works, how to get started, how to work through issues, and how to communicate with parents about the projects.

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This is a company that helps schools with project based learning.

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Design thinking tools to tackle real-world problems.

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12 ways to really make Genius Hour work in your class

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12 ways to really make Genius Hour work in your class

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Lots of schools and classrooms are making innovation a priority and changing how day-to-day school is done.

Don Wettrick's students take it to a whole new level.

Don teaches "Innovation Class," where students take on a project that connects with their passions. In this class, his students have created apps, designed new products and created events. One of his students worked with local government to create a program where low-income families could use their government food benefits to buy from a local farmer's market.

It's a class unlike anything you'd see at almost any school. But at heart, it's driven by the same thing that drives Genius Hour: helping kids pursue what's important to them and what's important to the people they serve.

Genius Hour is the idea of giving students 20 percent of their class time to pursue projects related to their passions. The concept is broad and intentionally open-ended, and the results can be phenomenal.

(In the past, I've written about reasons to try Genius Hour this school year, ideas to consider in Genius Hour, and tools to try with Genius Hour.)

At a recent conference I attended in Indiana, Don gave a keynote speech on innovation in schools and a breakout session on how to make Genius Hour work. As is the case whenever I hear Don talk, I left feeling completely inspired.

Here's the sketchnote I did of Don's keynote on innovation in the classroom (click for full size):

Don has TONS of resources for anyone interested in bringing student passion-driven projects or innovation in general into the classroom. You can find them at:

His breakout session was where the rubber met the road. He didn't lead a pre-planned workshop. He led a conversation and dropped some serious knowledge bombs.
Here are 12 of my key takeaways from his session on Genius Hour:
1. "Education is a rotary phone. Rotary phones aren't broken, they're obsolete. - Naveen Jain" Don mentioned this quote from Jain, a billionaire whose next venture is to harvest minerals from the moon. Don's class Skyped with Jain - a brilliant mind who they had access to just because they asked. I thought this quote highlighted exactly why we need Genius Hour and classes like Don's innovation class.

2. "If you try this, it'll be a miserable failure for the first year." Don's statement about starting Genius Hour or an innovation class was actually encouraging to me. My students did Genius Hour for a year and I thought it was a mess. Turns out that's normal! Don said a big hurdle is battling this mentality in students: "What do I need to do today to get an A tomorrow?" A culture shift is necessary to create success.

3. Watch the Dan Pink TED Talk. Don mentioned this fantastic TED Talk, "The puzzle of motivation," in which Dan Pink describes three driving factors in motivation: mastery, autonomy and purpose. I remember listening to the audio version of this TED Talk for the first time. I literally had to stop my car, pull out a notepad and scribble furious notes. It was that ground shifting. (If you've seen it, it's worth another watch!)

4. How should we spend our time in class? Don provided this framework as a suggestion:

50 percent: the standards

30 percent: project-based learning

20 percent: student passion-driven projects

This made sense to me. No longer do we need to fill our students' heads with knowledge when it's just a Google search away. This puts the idea of "What can you do with what you've learned" into practice.

5. "Most students don't hit the ground running." I've heard Don say in podcasts and in presentations that many of his students start his innovation class chasing grades. How does he break them of that?

Encourage kids to take risks, and then don't punish them when they

Learn from Stanford University professor Tina Seelig's failure resume. She asks students not to show their successes but their failures. We often learn more from them.

6. How do you do Genius Hour in elementary school? Don says his favorite time to incorporate Genius Hour is in elementary school. Middle school is OK. Ideally, high school isn't the best and is too late. Elementary-school students aren't too young. They're primed for Genius Hour, and the elementary classroom is built for it.

For elementary students, Minecraft is the gateway to innovation, Don says. When they use it, they create. They collaborate. They use problem solving. All of those 21st Century skills are in play.

Don suggests pitching the idea to students. Then, tell them you're skeptical (even if you're not). "I don't know if there is educational value in this," you tell them. Then, they convince you why it supports education and the standards.

You don't know how to do Minecraft? That's OK, Don says. They do. Let them teach you. Then, let them split into teams and build villages together.

7. "The greatest tech at our school is LOTS of whiteboards." Don and his students do their best brainstorming with whiteboards. Walking around opens brain pathways. Don's students have whiteboards on wheels. They'll walk around the school and roll a whiteboard with them. It's a mobile brainstorming session playing on the brain science - physical activity stimulates good ideas!

8. Don described the "gold standard of innovation time" - the "collect and connect" activity. Here's how it works:

Ask, "What are you passionate about?" If that doesn't generate discussion, it's because students don't think it's cool to be passionate about anything. You'll generate discussion if you ask instead, "What do you hate?"

Brainstorm ideas. Write them all down without judging. Then, when you're done, tell them, "Now double the list." If you had 20 ideas, make it 40.

When Don does this and they're done brainstorming, he'll say: "Connect two things and you have a great idea. Connect three and you're unstoppable."

This is how they generate ideas for projects. One class combined these three ideas:

no students seemed to know the students with Down's Syndrome

kids felt sleepy in the morning and weren't alert in class

local businesses weren't supported as well as big corporations

They took these three seemingly disconnected ideas and innovated. They created a coffee house at the school run by students with Down's Syndrome. The coffee was sourced through a local coffee shop.

Students got to know the students with Down's Syndrome better. Coffee house patrons were more alert in class. And the local coffee shop got a boost.

9. "Don't be afraid of quitting." Students should have more freedom to leave a project when it isn't working or if they're not passionate about it anymore, Don said. When you fundamentally hate an idea for a project, jump ship and try something new.

10. How do you bring those great ideas into action? Don shared the "ROTH IRA" method:

Realization (wow, this is a great idea!)

Open discussion (your idea will be judged. And that's a good thing.)

Tussling (it's a good idea, a bad idea or you can come to common ground)

Homogeneous grouping (putting students together to brainstorm)

Ideation (generate ideas and build it)

Reflect (don't write me a flowery essay ... what didn't work?)

Adjust (make changes based on reflection)

11. Set deadlines. Produce something every two weeks. Don tells his students: You have all the time in the world. But saying that they're going to pursue a single project all year is a recipe for procrastination and underachievement. "Micro it. Chunk it," Don says. Set a short deadline and produce results. We don't need as much time as we think.

12. "You can be in Indiana and have access to practically anyone." Don's students don't need to be in a major megalopolis to make connections to experts that can mentor them. Don's class Skyped with the aformentioned Naveen Jain, who told them, "If your idea isn't big enough, you're not trying hard enough." Once, they were curious about the conflict in Gaza. Within a couple days, they Skyped people on both sides of the issue into their class. They also connected with Tim Ferriss, author of "The 4-Hour Workweek", who inspired them and gave them suggestions. This all happened just because they asked.
For notifications of new Ditch That Textbook content and helpful links: Interested in having Matt present at your event or school? Contact him by e-mail! Matt is scheduled to present at the following upcoming events:

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12 ways to really make Genius Hour work in your class

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Lots of schools and classrooms are making innovation a priority and changing how day-to-day school is done. Don Wettrick's students take it to a whole new level. Don teaches "Innovation Class," where students take on a project that connects with their passions. In this class, his students have created apps, designed new products and created events.

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What if all PE teacher had 4th block off, leaving the gym open. Giving opportunity for a schedule like this: lunch, recess/study hall, TA.

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What does Personalized Learning & Personalized Schooling look like in your district? The answer matters.

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Rick talks about the grading scale and what does the 0 mean on this scale. It is a really interesting watch.

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Change involves the celebration of successes and the reflection on shortfalls. As my school has undertaken the task of transitioning from a traditional grading system to standards-based grading, we've learned a great deal along the way. We have observed a shift in the school culture from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset (Dweck, 2008).

Under standards-based grading, our teachers have created an opportunity for students to persevere in the face of challenges. Students are measured on their proficiency of content standards. Some demonstrate early mastery and are able to move on to more difficult concepts, while others may require reteaching. Teachers are able to easily identify those students who may need some support in order to demonstrate proficiency. Students are beginning to understand and value the process of learning, rather than just earning a grade.

Although I've observed many great aspects of standards-based grading, I've also had many great discussions with other educators on how we can improve our implementation. I've detailed below three peaks (successes) and three pits (areas of improvement) that I've observed with our change to standards-based grading.

The 3 Peaks

Growth Mindset

Teachers are able to use ongoing formative assessments as a way to guide classroom instruction. Students are able to practice their mastery of standards without the penalty of receiving a poor grade in the gradebook. The process of reteaching creates an opportunity for both teachers and students to learn from their mistakes.

Teachers are able to reflect on instruction and evaluate if their lessons truly met the needs of their learners. Students are able to focus their efforts on concepts they struggled to understand and the option for reassessment. Together, reteaching and reassessment allow for all stakeholders to experience that intelligence can be developed and is not set in stone (Dweck, 2008).

Quality Curriculum and Assessments

Standards-based grading requires me to closely examine the actual standards of my content and evaluate the predetermined objectives. Without a clear set of measurable standards, there cannot be quality classroom instruction.

This year has been challenging, as departments have had to redesign instruction and assessments in order to create the opportunity for students to demonstrate proficiency. I've also been able to design assessments that allow for multiple methods of demonstrating mastery of content standards. Although this process has been a lot of work, I've never felt more involved in my curriculum.

Clear Communication

Standards-based grading allows me to clearly communicate with students and parents where individuals are with their understanding of each concept. No longer are students able to hide behind weighted averages and positive academic behaviors such as attendance.

Students should be motivated toward mastery of the material and not demotivated by trying hard and still getting a bad grade on an assessment, only to have to move right along to the next concept without gaining any insight. Standards-based grading allows me to clearly communicate with students about why they did poorly on the previous assessment, and to offer them a chance to work harder toward gaining mastery of the material and demonstrating their ability to achieve.

The 3 Pits

Teaching Responsibility

"I like the overall goal. But I don't want children to always think they can re-do things so they don't try their best the first time" (anonymous parent). I've had many parents communicate a similar concern to me throughout the school year so far. Although some are grateful for reteaching and reassessment, others are worried that we are not preparing their children for the "real world." I communicate to these parents that we are trying to encourage students to value persistence and appreciate effort in order to reach higher levels of achievement, which will benefit them into adulthood.

More Time?

All educators experience the need for more time in the school day, week, month, and year! Reteaching and reassessment opportunities have created additional work for classroom teachers. They are now grading assessments and subsequent reassessments which can take up a significant amount of time.

Many teachers utilize their regular classroom time for reteaching while allowing those students who demonstrated mastery to move on to more challenging concepts independently. Scheduling reassessments has been a challenge, as some teachers have digital assessments that require the computer lab. As more teachers convert to digital assessments and reassessments, the demand for technology has increased schoolwide.

Remaking the Wheel

Although I feel more connected to my curriculum, it's because I find myself redesigning many formative and summative assessments. Some of the activities or projects that I'd previously used in my classroom had been passed on to me by veteran teachers. Upon closer examination, these resources were very well designed but did not effectively offer the opportunity for students to demonstrate proficiency of content standards. I believe that after this year, I will be able to reflect on and fine tune my new assessments without having to redesign entire curriculum units.

These are just a few examples of how standards-based grading has impacted my school culture. Please leave your ideas and comments below about how standards-based grading has been implemented at your school.

Research

Dweck, Carol S. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Ballantine Books trade pbk. ed. New York: Ballantine Books, 2008.

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3 Peaks and 3 Pits of Standards-Based Grading

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Change involves the celebration of successes and the reflection on shortfalls. As my school has undertaken the task of transitioning from a traditional grading system to standards-based grading, we've learned a great deal along the way. We have observed a shift in the school culture from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset (Dweck, 2008).

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What is Standards-based learning and why use it

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What is Standards-based learning and why use it

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This is a video Blue Valley West HS Foreigh Language uses to show parents what Standards Based learning is.

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This is a presentation that was given at ECET2 on Standards Based Learning.

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Adding a "FLEX" hour to our schedule to accommodate priority for electives that are attached  to different personalized learning avenues.

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Adding a "FLEX" hour to our schedule to accommodate priority for electives that are attached  to different personalized learning avenues.

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KSDE provides a great list of websites where we can help kids find the careers that best fit their interests. Check it out!

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Kansas State Department of Education > Home > Quick Links > Career Interest Inventory

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Student Portfolio Apps and Websites | Common Sense Education

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Track student projects and showcase their work with these digital portfolio tools fit for school use. Explore this Student Portfolio Apps and Websites Top Picks list of 14 tools curated by Common Sense Education editors to find relevant and engaging edtech solutions for your classroom.

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6 examples of what personalized learning could look like.

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We have a few answers to this question. One is that personalized learning always involves these core four elements - targeted instruction, data-driven decisions, flexible content, and student reflection and ownership. Check out our Core Four white paper for a more detailed description of these elements, as well as classroom examples.

Another answer is that, "it depends" - we believe strongly in the design thinking process, and that school leaders and teachers are in the best place to put together instructional models that meet the needs of their students. Check out this great blog post on the process by my colleague, Kelly!

That being said, we realize that we can never answer this question enough. In response to this demand, here is a short collection of videos, photos, artifacts, and teacher testimonies that we hope will help illustrate what personalized learning could look like at your school or district. Some of these examples are from Education Elements districts and schools, and some are from other places!

Personalized learning is: Incorporating Self-Reflection and Goal-Setting

In Middletown, NY , the school culture incorporates student reflection and goal-setting starting with the youngest grades. Check out these classroom photos of goal-setting artifacts.

From a Middletown teacher: "[Students] use a Google form, and t
he forms are sent to me automatically so I am able to instantaneously see how they are self-assessing. It gives them a sense of accountability and it also lets me be aware of how they think they did... I use their self-assessment to help guide my instruction and to help group them for math and ELA." Check out this classroom teacher as she talks about her approach to Student Ownership & Reflection
Personalized Learning is: Flexible & Intentional Master Schedules

In Wake County, NC, school leaders at Rogers Lane Elementary School have created a master schedule that's aligned to their three core principles: Agents of Change, Out of this World Learning, and Intentional and Reciprocal Relationships. While it's still a work in progress, the schedule does a wonderful job of showing the back-end work it takes to explicitly incorporate co-teaching, multi-level classrooms, student choice, and blocks for targeted small-group instruction.

Additionally, to help parents and students better understand how this schedule would affect a student's daily experience, Rogers Lane created a "Day in the Life of" Primer .
Check out this classroom teacher as she talks about her approach to Flexible Path and Pace Check out this video from a high school teacher, where she describes how she has students use a digital tool to demonstrate their ability to collect and analyze data from a field exercise.
Personalized Learning is: Using Digital Content and Tools in a Purposeful Way - Flexible Path and Pace
Check out from an elementary school teacher about how he uses a portfolio of digital content tools in his classes. These last 2 videos are part of a larger collection of great this video videos from BetterLesson on blended learning strategies.

Personalized Learning is: Incorporating Personalized Playlists

Many personalized learning classrooms incorporate flexible pacing by having students go through content via playlists. However, not all playlists are personalized.

My colleague Brittany, in partnership with teachers and school leaders at Rochester School District, NH, put together this helpful Playlist Building 101 Guide that describes how to build a personalized learning playlist.

Personalized Learning is: Planning for Flexible Seating
Photo: Loudoun County Public Schools (VA), Twitter #LoudounPL Photo: Loudoun County Public Schools (VA), Twitter #LoudounPL

Flexible seating is a popular strategy because it is a physical manifestation of targeted, fluid instruction. With a focus on student choice and comfort, flexible seating is a great way to convey to students, "You matter."

Edutopia has a terrific article specifically focused on flexible seating at the high school level, including classroom photos and teacher testimonies. Ashley Rice Broomfield, a 1st grade teacher, shares, " I am in my 13th year of teaching, but this is my first year incorporating flexible seating into my classroom. I will never go back to traditional seating."

EdSurge also has a great post on 10+ brain-based methods to redesign your classroom, and how to include your students in the redesign process. We love this quote: "A good friend of mine often reminds me that we aren't raising a class of second graders, but in fact, we are raising future adults. She says, 'If they're old enough to do it for themselves, they should not only be allowed to, but expected to do so.'"

Finally, see these pictures above from our awesome partners in Loudoun County Public Schools, VA!

check out the BONUS:#LoudounPL hashtag for more amazing pictures of how Loudoun County schools are personalizing learning.

Personalized Learning is: Involving Students in Grading Conversations

Prolific blogger Catlin Tucker offers another great strategy - including "grade interviews" with students. Tucker shares, " As grade reporting approaches, I sit down with every single student for a grade interview. Students come to these grade interviews prepared with a formal argument. These conversations are invaluable. Students walk away knowing exactly what they need to work on or what they are doing well. Also, I feel like I know my students so much better because we sit down and chat about their learning every 5-6 weeks!" Check out her full blog post !

Additionally, student-led conferences (SLC's) can be a great way to engage both students and parents in reflection. In an SLC, a student might not only explain what progress he or she is making, but why it is that progress is occurring. This Edutopia post has a great set of resources on SLC's, sourced from articles like this Atlantic piece to protocols and videos of SLC's in action.

To learn more about how these examples build on the core four elements of personalized learning, check out our white paper.

More Personalized Learning reading

Blog: Personalizing Learning: Getting it Right

Blog: Personalizing Learning: Reflection and Goal-Setting

Blog: How to Pick the Right Instructional Model for Your Classroom

Blog: Personalizing Learning: Flexible Pace & Path

Blog: Personalizing Learning: Targeted Instruction

Blog: Personalizing Learning: Collaboration & Creativity

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Six Examples of What Personalized Learning Looks Like

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Personalized learning takes different forms in different classrooms - here are six examples of what personalized learning looks like.

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Before I go any further, let me say that we realize just how fortunate we are. We have resources that many schools can only dream about (but with a great crowdfunding initiative, that needn't be the case). Northfield is a small town of just under 9,000 people, and a single-building K-8 district. Our per-pupil costs ($16,292 in 2014) are consistently less than New Jersey's state average ($18,891 in 2014). We have extremely supportive community organizations that fundraise tirelessly for us. We, in turn, work hard to wisely design innovative educational experiences for our kids.

The Lure of Bright, Shiny Objects

Makerspaces are too often defined by things -- hardware, software, other technologies -- which can engender a shopping-list mentality among people interested in creating such a learning environment. A true makerspace is defined not by what's in it but rather by what comes out of it: projects, experiences, artifacts, and learning. The tools are just a means to an end. With that proviso, here are the 20 most important tools being used in our space right now.

1. Writeable Desk Surfaces

We want students to collaborate effortlessly, express themselves freely, and do so in ways not possible in other classrooms. We painted several walls in our space with clear dry-erase paint, but more importantly, we painted the work tables with it, too. This is by far the most powerful and popular feature in our Digital Shop. Kids love the freedom that comes with writing on the tables with dry-erase markers. It's fun, fast, easy to clean up, inexpensive, and a winner! We also have this fantastic paint on two wall spaces. Check out this hyperlapse video shot by a student!

2. Hot Glue Guns

Yes, that crafting essential has found its way into our space, and it's probably the second-most popular tool so far. Why? Hot glue does amazing things. It binds dissimilar materials with ease and strength, allowing students to quickly create amazingly detailed prototypes. Cleanup is a snap, and the glue is easily removed, making most parts easily recyclable for other projects. The guns are inexpensive and allow us to talk about and practice tool safety.

3. Chromebooks & Google Apps for Education

4. PCs & PC-Based Software

Sometimes, we need software that doesn't run on Chromebooks. When Mrs. Stephanie Terista, our seventh-grade ELA teacher, brought her students in to create 3D dioramas for the book Bud, Not Buddy, she had them use our Dell laptops and the free Sketchup Make program. We have 12 PC laptops for students to use and share.

5. Quadrille-Ruled Pads/Journals

Students learn sketching skills in my program, because sketches help them understand how things work and fit together. With sketches, they brainstorm ideas and document their work. We started the school year with quadrille-ruled pads but have since purchased and given every student quadrille-ruled composition books, which they'll use as design journals for the entire school year.

6. littleBits™ Modules

We were very fortunate that our PTO funded a littleBits Pro Library, a massive collection of sophisticated, LEGO-like electronic blocks that snap together, allowing creative minds to bring ideas to life. When combined with found materials like cardboard, the only limit is the kids' imagination.

7. 3D Design Tools

Before talking about our 3D printers, I want to emphasize that 3D design is the crucial part -- 3D printers don't make kids into engineers any more than laser printers makes them into writers. It's not about the tool, it's about what you do with it. We love Tinkercad. It's free, fabulous, and easy to use. We also love the lessons in Autodesk's Project Ignite, which is based on Tinkercad and is also free.

8. 3D Printers

9. Ready, Set, Design

Ready, Set, Design is a fabulous 45-minute activity that teaches students what it's like to do authentic design via rapid prototyping. It's free, fun, and suitable for learners of all ages.

10. The Extraordinaires™ Design Studio

This imaginative, inexpensive kit is a massive collection of colorful character cards, design challenges, and other resources providing a fantastic introduction to design thinking. Kids are challenged to create solutions that solve problems for these characters using traditional crafting supplies. Their detailed prototypes are whimsical, imaginative, and just plain fun.

11. Dollar Store Items

12. Free Visual Programming Tools

Students love Scratch and Tickle, which they use for a variety of purposes, from creating book-based video games with Raspberry Pi to commanding our drone armies.

13. Robots/Drones

We have a Parrot Rolling Spider, a Sphero, an Ollie, and two sets of Dash and Dot Wonder Robots. To be honest, we haven't done much formal learning with them because it's still early in the school year. However, that doesn't stop kids from constantly picking them up and playing with them. Our intent is challenging the kids to program them instead of just flying or driving them. We'll be reinforcing that need for algorithmic skills and knowledge soon.

14. Raspberry Pi

As mentioned above, we're working on using Raspberry Pi to create book-based video games. Despite our best efforts, though, the Pi cannot run Scratch 2.0, so our programs need to be written in Scratch 1.4. That said, we do love this Raspberry Pi Starter Kit.

15. iPads

We only have two Airs (three, counting my personal iPad) but they've been invaluable for multimedia content creation with iMovie, photography, and green-screening (we prefer the Touchast app).

16. Shop Aprons & Goggles

17. LEGOs

I wanted LEGOs for my classroom but was apprehensive about making such a costly purchase. Instead, I asked for donations and scored big time. One family donated 30 pounds of LEGOs, which we use in projects and also when we have extra time for a five-minute LEGO design challenge.

18. Hand Tools

19. Slatwall

While our versatile walls aren't a tool per se, they're important to the function and style of the makerspace. Slatwall panels add much-needed storage capability and look fantastic.

20. Vinyl Lettering

Inspired by the PBS documentary If You Build It, I wanted our program "mantra" proudly displayed on our wall in giant, colorful lettering. Application was a snap (thanks to dedicated parent volunteer Mrs. Monica Keenan). The letters form the basis of the "threshold experience" as the first thing people see when entering the room.

So there you have it, Digital Shop's Top 20 tools and resources. There are others that we didn't include only because we haven't had time to use them yet. Next month, we'll focus on a more detailed review of what's going well in our middle school makerspace -- and what could improve -- as we head into winter recess. Thanks for reading!

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Middle School Maker Journey: Top 20 Technologies and Tools

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Before I go any further, let me say that we realize just how fortunate we are. We have resources that many schools can only dream about (but with a great crowdfunding initiative, that needn't be the case). Northfield is a small town of just under 9,000 people, and a single-building K-8 district.

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A sensory room-a therapeutic space with a variety of equipment that provides students with special needs with personalized sensory input-helps these children calm and focus themselves so they can be better prepared for learning and interacting with others. In April, Edutopia published the story of Meriden Public Schools in Connecticut, including a video about the district's sensory room at Hanover Elementary School, which provides support services for students with a wide range of special needs.

This article includes detailed information about how to create a sensory room for your own community, as well as answers to some of the questions we received after publishing the video. If you're interested in finding an existing sensory room in your area, we suggest calling a local occupational therapist for a referral.

What Are the Benefits of a Sensory Room?

Improved services: Meriden Public Schools students with special needs were previously sent outside the district to receive services. According to Patricia Sullivan-Kowalski, Meriden's director of pupil personnel, this resulted in students feeling less connected to their community. By creating their own sensory room, administrators gained the ability to keep students in their community and provide them with a safe place in a least restrictive environment.

Improved student outcomes: Sullivan-Kowalski says the sensory room at Hanover has had a positive impact on students, who "are better able to follow directions and spend more time on task," she says. "With that, we see a decrease in negative behaviors. The students are very motivated. They want to go to the sensory room."

Cost savings: Setting up a sensory room costs less than sending students out for support services. To pay for Hanover's sensory room, Mark Benigni, the Meriden district superintendent, reallocated support services funds, covering the room and its equipment, staff, and professional development.

How Is the Sensory Room Used? What Student Objectives Does It Meet?

The Hanover sensory room was designed primarily for autistic students, but over time it has expanded to support all students, including those with vision difficulties, language difficulties, learning disabilities, emotional disturbances, all kindergartners, and any student who needs a safe, quiet room to calm their body. "We often find that practices designed to meet the needs of the most challenging students in a school are effective for all kids," says Peter Poutiatine, Edutopia's school selection coordinator, who researches successful school practices.

When creating the sensory room, Meriden educators focused on incorporating proprioception, the awareness of where your body is in space, and the vestibular system, the sense of balance. Students with challenges in proprioception appear clumsy-they're not able to get in line without being right on top of the next student, for example. The educators give these students a lot of so-called heavy work, like bouncing and jumping, to help develop this sense. Students with vestibular challenges have trouble balancing, so they use a platform swing that helps improve this sense. Having students work on their proprioceptive and vestibular systems helps them become aware of how their bodies move and how they can control their movements.

A sensory room can be used to meet multiple objectives, depending on each student's needs. The Hanover room in the video above has a variety of stations that were designed primarily to help students with proprioceptive and vestibular issues be better able to self-regulate. The room measures about 1,200 square feet-it was previously a kindergarten.

Working with an occupational therapist and a physical therapist, special needs students attend the sensory room for a half hour a day. Meriden educators adjust the following program to meet individual students' needs:

Bouncing ball: Students always start by bouncing on a ball in time to a metronome. It's very important to provide consistency, and starting (and ending) each session on a bouncing ball allows for ease of transition and provides predictability. Next, students either do a set rotation among the stations or make their own choices.

Circuit rotation or chosen activities: After the ball, a student may do a set rotation, visiting several stations for three to five minutes. This provides a great deal of sensory input and exposes students to the different areas of the room. Or a student may choose a desired activity and stay there for a directed amount of time. It's very important that students have enough time in a chosen station to feel the desired effect.

Yoga: The occupational and physical therapists have posted images of yoga poses on the walls in the Hanover sensory room, and make themselves available to help as needed.

Bouncing ball: Students end each session by bouncing on a ball.

Who Designed the Room?

Meriden Public Schools' head of occupational therapy, Kathleen Fritz Romania, and lead physical therapist, Heather McDonnell, designed the room. They worked with others, including the district's lead behavior analyst, the speech and language pathologist, and the special ed teacher, to ensure that the programming supported specific goals concerning behavior, communication, and academic skills.

What Do You Need to Get Started With a Sensory Room?

The team at Meriden agrees that you don't have to spend a lot of money to get started. "If you put down carpet, paint the walls a calming color, and put light fabric over the lights, your students will feel a change right away when they walk into the room," says McDonnell, the physical therapist.

You can also use equipment that doesn't cost a lot: Therapy balls, battle ropes, and scooter boards are very inexpensive and have numerous applications with students. You can also make your own sensory bins-plastic dishwashing containers filled with rice and dried beans will work.

What Equipment Does the Sensory Room Have?

The sensory room at Hanover Elementary has equipment that's designed to give students a variety of sensory inputs. For example:

1. Bouncing balls: When students enter the sensory room, they go directly to the bounce area for opening circle-an exercise in which they bounce on balls in time with a metronome. This provides full body input, but can easily overstimulate some students, so this activity should be closely supervised. Staff members also use the balls to "squish" students, pressing into their backs as they lie on the floor, which provides deep pressure. Meriden educators recommend the Bosu (half ball), therapy balls, and Lily Pads. The balls are for therapeutic use only, not for play.

2. Whiteboard: After bouncing, students go to the whiteboard station, where they can use magnetic letters or do Lazy 8s with markers to develop fine motor skills. This station is also the choice area, where students decide which stations they want to visit. Once they choose a station, they remain there for three to five minutes and then either transition around the room or return to the whiteboard to make another choice.

3. Light wall, punching bag, and battle ropes: The light wall allows for heavy work, which gives students the safe proprioceptive input they need to calm their body and feel more oriented in space. The students may use heavy red balls to hit the lights. There are many games, including Simon and Connect Four. At Hanover, students use the light wall either individually or in pairs. A punching bag and thick battle ropes also provide opportunities for heavy work.

4. Mirror wall: This station allows students to use visual feedback while playing. You can create one by attaching shatterproof mirror tiles to a wall. Students can write or draw on the mirror with a small dollop of shaving cream, which provides an opportunity a calming tactile input.

5. Lego wall: The Lego wall is a great fine-motor-skills activity for students, made by screwing Lego bases onto the wall so that students build out from the wall instead of the floor or a table. Students love Legos, and according to Sullivan-Kowalski, Meriden's director of pupil personnel, "Occupational therapists love them, too." Building things is a great way to organize a child and provides a calming activity.

6. Bubble tube: The sensory bubble tube-a glass tube that's lit from within and has bubbles that create shifting patterns of light-is located in a quiet area and adds to the relaxing environment with calming visuals and sounds. Students may bring a book or quiet activity into this area, lie in a beanbag chair, and just relax as they organize themselves and prepare to go back to class.

7. Body socks: Used in the quiet area, body socks are full-size suits that provide students with deep joint input that is calming to most children. When using the socks, students can see out but cannot be seen from outside. This is great for those students who require quiet time, prefer being in small spaces, and require very little hands-on support. Sullivan-Kowalski notes that "students should be asked if they would prefer not to be enclosed in the sock, and their wishes must be respected."

8. Tactile center: At Hanover, educators put out plastic bins and containers of beans, rice, and sand. Students work on their own or use activity cards to make sequences and patterns-using only one material at a time to prevent mixing. The feel of the materials in this section is very calming and therapeutic, and this activity presents a very low demand for students while providing a great deal of sensory input through the hands.

9. Rowers: As students work the oars on a rowing machine, they get safe heavy work, which improves their focus and orientation, and helps them calm their bodies. If the oars are too heavy, staff members allow students to push and pull the oars with their legs. Meriden's lead physical therapist, Heather McDonnell, cautions that educators should take care that rowers are used appropriately to ensure that students get the desired effect and to prevent damage to the machines.

10. Platform swing: The swing provides the appropriate vestibular input necessary to calm and orient a student. At Hanover, students may sit or lie on their belly on the swing-no standing. Only one child is allowed to use it at a time. Some students may think it's for recreation, so it's important to enforce the rules: "If your student has not been identified with needs that require a specific protocol, use of swings outside is recommended," says Sullivan-Kowalski.

When Do Students Use the Sensory Room?

At Hanover, there are five classes of eight or nine students with autism. Each of these classes comes to the sensory room for half an hour a day. Specialists can also schedule time with the physical and/or occupational therapists for one hour a week. The physical therapist and occupational therapist collaborate with each specialist to provide programming, music, and lesson plans.

Does the Sensory Room Benefit Kids Who Have Lived Through Trauma?

Meriden has three sensory rooms in all, and each is designed to meet different student needs. When working with students who have experienced trauma, it's important to have input from a team-typically including the school psychologist or a social worker who is trained in trauma-based services-as to what is appropriate and what is not.

Who Manages the Sensory Room?

Trained staff members take care of each of the three sensory rooms. Meriden Public Schools' head of occupational therapy, Kathleen Fritz Romania, and lead physical therapist, Heather McDonnell, train these staffers.

Best Practices and Things to Avoid

Make sure your facilities team is on board. "They were able to help us with construction early in the process and give us information about what we could and could not move," says Romania. "It made the logistics of the actual physical space go much more smoothly."

Develop a program and protocol for how staff should use and maintain the room-and make sure your staff is trained. "Everyone needs to understand the purpose of the room, what each piece in there is for, and how to put it away after use. Students also need to follow a routine, so that they don't come in and act like they're at Disneyland, bop all around, and then leave it in total devastation," says Romania.

Reinforce the right behavior. Especially with students on a behavior plan, you should work closely with the school team and the behavioral specialist to make sure kids get the right message from their time in the sensory room. Sullivan-Kowalski, the director of pupil personnel, cautions that children should not be sent to the sensory room for acting out, "because you've just reinforced, 'Act out in your classroom, you'll come out and do this.' The sensory room needs to be a part of a behavioral plan as either a reward or a break."

Locate your sensory room in a central location within your building if possible. At Hanover, the sensory room is directly across from the school office, which makes it easy to keep tabs on the room and to ensure that the staff is using it correctly and that equipment is being maintained properly. In the other two schools in the district with sensory rooms, those rooms are located in the farthest corner from the office, making them more difficult to monitor.

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A sensory room-a therapeutic space with a variety of equipment that provides students with special needs with personalized sensory input-helps these children calm and focus themselves so they can be better prepared for learning and interacting with others.

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We already have access to this program. It does a great job of having kids learn about how their strengths fit into a career. This site also provides a plan that includes the skills and education you need to pursue that career.

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Note: If you do not have an email address associated with your Career Cruising account, please contact your teacher/site administrator.

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Tips for Creating an Outdoor Classroom - Project Learning Tree

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As the pandemic has disrupted countless traditional learning environments, many have begun to move classes outdoors. Check out these tips!

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Transitioning from Traditional to Standards based grading 

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Transitioning from Traditional to Standards based grading 

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Achievement Levels, Grades, and GPA in Standards-Based Assessment and Reporting at SCC High School

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Listen to my interview with Tracy Enos or read the transcript here.

In our never-ending quest to find better ways to differentiate and personalize instruction for students, we have plenty of options. I covered a lot of the basics in my Differentiation Starter Kit. Then last year we learned how math teacher Natalie McCutchen manages a self-paced classroom. And for ESL students, there are the Can-Do Descriptors.

Now, Rhode Island teacher Tracy Enos shares her system for customizing instruction to meet the needs of every student. She calls it a playlist, an individualized digital assignment chart that students work through at their own pace.

First, consider what we usually do: When planning a typical unit of instruction, teachers map out a series of lessons to deliver, assignments for students to complete, and some kind of final assessment at the end. They might share this plan with students, but then the execution is done by the teacher: The teacher delivers the lessons, tells students when to do the assignments, and guides students toward the final assessment.

With playlists, the responsibility for executing the learning plan shifts: Students are given the unit plan, including access to all the lessons (in text or video form), ahead of time. With the learning plan in hand, students work through the lessons and assignments at their own pace. And because each student has her own digital copy of the playlist (delivered through a system like Google Classroom), the teacher can customize the list to meet each student's needs.

"A playlist is basically like a road map," Enos explains. "I started using them in my classroom when I looked at my room full of 26 students and I saw the variety in their abilities. I knew I needed something different so that I could meet the needs of each one of those kids. Instead of just saying, 'OK, everybody, we're going to work on this lesson today,' I needed to individualize it so that different kids are working on things that they needed."

The term playlist, by the way, was coined by one of Enos' colleagues, math teacher Jason Appel.

Here are screenshots of three sample playlists from Enos's class. If you click on each one, you'll be taken to the full version to view in Google Docs. Although these examples come from a language arts class, Enos feels strongly that the playlist concept could be used in any content area.

Argument Writing Playlist

The first playlist is for a unit on argument writing. What you see here is just the first few tasks; there are 19 on the full playlist.

In the first column, Enos simply names the task. The second column provides specific instructions for the task. The third column is set up for students to record any notes they have about the task, and the fourth is where students record the date they completed the task.

Although much of the playlist will be exactly the same for each student, especially for the first few tasks, individual tasks can be customized to meet individual needs. Because the playlist is stored in digital form, the teacher can go into each student's playlist at any time and make adjustments as needed.

In addition to adjusting certain tasks, Enos also builds space in each playlist for purely individualized tasks. If we look further down her playlist, we see that tasks #14 and #15 have been left open for individualized focus revision activities, to be determined after the student has written her draft:

Enos does place occasional hard deadlines into her playlists; item 13 above has a date assigned to it. Although students are allowed to complete the work before the deadline, having this task pinned to a specific date helps prevent students from getting too far off track from each other.

Parts of Speech Playlist

This next one is from a unit designed to review the parts of speech. Notice that some of the tasks are quite simple and quick: Students just need to log on to a certain platform, create an account, or join an online group. This makes the playlist a practical tool as well as a good instructional vehicle: One place to keep learning tasks AND the kinds of housekeeping items that accompany most units. And breaking units into smaller tasks gives students a feeling of accomplishment as they move through each item.

To see the full version of this playlist, click the image below:

Again, the "Directions" column allows for maximum flexibility. The teacher can add tech tips, reminders, or any other information that might help student complete the task more smoothly. And if this is done in digital form, the teacher can easily add tips, links, or other comments at any time, making the playlist a living document.

Book Club Playlist

The final example is a playlist created for a unit on dystopian fiction, in which students participated in book clubs.

Notice that the playlist also includes checkpoints, where students must touch base with their teacher before moving on. These can be built in at any point for any reason, such as making sure students have completed key housekeeping tasks (like in the example above) or having the teacher review a draft for quality.

Many of the tasks in the playlist will ultimately result in the student submitting work through Google Classroom, or they might require a paper submission in a class that hasn't gone quite so digital. In fact, the whole system could be done on paper-one look at how student learning is managed in a Montessori classroom and you'll see how that can work. What's key is that students work through the list on their own, which frees the teacher up to spend more time working one-on-one with students.

If students are truly working at their own pace, wouldn't that mean some are way ahead, even finished with a unit, while others drag way behind? Setting a few hard deadlines (as shown in the argument writing playlist) can help keep the pacing from spiraling too far out of whack, but if our goal is true individualization, then we shouldn't want everyone to be too closely aligned.

This can be managed on a day-to-day basis. Students who are taking longer to master key tasks will likely get more one-on-one assistance from the teacher or be placed in groups to help them. Those who finish the required material quickly can be given enrichment tasks that take the learning to more advanced levels.

Homework also takes on a different role in a class that uses playlists: Because students work through the playlists on their own, they decide whether they get homework or not. If a student is moving through a playlist quickly, they may not have a need to spend extra time on the work at home. Conversely, if a student finds he needs extra help in class, he may decide to catch up on a few videos at home.

For a more in-depth exploration of playlists, listen to my podcast interview with Tracy Enos using the player above or by listening on iTunes or Stitcher (for Android). If you have questions, ask them in the comments below and I'll have Tracy come over and answer them. And if you have used a system that's similar to playlists, please share your experiences in the comments so we can all learn together.♦

There's a lot more where this came from.
Join the Cult of Pedagogy mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration-in quick, bite-sized packages-all geared toward making your teaching more effective and fun. You'll get access to my members-only library of free downloadable resources, including my e-booklet, 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half, which has helped thousands of teachers spend less time grading. If you are already a subscriber and want this resource, just check your most recent email for a link to the Members-Only Library-it's in there!

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Using Playlists to Differentiate Instruction

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Want better differentiation? Learn how to use this simple method for providing students with customized plans for working through a unit of study.

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In my most recent school role, I was tasked with leading our school's transition to personalized learning. Our staff saw incredible potential in using technology in thoughtful ways to meet the needs of every student. We installed carts, purchased softwares, held numerous professional development sessions, and even hired consultants to help-all with the intent of serving the individual, diverse needs of each and every student.

We focused a lot on helping students work at their own pace and access content at the appropriate level. (For example, one student might read an article at a 4th grade level and another would read the same article at an 8th grade level). We saw growth in NWEA scores, but in all honesty, the gains haven't really stuck year over year. And we're still far from the accelerated growth needed to close achievement gaps.

On reflection, I wonder if we spent our time and energy personalizing the wrong things. We focused on pacing and content, but not on each student's individual learning skills (and all the differences among them). I now see that personalized learning environments require personalized learning strategies. And playlists alone don't get us there.

The Playlist Cycle of Doom

In 2015, our school was selected to join the first cohort of a personalized learning program that involved a web-based technology platform, curricula, digital assessments and extended training. A foundation of the program had students learn the content (facts, definitions, procedures) largely on their own. Students work through an online set of activities-called a playlist-for each topic. They then take a quiz to demonstrate mastery. Ideally, this is done with little adult support. That way, teachers can spend more time working with students on application of content and projects.

As I observed classrooms, I noticed a significant portion of students go through a disturbing cycle: do the playlist, take the assessment, fail it. Do the playlist (again), take the assessment (again), fail it (again). Do the playlist (yep, one more time), take the assessment (uh huh), fail it (surprise, surprise). It's a frustrating experience, especially for struggling students.

I remember asking a group of students to write down what they might do differently next time to pass the assessment. Here are some of the responses I got back:

"Try harder."

"idk"

"My teacher told me to do the playlist, so that's what I'm doing."

We built endless playlists (or relied on pre-made ones) to let students work on lessons at their level and at their own pace. But we didn't help them figure out what to do if their approach didn't work. What learning strategies are working best? How do you come up with new ones when you struggle? This is a missing link in many personalized learning classrooms, especially embedded in everyday learning.

The Power of Personalizing Strategies

Recently, I visited a 2nd grade classroom where the teacher integrated weekly reflection on nonfiction reading. Students tracked their own comprehension scores for the week, and wrote a short reflection on the strategies that worked best and new ones they might try. On the wall, there was a student-created poster of reading strategies they had developed as a class.

Here are some examples of what real 2nd graders wrote (typos and all!):

"I will use headings next week so I know what diffrent parts of the story are about."

"I would want to use pictures clues again. In the future I want to use capshons."

"I want to stay focused and another thing I want to tryout is reading it 2 times."

These students could see that reading wasn't magic-there are specific actions they could take to get better. And the most effective action might be different for each student. Weekly self-tracking and reflection allowed them to personalize their own learning strategies.

The best part of my visit was in a conversation with the teacher afterwards. She shared that the original list of strategies was a lot shorter at the beginning of the year. But when students struggled, the class was pushed to come up with new strategies-tailored specifically to each of their classmate's needs and gaps. This is what effective personalization is all about.

The Bigger Impact

Last summer, I left my school to build a student-led reflection tool that supports this philosophy of personalized learning strategies. I've since immersed myself in the research and see exciting connections to powerful, broader impacts.

Carol Dweck, the pioneer researcher on growth mindset, recently expressed concern that her work is mislabeled as "work hard, get better." In a recent interview, she said it takes more than hard work alone; learners need to find and use effective strategies to improve. Instead of creating the playlist cycle of doom, we need to work toward personalized learning strategies. Only then will students see their actions and effort lead to improvement-a foundational step to embody growth mindset.

Further, we know that learning new skills is critical in our ever-changing economy. We are doing students a disservice if we don't teach them how to reflect on their performance and come up with new approaches when they struggle. Initially, they'll need scaffolds like the 2nd grade poster on the wall. But with practice and feedback, they become more self-sufficient and creative in how they learn. Ultimately, we can create better, more confident, lifelong learners. Isn't that what we're all hoping for?

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Playlists Alone Don't Equal Personalized Learning - EdSurge News

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In my most recent school role, I was tasked with leading our school's transition to personalized learning. Our staff saw incredible potential in using technology in thoughtful ways to meet the needs of every student. We installed carts, purchased softwares, held numerous professional development sessions, and even hired consultants to help-all with the intent of serving the individual, diverse needs of each and every student.

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This graphic shows the process of design thinking. Basics: Getting students to discover a problem and then work out a solution through projects, trial and error, etc.

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This is a great book that explains design thinking.

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Rick Wormeli: Redos, Retakes, and Do-Overs, Part One

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Achievement Levels, Grades, and GPA in Standards-Based Assessment and Reporting

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Achievement Levels, Grades, and GPA in Standards-Based Assessment and Reporting

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Achievement Levels, Grades, and GPA in Standards-Based Assessment and Reporting at SCC High School

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Access Key: sbg

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Project Based Learning and the Research Paper

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In 11th grade, students in my county are expected to generate a research paper or product. In the past, I stuck to the traditional paper, mostly because doing so was comfortable for me as an English teacher. I can do papers. I can do essays. I can provide feedback and teach revision.

However, last year I took a risk-instead of the traditional paper, I told my students we would be embarking on a project-based learning (PBL) journey. They seemed excited, mostly because they thought they wouldn't have to write a paper. In the end, they did so much more than that.

Project-Based Learning in High School English

I had my students form groups and then gave each group the task of choosing an issue they were interested in. The project would involve coming up with a viable solution. As a class we brainstormed all kinds of big issues, including school shootings, poverty, LGBT rights, bullying, and homelessness, as well as local issues like the need for more options in school lunches, such as vegan and gluten- and diary-free options.

Next they had to brainstorm possible resources and questions they needed to answer. Therein lies the beauty of PBL: Since I couldn't anticipate their every need, they had to take responsibility for their own learning, and solve problems as they encountered them.

Mini-Lessons and Formative Assessments

Their first formative assessment developed organically as they realized they would need to email professionals who could answer questions to guide their research. These adults included our school principal and our security team, as well as local government officials. Students reached out to their local delegates and other elected representatives, including the congresswoman for our district.

I gave a mini-lesson on how to write a formal email, and then the students composed their emails. Before they sent the messages, I previewed them, offering feedback and constructive criticism (formative assessment), and students made revisions.

By the next class period, my students had one of two versions of the same problem: Their recipients had responded or they hadn't, but either way my students didn't know what to do.

I gave a mini-lesson on how to send a follow-up email when someone doesn't respond and on how to move forward when they do. They wrote follow-up emails, and again I previewed these. As we awaited responses, several groups asked if they could poll the staff or their peers about school lunch choices, improving school security, and expanding the school parking lot. This exercise could benefit all groups, so we decided to make it the next task.

I showed them how to create an online survey using Office 365. Their surveys had to contain at least two graphics and 10 good questions (open ended, multiple choice, or order of importance).

Meanwhile, students continued getting responses from their email recipients and needed to set up interviews with those people. How to write good interview questions became the next mini-lesson. My students were largely unaware of how to interview someone and didn't realize that the questions they prepared were critical in gaining the evidence they needed to support their proposals.

For example, a group who wanted to expand the school parking lot went from asking broad questions like, "Do you think we need a larger parking lot?" to very specific ones like, "How many accidents have occurred in the parking lot since the school opened?" Most of the interviews were conducted over the phone, but some were in person-one group, with permission from their parents, interviewed members of a local homeless camp.

Students also had to find at least three solid sources and take notes to be embedded in their final product, with correct citations. They found statistics and data to support their proposals, and made sure to address counterarguments.

The Final Products

I gave my students options for their final products. All of them had to contain their survey results, research, and emails and interviews in one form or another. They came up with ideas like a public service announcement, a formal proposal, a bill, a documentary, a photo essay, or a piece of music or art.

I created rubrics and exemplars so students would know what I was expecting. I didn't want to be too controlling, but I wanted high-quality products. They shared their final products with a variety of authentic audiences, including their congresswoman, our principal, a county supervisor, and our security team.

I gave each group one summative grade, but in the future I plan to split the grade: 70 percent of each student's grade will be for their group's work, and 30 percent will be an individual grade based on my observations, students' self-reflections, and peer reflections.

As students shared their projects and we reflected on the process together, a few things became clear to me. First, I'll never teach the research paper any other way because the PBL model we used helped develop real-world problem solvers, thinkers, and doers instead of rule followers. I learned that to encourage students to step out of their comfort zones, I too had to step out of mine, but beautiful, authentic learning happens when we create the right conditions for it.

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Project-Based Learning and the Research Paper | Edutopia

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In 11th grade, students in my county are expected to generate a research paper or product. In the past, I stuck to the traditional paper, mostly because doing so was comfortable for me as an English teacher. I can do papers. I can do essays. I can provide feedback and teach revision.

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CORE classes broken up into smaller, more personalized classes. 

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CORE classes broken up into smaller, more personalized classes. 

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Standards Based Grading Vs Competency Based Grading

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Standards Based Grading Vs Competency Based Grading

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Here in Iowa, competency-based education is gaining traction at the state and grassroots level. In fact, the Iowa Department of Education has launched a multi-year CBE collaborative. Needless to say, it's an exciting time to be an educator in the Hawkeye State!

Meanwhile, a core group of Iowa schools have started to implement a standards-based grading philosophy in middle and high schools. Because of these two movements in our state, standards-based grading and competency-based education are often times incorrectly presented as synonymous practices. As a member of Iowa's CBE task force and through my work as a district administrator in a system that has embraced standards-based grading K-12, I've been in a position to think about and discuss these two topics extensively. When area schools hear about our grading and reporting practices, we are often asked how our system relates to those working towards competency-based educational models. While many of the ideas overlap, I felt compelled to tease out these two education terms in order to honor their similarities and differences.

What is standards-based grading?

Standards-based grading "involves measuring students' proficiency on well-defined course objectives." ( Tomlinson & McTighe, 2006). (Note: Standards-based reporting involves reporting these course objectives rather than letter grades at the end of each grading/reporting period.)

The visual below compares traditional grading with standards-based grading practices.

Traditional Grading System

Standards-Based Grading System

1. Based on assessment methods (quizzes, tests, homework, projects, etc.). One grade/entry is given per assessment.

1. Based on learning goals and performance standards. One grade/entry is given per learning goal.

2. Assessments are based on a percentage system. Criteria for success may be unclear.

2. Standards are criterion or proficiency-based. Criteria and targets are made available to students ahead of time.

3. Use an uncertain mix of assessment, achievement, effort, and behavior to determine the final grade. May use late penalties and extra credit.

3. Measures achievement only OR separates achievement from effort/behavior. No penalties or extra credit given.

4. Everything goes in the grade book - regardless of purpose.

4. Selected assessments (tests, quizzes, projects, etc.) are used for grading purposes.

5. Include every score, regardless of when it was collected. Assessments record the average - not the best - work.

5. Emphasize the most recent evidence of learning when grading.

Adapted from O'Connor K (2002). How to Grade for Learning: Linking grades to standards (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

In our district, secondary teachers are required to abide by the following grading guidelines:

1. Entries in the grade book that count towards the final grade will be limited to course or grade level standards.**

2. Extra credit will not be given at any time.

3. Students will be allowed multiple opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of classroom standards in various ways. Retakes and revisions will be allowed.

4. Teachers will determine grade book entries by considering multiple points of data emphasizing the most recent data and provide evidence to support their determination.

5. Students will be provided multiple opportunities to practice standards independently through homework or other class work. Practice assignments and activities will be consistent with classroom standards for the purpose of providing feedback. Practice assignments, including homework, will not be included as part of the final grade.

** Exceptions will be made for midterm and/or final summative assessments. These assessments, limited to no more than one per nine-week period, may be reported as a whole in the grade book.
Parents and teachers have commented positively after watching a short five-minute video explaining standards-based grading that was used to convey these ideas prior to our implementation dating back to the 2012-13 school year.
What is competency-based education?
Under a competency-based education system, "learners advance through content or earn credit based on demonstration of proficiency of competencies" rather than seat time. (Source: Iowa Department of Education CBE Pathways.)

With so many definitions of CBE available, I settled on principles of competency-based education from Iowa's Guidelines for PK-12 Competency-Based Pathways as a reputable framework, because they were adapted from International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL). I've included the CBE Pathways principles and their descriptors below.
A. Students Advance upon Mastery

Students advance to higher-level work upon demonstration of mastery of standards rather than according to age or seat time.

Students are evaluated on performance and application.

Students will master standards and earn credit or advance in content at their own pace.

They will work through some standards more rapidly while taking more time to ensure mastery on others.

B. Explicit and Measurable Learning Objectives that Empower Students

The relationship between student and teacher is fundamentally changed as students gain understanding of what working with standards requires and take ownership of learning, and as teachers provide the appropriate supports for learning.

The unit of learning becomes modular.

Learning expands beyond the classroom.

C. Assessment Is Meaningful and a Positive Learning Experience for Students

Schools embrace a strong emphasis on formative assessment as the unit of learning becomes modular.

Teachers collaborate to develop understanding of what is an adequate demonstration of proficiency.

Teachers assess skills or concepts in multiple contexts and multiple ways.

Attention is on student learning, not student grades.

Summative assessments are adaptive and timely.

Assessment rubrics are explicit in what students must be able to know and do to progress to the next level of study.

Examples of student work that demonstrate skills development throughout a learning continuum help students understand their own progress.

D. Rapid, Differentiated Support for Students Who Fall Behind or Become Disengaged

Educator capacity, and students' own capacity to seek out help, will be enhanced by technology-enabled solutions that incorporate predictive analytic tools.

Pacing matters. Although students will progress at their own speeds, students who are proceeding more slowly will need more help, and educators must provide high-quality interventions.

E. Learning Outcomes Emphasize Application and Creation of Knowledge

Competencies will include the standards, concepts, and skills of the Iowa Core as well as the universal constructs (creativity, complex communication, collaboration, critical thinking, flexibility and adaptability, and productivity and accountability).

Lifelong learning skills are designed around students needs, life experiences, and the skills needed for them to be ready for college, career, and citizenry.

Expanded learning opportunities are created as opportunities for students to develop and apply skills as they are earning credit.

What are some ways in which standards-based grading and competency-based education are similar?
In both systems...

Students learn specific standards or competencies based on a pre-determined rubric.

Students take more ownership of their learning, because it (learning) is communicated rather than "Project 3" or "Worksheet 4-2."

Using assessments in formative ways is the norm rather than exception.

These two systems may be similar in some contexts. For example, learning outcomes could emphasize application and creation of knowledge in a classroom that uses a standards-based grading philosophy, but, by definition in a standards-based system, this may or may not be the case. Similarly, experiences could be designed around students' needs and life experiences in a standards-based grading classroom, but it is not necessarily the norm.
What are some ways in which standards-based grading and competency-based education are different?
In a competency-based system...

Students advance to higher-level work and can earn credit at their own pace. (In a building, district, or classroom using a standards-based grading philosophy, this is not necessarily the case. Students are likely required to complete x number of hours of seat time in order to earn credit for the course.)

Learning expands beyond the classroom. This may or may not take place in a standards-based grading philosophy. For example, in a competency-based system, a student who learns a lot about woodworking over the summer may earn credit when he or she returns to school the next year. Similarly, students are encouraged to learn outside the classroom so that they can demonstrate competencies at their own, rapid rate.

Teachers assess skills or concepts in multiple contexts and multiple ways. (This may or may not be the case in a standards-based grading classroom; however, it is non-negotiable in competency-based education.)

Summary
A standards-based grading (SBG) philosophy is similar, but not synonymous with, the idea of competency-based education (CBE). SBG is a way of thinking about grading and assessment that more clearly communicates with parents and students how well learners currently understand the course objectives/standards/competencies. CBE is a system in which students move from one level of learning to the next based on their understanding of pre-determined competencies without regard to seat time, days, or hours. A competency-based system may utilize a standards-based report card to communicate student learning; however, the two educational terms are not, by definition, the same.

About the Author

Matt Townsley joined the Solon Community School District (Solon, IA) central office administrative team in 2010. Prior to his current role, he taught high school math for six years in the same district. Currently, Matt is pursuing a doctorate in school improvement at the University of West Georgia. One of his articles, "Redesigning Grading-Districtwide" was published in the December 2013 issue of Educational Leadership. He regularly presents at conferences and leads professional development on the topics of formative assessment and standards-based grading. He can be reached at @mctownsley on Twitter.

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What is the Difference between Standards-Based Grading (or Reporting) and Competency-Based Education?

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Here in Iowa, competency-based education is gaining traction at the state and grassroots level. In fact, the Iowa Department of Education has launched a multi-year CBE collaborative. Needless to say, it's an exciting time to be an educator in the Hawkeye State!