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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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How to transition to a standards based environment

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How to transition to a standards based environment

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SEEN Magazine - SouthEast Education Network

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04/27/2017

Vikram Somasundaram

There is a growing movement towards Standards Based Learning across the country, a burgeoning sense of excitement among teachers within the community. Making this change is a BIG step and not a simple one.

So what is Standards Based Learning (henceforth SBL)?
Simply put, SBL is a system of assessment focused on mastery of a set of standards or expectations. Each student in an SBL classroom is working on this set of standards, and progress is measured by how far along they are on mastering each of these standards.

Right away, a few key differences emerge from a traditional classroom. For one thing, the focus isn't on grades anymore! All that matters is the student's individual learning profile - which standards they are experts on, and where they need help. This shifts conversations from "what grade did I get" to "what do I still need to learn or master?" fostering a growth mindset in students.

In an ideal SBL environment, credit is awarded whenever and however mastery is demonstrated. So... if a student wants to show their understanding using a diorama, while another wants to write a paper, that's perfectly acceptable! There isn't the same emphasis on deadlines either - the goal isn't how and when work is done, but that it is done well.

Last but not least, SBL enables differentiation of instruction to a new degree. Having a clear set of expectations alongside data on exactly how each student is progressing towards each expectation allows for very high resolution identification of where the student needs help. Implemented correctly, there is far more insight teachers, students, and even parents can draw about each student's needs in an SBL environment.
What you'll need to implement SBL in your school or classroom
Here's a brief (non-exhaustive) list of things needed to implement SBL:
- A clear set of standards or expectations - generally the starting point would be local state standards for your grade level and subject
- Clear communication to students about what mastery looks like for each standard - a great starting point is a rubric for each standard with levels of achievement (e.g., mastery, achieving mastery, developing mastery, improvement needed), and clear definitions of what each level looks like, ideally with examples!
- Assessments built around specific standards or expectations - most of the time this can be done by tweaking assessments you already have to align with standards, if they don't already
- Changing mindsets - regular communication and working with your students and your colleagues to help them transition to new ideas like de-emphasizing grades and not prioritizing strict timelines
- More specific feedback for each standard, rather than just a grade
- A system that can support all of this logistically - SBL creates a lot of data to track, organize, visualize, and share (full disclosure: this is what the team at Edusight and I have built)
Transitioning to SBL - steps to take
In its ideal form, an SBL classroom would not produce grades. The challenge is how to transition from a traditional environment to a grade-free yet data-rich SBL environment, and how to bring all your stakeholders with you?

Here are some steps to start:
- Decide how you want to convert SBL data to grades - a sudden change of an entire system is shocking to everyone (nobody likes change), so chances are you will need some kind of transition mechanism to still award grades to students.
o Some schools determine which standards are high priority for each subject, and award more points for mastery in those relative to others; some schools pre-set grade levels corresponding to levels of mastery, and use an average (usually a mean or a mode); still others might blend both approaches and add an element based on the number of standards mastered. None of these is perfect since SBL isn't designed to produce grades - you should work with your team to decide what's best for you
- Prioritization of standards -there is only so much time in the school year, and with teachers already stretched incredibly thin for time, it's not realistic to cover every single standard in a year for every student. A solution is determining which standards are "priority standards", based on factors like how foundational they are for continuing on in future grade levels and relevance to other subject matter, and focusing on guiding students to mastery on these core standards.
- Teacher PD -for even the best prepared, this is a huge transition. Investing in LOTS of PD for teachers, constant communication and check-ins during the transition period, resources for assessment, training, and support will be critical.
- Ongoing community engagement- students and parents are not used to not receiving grades, and seeing the level of detail SBL will bring. They will also need to be guided through the transition -holding town halls inviting parents to your school or classroom in the beginning, and addressing any fears or concerns in a timely and transparent manner is a must. In time the parent teacher conference discussions will become much richer, alongside improved engagement!

Debunking Common Oppositions to SBL
- Under SBL, if two students achieve mastery on the same set of standards, who has the higher grade? If neither does, how do we decide who has the higher GPA?
o In a transition model, this would depend on the algorithm you set up to produce a grade. In an ideal SBL environment, there would be no grades to begin with, and the key idea is it doesn't matter! We don't care as much about how students perform relative to each other as we do about their performance relative to the set of standards. SBL encourages you not to compare students at the surface, but rather dig deeper and identify what their learning is comprised of - a true growth mindset in favor of superficial increase in a high-level number. (Note: higher grades might mean more learning in today's world, but it's not always the case. More mastery in SBL ALWAYS means more learning).
- If students can submit work any time, in any medium, how is that fair to kids who complete work faster and first?
o Learning is not a race. Mastery is about learning well, not fast. SBL allows the students who master things faster to move on to other topics and learn, without penalizing those who might need more time or different approaches to learn. The objective, again, is mastery learning, not meeting deadlines. We want to teach students to do a task well rather than to do it fast.
Why SBL is Here to Stay
The ideas behind SBL have existed for decades - various elements have floated around under different names and types of implementations. But now, for the first time, there's strong reason to believe we can make it work for the long haul.

The adoption of the Common Core State Standards created a common framework across the country, and even if it's not universally adopted or loved, the highly engaging conversation created as a result is having an effect. Today there are far more a resource for teachers to create assessments and share, and it's far easier to build a community across the country around critical skills and standards.

Technology infrastructure and implementation are much stronger than they've ever been - access to broadband, wi-fi, and mobile devices in classrooms makes it easier than ever for teachers to capture data on student learning and give real-time feedback. Solutions to help teachers are constantly evolving and growing, and the focus on user-centric design and building simple, effective products is stronger than ever.

We're in a better position to transition to a Standards Based Learning world than ever, and more and more teachers across the country are embracing the change. To enable this change, my team and I at Edusight are building a standards based portfolio to help K-12 teachers showcase all aspects of student learning. With Edusight, teachers can tag evidence of learning - grades, notes, and photos - to standards for each student, and share progress with students and parents.

Our goal is to make SBL a reality, and to make the transition as simple as possible for K-12 teachers across the country.

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How to Transition to a Standards Based Environment

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04/27/2017 Vikram Somasundaram There is a growing movement towards Standards Based Learning across the country, a burgeoning sense of excitement among teachers within the community. Making this change is a BIG step and not a simple one. So what is Standards Based Learning (henceforth SBL)?

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3 Peaks and 3 Pits of Standards-Based Grading

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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).

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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Rick Wormeli

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

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Ken OÇonnor

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Solution Tree: Ken O'Connor on Grading Effectively

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Assessment for learning in practice / Assessment for learning / Home - Assessment

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Central to the practice of assessment for learning (formative assessment) is the concept that students who truly understand and are involved in their learning will experience accelerated rates of achievement. Students who are involved in their learning can be thought of as assessment-capable or active learners.

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The Communication Challenge of Standards-based reporting

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The Communication Challenge of Standards-based reporting

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Standards-based grading and reporting will improve education

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Standards-based grading and reporting will improve education

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Tom Guskey

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Learning - Grading - Leadership - Assessment | Thomas R. Guskey & Associates

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Thomas R. Guskey, Ph.D., is known throughout the world for his work on student assessment, grading and reporting, professional learning, and educational change. Thomas R. Guskey is an international expert in evaluation design, analysis, and educational reform.