Grading and Reporting for

the 21st CenturySession 3

Stan Masters

Coordinator - Instructional Data Services

Lenawee ISD

Winter 2010

Goals of the series

• Describe several important keys to effective grading

• Explain how grading fits into a balanced assessment of and for learning

• Describe what student factors to weave into and leave out of each student’s grade

• Describe the relationship between classroom assessment, report card grading, and student motivation

• Identify ways to involve students in the grading process

Time• Start on time (8:30 a.m.), end on time (3:30 p.m.)• Lunch on your own (11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.)

Participation• Each person has speaking time• Each person shares what they are doing in their “classrooms”• We will honor confidential information

– Marsha will leave the room as needed for conversations, as needed.• Keep the conversations/topics positive

Focus• We are focusing on the use of grading and reporting• We will focus on student achievement

Our Norms

• assessment for learning– formative

(monitors student progress during instruction)

– placement(given before instruction to gather information on where to start)

– diagnostic(helps find the underlying causes for learning problems)

– interim (monitor student proficiency on learning targets)

• assessment of learning– summative

(the final task at the end of a unit, a course, or a semester)

Purposes of Assessments

Sources:

Stiggins, Richard J, Arter, Judith A., Chappuis, Jan, Chappius, Stephen. Classroom Assessment for Student Learning. Assessment Training Institute, Inc., Portland, Oregon, 2004.

Bravmann, S. L., “P-I Focus: One test doesn’t fit all”, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 2, 2004.

Marshall, K. (2006) “Interim Assessments: Keys to Successful Implementation”. NewYork: New Leaders for New Schools.

Fixes to Improve Grading and Reporting

• Distorted Student Achievement

• Inaccurate Evidence

• Inaccurate Calculations

• Involving Students

Broken Grades…Distorted Student Achievement

1. Don’t include student behaviors

2. Don’t reduce marks on late work

3. Don’t give points for extra credit

4. Don’t reduce grades for dishonesty

5. Don’t consider attendance in grades

6. Don’t include group scores in grades

Broken Grades…Inaccurate Evidence

7. Organize and report evidence by standard/learning goal

8. Provide clear descriptions of achievement standards

9. Compare each student’s performance to preset standards

10. Rely only on quality assessments

Broken Grades…Inaccurate Calculations

11. Consider other measures of central tendency and use professional

judgment

12. Use alternatives to zeroes to determine real achievement

Broken Grades…Support Learning

13. Use only summative evidence to determine grades

14. Emphasize the most recent achievement when learning will grow over time

15. Involve students in the grading process to promote achievement

Rubric for Evaluating Grading Practices

• Organizing the Gradebook• Including factors in the Grade• Considering assessment purpose• Considering most recent information• Summarizing information and

determining final grade• Verifying assessment quality• Involving students

What does grading fit with reporting systems?

Critical Aspects in Determining Communication Purposes

Guskey, T.R. and Bailey, J. (2001). Developing Grading and Reporting Systems for Student Learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, p.174

• What information or message do we want to communicate?

• Who is the primary audience for that message?

• How would we like that information or message to be used?

Report Cards

• Guskey and Bailey (p. 149) suggest:– Separate grades for products of learning and

the process for learning– Separate grades for products of learning and

progress toward performance expectations• How are we keeping track of student progress

toward content expectations?

Refine Your Report Card

Report Card Format, Organization, and Layout

• Guskey and Bailey (pp.168-169) suggest:– Legend/Key and definitions on front page– Same organization across buildings– Consistency in terminology and vocabulary– Comments with grades are better than grades

alone!• What are the format(s), organization(s), and

layout(s) of your school(s) reports cards?

Personal Correspondence

• Guskey and Bailey (p. 176) identify:– Notes attached to report cards– Phone calls to parents– Progress reports– School open houses– Newsletters to parents– Personal letters/emails– Websites/blogs/wikis/podcasts– Parent-teacher conferences– Student-teacher conferences

Student-Led ConferencesSource: Guskey, T.R. and Bailey, J. (2001). Developing Grading and

Reporting Systems for Student Learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 189-190

• Guskey and Bailey– Students are responsible for leading discussion– Students share a portfolio of their work with the

parents– Teacher acts as a facilitator of the conference– Structures include

• Time frame and facilities• Pre-conference practice dialogue• Scheduling• Setting expectations for and follow-up after the conference

Student Led-Conferences

• What are the benefits for:– Students?– Teacher?– Parent?

Video Segment #6:Illustrations and Summary

• Start with __________________________

• Gather accurate _____________________

• ________ must guide sound grading practices

• _______ communities about the mission of competency

Goals of the series

• Describe several important keys to effective grading

• Explain how grading fits into a balanced assessment of and for learning

• Describe what student factors to weave into and leave out of each student’s grade

• Describe the relationship between classroom assessment, report card grading, and student motivation

• Identify ways to involve students in the grading process

Changes…

• What changes have you considered taking in your practice of grading and reporting?

• What supports do you need to make these changes?

• What more do you want to learn about grading and reporting next?