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Love the 1-4 grading scale, have used it in the past and want to see how it works at FHS

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Love the 1-4 grading scale, have used it in the past and want to see how it works at FHS

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Here is something I am trying this year

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1JGFo8LUoxj2AzeKKCI2Mqlja0rVZ0utVJ4zazVcDVFw/View

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Is there anything else on the table for getting added as required this school year?

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Overall, I’m a big fan

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I read the book over the summer and I am so excited about these practices. In particular, I’m trying non-graded class work/homework, and standards/competency based grading in my orchestras.

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You can foster inclusion in the classroom through how you engage your students, starting with your use of space.

Class formation can send signals about authority and equitable engagement. Do you always stand in front of the classroom to address rows of students? Consider classroom set-ups that emphasize interaction, such as group seating. Also, consider where you position yourself. Moving among students may de-emphasize the teacher-student hierarchy, and stimulate more discussion.

Similarly, try varying your activities. Whether it’s group, paired or individual work, when you arrange students in different formations, you may increase their engagement with each other, and the class material. (https://rossier.usc.edu/seven-effective-ways-to-promote-equity-in-the-classroom/)

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As a teacher, how do you address the diverse needs of all students?

Equity in the classroom, or supporting the outcomes of students of all backgrounds and abilities, is essential to a productive learning environment.

However, promoting equity is complex. When teachers prioritize the needs of white students, boys/men, or the non-disabled, they create barriers for students of color, girls/women, and studies with disabilities. This presents yet another challenge for educators trying to help their students succeed.

So how do you create an equitable classroom where all students can thrive? Consider a Master of Arts in Teaching program, and check out these seven tips:
1. Reflect on your own beliefs
Before you can create a more equitable learning environment in the classroom, consider your own beliefs.

Teachers, like anyone else, may not be aware of the biases that exist in their training and upbringing. Data shows that girls receive less and lower-quality feedback than boys in class. Meanwhile, students of color report that they sometimes feel excluded from classroom interaction.

Even the most well-intentioned educators may have blindspots. White teachers may not understand the challenges of historically marginalized students due to a lack of preparation in their training. It's also possible that they attribute lack of success to deficiencies that they associate with students of color.

Understanding your own positionality, or the circumstances that create your identity in terms of race, gender and ability, can help you become more conscious of issues related to racial equity and gender equity, and help you support students in your class.
2. Reduce race and gender barriers to learning
While it might not be obvious, you may be unintentionally excluding students of color and female students in your classroom. Here's how you can avoid it:
Don't ask students of color to be "experts" on their race
Asking students of color for their point of view is important in class discussions, but don't assume that they are authorities on their race. Race is one part of their social identity. They may also feel pressure to discuss a topic that's perceived to be related to their race, when in fact they don't have an opinion.
Diversify your curriculum
To the extent that you can control your curriculum, expose students to a spectrum of multicultural and female experts, writers and artists. You'll more accurately represent the different contributors to your class' subject, and potentially establish a cultural connection for your students.
Hold every student to high expectations
Students of color report being held to lower expectations than white students. Meanwhile female students hear more comments about their appearance than their academic skills.

By setting a high bar for achievement for all students, you encourage them to engage with your class, and avoid any stereotypes of what they're capable of accomplishing.
Avoid assumptions about students' backgrounds
It may be tempting to assume that your students share similar life experiences. However, this can be problematic since everyone's circumstances are different. In particular, schools with large student populations may represent a greater variety of racial and economic backgrounds, as well as students with undefined gender identities.
3. Establish an inclusive environment early
Clarify early in the term (perhaps in your first class) that you want to create an inclusive space for students. Discussions should represent a variety of views, and students should feel comfortable expressing themselves.

It's also important to let them know that name-calling, personal attacks, and hostile interactions won't be tolerated. If students disagree, they must respond to each other with respect. Indeed, mutual respect yields more open and productive conversations.

By establishing rules early in the course, students should understand their role in creating an inclusive classroom.
4. Be dynamic with classroom space
You can foster inclusion in the classroom through how you engage your students, starting with your use of space.

Class formation can send signals about authority and equitable engagement. Do you always stand in front of the classroom to address rows of students? Consider classroom set-ups that emphasize interaction, such as group seating. Also, consider where you position yourself. Moving among students may de-emphasize the teacher-student hierarchy, and stimulate more discussion.

Similarly, try varying your activities. Whether it's group, paired or individual work, when you arrange students in different formations, you may increase their engagement with each other, and the class material.
5. Accommodate learning styles and disabilities
Learning styles vary from student to student, differ between males and females, and vary for people with disabilities. To create equity in the classroom for everyone, here are a few methods to try:

Variance - Present the same information in different ways for visual, aural and verbal learners

Use a variety of media (e.g., audiobooks, movies)

Include transcripts for multimedia materials

Provide supplemental materials to the lesson plan (e.g., glossaries, illustrations)

Make technology accessible (e.g., give students the ability to increase text size or adjust brightness)

For presentations, use dyslexia-friendly fonts

Read test instructions aloud, even if they appear in print

6. Be mindful of how you use technology
Many teachers use technology as an integral part of the classroom. While it can be a useful way to engage students and appeal to a variety of learning styles, consider its impact on those with physical disabilities.

Screen readers can assist students by opening resources, but other digital tools may actually hinder their ability to perform actions such as clicking, dragging and dropping that are not compliant with accessibility standards.

Review Web Content Accessibility Guidelines to ensure that your technology tools are in compliance, and are accessible to physically disabled students.
7. Be aware of religious holidays
When planning your course, remember to account for religious holidays and observances. Students may need to miss class on certain days and make up assignments, quizzes or exams.

At the beginning of the term, it's a good idea to announce that you have tried to avoid conflicts with major religious holidays when planning the course. However, if students have a conflict, they should let you know as soon as possible.
USC Rossier resources
For more information on improving equity in the classroom, visit our Tools for Inclusive Teaching page.

Ready to elevate your teaching career? Check out our Master of Arts in Teaching program.

If you're a teacher who wants to advance your career in education, see the Leading Instructional Change concentration of our Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EDL) program.

Want to connect with someone about your options?

Connect With Admission Staff
Sources: https://kappanonline.org/andrus-jacobs-kuriloff-gender-equity-classroom/ http://crlt.umich.edu/sites/default/files/resource_files/CRLT_no7.pdf https://equity.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/CreatingaPositiveClassroomClimateWeb-2.pdf http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/nov04/vol62/num03/With-Boys-and-Girls-in-Mind.aspx https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/edblogs.columbia.edu/dist/8/1109/files/2020/02/Guide-for-Inclusive-Teaching-at-Columbia_Accessibility-Revisions_15-January-2020_FINAL.pdf

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Seven effective ways to promote equity in the classroom

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As a teacher, how do you address the diverse needs of all students? Equity in the classroom, or supporting the outcomes of students of all backgrounds and abilities, is essential to a productive learning environment. However, promoting equity is complex.

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2. Accommodate Learning Styles and Disabilities

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2. Accommodate Learning Styles and Disabilities

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Learning styles vary from student to student, differ between males and females, and vary for people with disabilities. To create equity in the classroom for everyone, here are a few methods to try:

Variance – Present the same information in different ways for visual, aural and verbal learners

Use a variety of media (e.g., audiobooks, movies)

Include transcripts for multimedia materials

Provide supplemental materials to the lesson plan (e.g., glossaries, illustrations)

Make technology accessible (e.g., give students the ability to increase text size or adjust brightness)

For presentations, use dyslexia-friendly fonts

Read test instructions aloud, even if they appear in print

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Many teachers use technology as an integral part of the classroom. While it can be a useful way to engage students and appeal to a variety of learning styles, consider its impact on those with physical disabilities.

Screen readers can assist students by opening resources, but other digital tools may actually hinder their ability to perform actions such as clicking, dragging and dropping that are not compliant with accessibility standards.

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4. Get rid of 0-100. Try a different approach.

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4. Get rid of 0-100. Try a different approach.

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Apply mathematically sound approaches, using a 0-4 instead of a 0-100 point scale; avoid giving students scores of zero or try grading your 10 main standards of grade 5 standards per unit, etc. etc. etc.

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5. Growth and improvement over averaging.

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5. Growth and improvement over averaging.

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Weigh more recent performance and growth instead of averaging performance over time.

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Think about the sixth grade at the school where you teach or where your kid attends. There are three English teachers. Each has a different grading policy: One counts homework as 40 percent of the grade, the other two as 30. One accepts late work; the others don't accept it at all. One deducts points for sloppy binders.Two include participation in the grade, one offers extra credit. Joe Feldman, Ed.M.'93, a former teacher, principal, and district administrator, talked to Ed. about his new book, Grading for Equity, and why inconsistent grading isn't fair for students yet is so hard for educators to change.

Grading: What are we actually talking about? We mean the way teachers calculate, describe, and report student performance. Although we might assume that grading is only a software-driven, end-of-term calculation, a teacher's grading system is implicated throughout her work every day. For any task that we ask of students, we have to decide: Should the student's performance on the task be included in her grade and, if so, for how much value? Teachers' answers to these question are based on deep-seated values and ideas about what we each believe students are supposed to learn, how students are best motivated, and what our role and relationship to students should be. Because grading is rarely addressed in graduate training or certification programs, each teacher must create grading policies on her own.

What's wrong with deducting points for work turned in late? This approach combines both academic and nonacademic information in the grade and creates what author Susan Brookhart calls "grade fog" - we're not sure what the grade means because we're asking it to communicate too much disparate information. A student who writes an A-quality essay but hands it in late gets her writing downgraded to a B, and the student who writes a B-quality essay turned in by the deadline receives a B. There's nothing to distinguish those two B grades, although those students have very different levels of content mastery. The second problem is that in traditional grading, many commonly used grading categories invite biases. For example, when we include a student's behavior in a grade, we're imposing on all of our students a narrow idea of what a "successful" student is.

Why don't more educators question grading practices? Teachers work under incredibly difficult conditions. They are asked to serve in so many roles besides teacher, and yet they must adhere to layers of mandates and requirements. The grade is one of teachers' last remaining islands of autonomy, perhaps the most concrete and respected symbol of their expertise and judgment. When we suggest that their grading practices could be improved, it's no surprise that teachers often react with suspicion and defensiveness. Many administrators have cautionary tales of when Wylesolthey tried to broach the subject with teachers and were met with emotional reactions and perhaps even threats of formal complaints and union grievances.

What does work? Equitable grading has three pillars: accuracy, bias-resistance, and intrinsic motivation. Grades must accurately reflect only a student's academic level of performance, exclude nonacademic criteria (such as behavior), and use mathematically sound calculations and scales, such as the 0-4 instead of the 0-100 scale. Grading practices must counteract institutional biases that have historically rewarded students with privilege and punished those without, and also must protect student grades from our own implicit biases. Our grading must stop using points to reward or punish, but instead should teach students the connection between means of learning and the ends - how doing homework is valuable not because of how many points the teacher doles out, but because those actions improve a student's learning.

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Think about the sixth grade at the school where you teach or where your kid attends. There are three English teachers. Each has a different grading policy: One counts homework as 40 percent of the grade, the other two as 30. One accepts late work; the others don't accept it at all.

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Create rubrics based on the standards, walk them through and explain them to students, get their feedback on the rubric and then actually use it!

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Often we are assessing students knowledge. That does not have to be in a test or even written. Give choice boards or passion projects as options.