University Academy LS

Guide to

Standards Based Grading

The Mission of University Academy is to prepare students

to succeed in an institution of higher education and to participate as

leaders in society.

2018-2019

University Academy Standards-Based Grading Purpose

The University Academy LS has committed to Standards Based Grading Practices. The primary purposes of grading include providing feedback to students for self-assessment and growth and encouraging student progress and self-monitoring of learning.The secondary purpose of grading at University Academy LS is to communicate more specific information about student progress toward the objectives that are critical at every grade level as determined by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

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 expected. 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

‘Practice Assignments’ or other class work. Practice assignments and activities will be consistent with classroom standards for the purpose of providing feedback. Practice assignments will not be included as part of the final grade.

** Exceptions may be made for final summative assessments. These assessments, limited to no more than one per semester may be reported as a whole in the grade book.

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WHY STANDARDS BASED GRADING?

Standards Based Grading provides students, parents and staff specific information about student performance after they have been taught the content and practiced their learning. This grading strategy will allow us to gain a better understanding every student’s actual learning toward specific learning targets. Instead of just getting feedback on an assessment that says 74%, students will now be given more specific and detailed feedback indicating their level of understanding for a specific learning target or standard such as “I can fluently divide multi-digit numbers using long division” or “I can identify upper and lower case letters.”

This system of grading helps prepare our students for the Upper School Mastery process which will require them to take control of their learning and show mastery of content at a higher level. These same types of educational processes are mirrored at the college and postsecondary levels of education.

We want our students to be successful and independent learners, and the best way for them to achieve this is through feedback that clearly identifies their areas of opportunity and success.

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Standards Based Grading; What the Letters Mean (M, P, NM)

M-Mastered (80-100) P-Progressing (70-79) NM-Not Mastered (69 or below)

Using Standards Based Grading, your student’s grade is based on the students demonstration of mastery based on their performance on a variety of assessments. The practice to learn the content is not included in the mastery grade. The teacher will introduce the content and allow the students to work together and individually to learn the material with teacher intervention. Throughout the learning process, the teachers will give students the opportunity to show mastery of the content. This will allow students to have multiple attempts to learn and master each standard.

M= Mastered (Proficient or Advanced) The Student KNOWS it!

The student knows the content or skill and have demonstrated it proficiently. For example; if the standard was to know 10 vocabulary words, the student wrote the correct definition for 8 or more of the vocabulary words.

P=Progressing (Basic) The Student is ALMOST there!

The student has a fair grasp of the content or skill and have demonstrated that. The student is able to show that they know most of the content or skill, but are still learning the rest of it. For example; if the standard was to know 10 vocabulary words, they might have some of the correct definitions and have some that are partially correct. The student scores 70% or above on the assessment. (This is ok, sometimes we need to practice a skill again and again before we have truly got it!)

NM=Not Mastered (Below Basic) Let’s Refocus

The student has attempted to show that they know the content, but the information presented is not correct or partially correct. If you see an NM on the report card it means that extra help may be needed in order for the student to master the content. For example; if the standard was to know 10 vocabulary words, the student has fewer than 7 correct definitions.

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UALS - Parent Guide to Standards Based Grading

At UALS, our Standards-Based Report Card seeks to provide meaningful feedback so both students and parents can track student progress toward mastery of key academic concepts, reflect upon strengths and weaknesses, and identify multiple pathways to deeper learning. The University Academy LS Staff have committed to Standards Based Grading Practices for the entire elementary school starting 2018-2019. The primary purposes of grading include providing feedback to students for self-assessment and growth and encouraging student progress and self-monitoring of learning. The secondary purpose of grading at University Academy LS is to communicate achievement status to students, parents and staff.

What is standards-based grading? Standards-based grading communicates how students are performing on a set of clearly defined learning targets called standards. The purpose of standards-based grading is to identify what a student knows, or is able to do, in relation to pre-establish learning targets, as opposed to simply averaging grades/scores over the course of a grading period, which can mask what a student has learned, or not learned, in a specific course. How does standards-based grading differ from traditional grading? Unlike with traditional grading systems, a standards-based grading system measures a student’s mastery of grade-level standards by prioritizing the most recent, consistent level of performance. Thus a student who may have struggled at the beginning of a course, when first encountering new material, may still be able to demonstrate mastery of key content/concepts by the end of a grading period. In a traditional grading system, a student’s performance for an entire quarter is averaged together. Early quiz scores that were low would be averaged together with more proficient performance later in the course, resulting in a lower overall grade than current performance indicates. Standards-based report cards separate academic performance from work habits and behavior in order to provide parents a more accurate view of a student’s progress in both academic and behavioral areas. Variables such as effort, participation, timeliness, cooperation, attitude and attendance are reported separately, not as an indicator of a student’s academic performance. How are my child’s marks determined? A student’s performance on a series of assessments (both formative and summative) will be used to determine a student’s overall grade in a course. Practice assignments (homework) are just that, practice, and thus should serve primarily as a source of feedback and instructional support for both students and teachers. Scores on practice assignments will not be used as a component of a student’s academic grade. Teachers will require students to complete all of their practice work prior to allowing them to take, or retake, an assessment.

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Will my student still receive teacher comments on their report card? Yes. Individualized feedback is an essential component of standards-based grading. Effective feedback is a more useful source of information than simply assigning a numeric value or letter grade to student work. If my student receives a majority of M marks, does that mean they have met the criteria to move on to the next grade? We use a variety of criteria to determine if a student is ready to move to the next grade. The student will need to be reading on grade level, meet the SRI score and pass the grade level benchmark assessments as well as maintaining a majority of Mastered marks. (80% or higher) If my student usually gets M marks and then they receive a few P or NM marks, are they in trouble and need help? Not all students will master the standard at first. If you see that your student is receiving a few P or NM marks, they will need to complete some additional practice prior to attempting to master the standard again. They need to Master at least 70% of the standards for each class. If a student receives a majority of NM marks, does that mean the student will be retained? Intervention opportunities are in place at UA Lower School to support learners who are behind in math and reading. If a student receives NM or P marks, it means his/her work is not yet meeting grade level standards. A number of academic interventions will be offered to those students who are struggling to meet the established standards. Grade level retention will be considered if a student does not master more than 70% of all the standards for each class. Other factors such as Reading On Level, SRI, Benchmark Assessments and MAP Assessment scores will also be part of the determination. How will I know if my child needs help? Receiving multiple NM or P’s (insufficient evidence) on a grade report/report card can be a sign that a student is in need of extra support in the areas where they are receiving low marks. This is one benefit of a standards-based report card, areas in need of support are clearly evident.

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GRADING GUIDELINES

1. Grading Guideline:

“Entries in the grade book that count towards the final grade will be limited to course or grade level standards.” Summary: What it means....

● When creating a new entry in the grade book that counts towards the final grade, it must be a standard such as “I can use multiplication and division within 100 to solve problems” Assignments or other activities that do not count towards the final grade may still be recorded in the grade book for the purpose of communicating with students and parents, however it should be clearly noted as such.

What it doesn’t mean... ● Course or grade level standards must be word-for-word from the Missouri/Common Core essentials concepts and skills list. ● Entering “Mitosis Project” or “Unit 5 Test” in the grade book. ● Student practice does not need to be recorded.

Briefs from the literature: “When grades are not deliberately connected to learning, they provide little valuable feedback regarding students’ academic strengths and weaknesses, and can even be counterproductive.” (Winger, 2005, p. 62) “Teachers should use learning goals as the basis for determining grades...They provide a profile of a student’s knowledge and direct evidence of his or her strengths and weaknesses. This type of assessment allows teachers to appropriately plan instruction, and allows students to focus their learning” (O’Connor, 2007, p. 231) Putting it into practice:

What works? What are the common

pitfalls to avoid?

● Rewriting Missouri/Common Core essential concepts and skills in language that students and parents can understand.

● Recording practice/homework assignments in the gradebook through using the “collected” tracking feature.

● Communicating the standards to students in written form at the beginning of the semester, chapter and/or unit and asking them to track their progress in a way that parallels the electronic grade book.

● Consider combining several

state standards into one

standard that makes sense to

students and parents.

● Writing standards in the gradebook that parents and students do not understand.

● Not communicating completion of practice activities with parents and students on a regular basis.

● Failing to communicate the shift from assessments to standards in the grade book with students and parents.

● Writing too many standards or writing standards that are difficult to assess.

● Utilizing a

“responsibility”

standard.

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2. Grading Guideline:

“Extra credit will not be given at anytime.”

Summary: What it means....

● Individual students will not be given extra assignments to be completed that will artificially improve their final grade. ● Students will not be awarded points towards the final grade that are based on bringing materials to class. ● Grades should improve when students learn at higher levels which shows progress in their knowledge or understanding of

the standards (rather than when they complete additional work or turn in work before a deadline). What it doesn’t mean...

● No longer providing students with extra practice or extension opportunities. Briefs from the literature: “Sadly, this emphasis on earning points in order to procure the grade commodity diminishes the value of learning” (Guskey and Bailey, 2001, p. 20) “A low grade simply communicates a learning gap; the way to raise the grade is to learn more” (Winger, 2005, p. 64) Putting it into practice:

What works? What are the common pitfalls to avoid?

● Asking students who want to raise their grade which standards they have not yet demonstrated understanding and then focusing on these standards.

● Eliminating all extra credit opportunities.

● Encouraging students who already understand a standard to teach it to their peers.

● Using Bloom’s (revised) Taxonomy

or Webb’s Depth of Knowledge

framework to audit assessments for

academic rigor.

● Framing excessive reassessment

opportunities as being

synonymous with the extra credit.

Students may continue to

reassess until they get an “easy

question.”

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3. Grading Guideline:

“Students will be required to demonstrate their understanding of classroom standards in various ways. Retakes and revisions will be expected.”

Summary: What it means....

● Students learn at different subjects at varying rates, therefore students who did not demonstrate understanding by an initially specified date should be allowed to demonstrate understanding at a later date.

● Teachers should provide individual students additional opportunities to demonstrate understanding after the final regularly scheduled whole group assessment for that particular standard. This can take place during class if time allows, or at tutoring before or after school.

● Teachers should consider utilizing multiple ways of assessing the same standard for different students. ● Students complete additional assessments targeting specific standards they currently do not understand at a high level.

What it doesn’t mean...

● Students should be encouraged to reassess without first completing additional learning opportunities individually or with the teacher, peer or parent.

● Reassessments will be optional. ● Grading periods are eliminated or students’ quarter/semester grades need to be changed after the end of the grading

period. ● Students must complete the entire assessment again if they have already demonstrated a high level of understanding of a

standard on a previous assessment. Briefs from the literature: “Classroom assessments and grading should focus on how well – not on when – the student mastered the designated knowledge and skill” (McTighe & O’Connor, 2005) “The goal is that all students learn the content, not just the ones who can learn on the uniform timeline. Curriculum goals don't require that every individual reaches the same level of proficiency on the same day, only that every student achieves the goal.” (Wormeli, 2011)

“The teacher who claims to be preparing students for the working world by disallowing all redos forgets that adult professionals actually flourish through redos, retakes, and do overs. Surgeons practice on cadavers before doing surgeries on live patients. Architects redesign building plans until they meet all the specifications listed. Pilots rehearse landings and take-offs hundreds of times in simulators and in solo flights before flying with real passengers. Lawyers practice debate and analysis of arguments before litigating real cases. Teachers become much more competent and effective by teaching the same content multiple times, reflecting on what worked and what didn't work each time...The best preparation for the world beyond school is to learn essential content and skills well.” (Wormeli, 2011) Re-assessment should only take place after a relearning plan has been completed (Bramante & Colby, 2012)

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Putting it into practice:

What works? What are the common pitfalls

to avoid?

● Requiring students to complete additional practice prior to retaking an assessment. This relearning could include completing additional practice problems, a tutoring session, re-reading lab procedures, etc.

● Spiraling: Re-teach groups of students and then modify future assessments. For example, include several questions about unit 1 standards on the unit 3 test.

● Differentiating the product: Allowing some students to demonstrate understanding of the causes of the civil war by writing a paper while others create a movie.

● Keeping the tracking sheet with the number of times a student has completed optional reassessments for the purpose of communicating with parents.

● Modeling: Requiring all students who did not demonstrate understanding on the first “final regularly scheduled whole group assessment for that particular standard” to complete another assessment for the purpose of demonstrating this change in your classroom early in the quarter/semester/year.

● Communicating with parents and students when outside of class reassessment and additional learning opportunities will take place and asking students to sign-up ahead of time, i.e. “I will be available every Tuesday before school and Thursday after school.”

● Communicating with parents and students the final relearning deadline, i.e. one week before the end of the grading period.

● Considering multiple points of data emphasizing the most recent data and providing evidence to support this determination when entering in the grade book.

● Providing students with a structured

self-reflection opportunity after each

assessment.

● Allowing students to reassess without first requiring they have demonstrated new understanding.

● Requiring students to complete all additional assessments outside of class.

● Not communicating reassessment opportunities and practices with parents and students.

● An “open door” reassessment policy that is not manageable over a long period of time.

● Averaging

reassessment scores

when entering them

in the grade book.

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4. Grading Guideline:

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

Summary: What it means....

● If a student demonstrates a low understanding of a standard on a Monday assessment, but demonstrates a higher understanding two weeks later, the mark in the grade book for that standard should improve.

● Scenario: Student A performs poorly on practice assignments and quizzes, but demonstrates the highest level of understanding on the test/project. Student B performs well on practices assignments and quizzes and demonstrates the highest level of understanding on the test/project. Student A and student B should have similar entries in the grade book for the standard(s) assessed.

● Teachers are able to provide evidence (one or more examples of student work) to support an entry in the grade book. ● Students are able to provide evidence of their work to support their learning.

What it doesn’t mean...

● Practice assignments, quizzes and/or test scores are simply averaged to calculate the grade book entry for a given standard. ● The most recent data must be used when determining the grade book entry. ● Averaging follow-up assessment opportunities with previous assessments to determine the grade book entry.

Putting it into practice:

What works? What are the common pitfalls to

avoid?

● Providing students with feedback, based on their understanding of each standard, on each formal assessment

● Recording student learning using the building’s required grading marks of M, P or NM.

● Using a scale that does

not easily relate back

to letter grades.

5. Grading Guideline:

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

Summary: What it means....

● Practice assignments should be purposefully utilized to enhance students’ understanding of classroom standards. ● Assignments which are designed for students to demonstrate their understanding at an early part of the learning cycle

should be counted towards the final grade. ● Opportunities (i.e. quiz, project or test) later on in the learning cycle that follow feedback on practice assignments should

be considered for the grade book. What it doesn’t mean...

● Practice assignments are no longer assigned or students are no longer asked to complete assignments. ● Students are not provided feedback on practice assignments.

● Work completed outside of class (i.e. project, paper) cannot be entered into the gradebook by standard.

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Briefs from the literature: “The belief that the carrot of a grade entices students to complete work is an illusion, one with roots in behaviorism and a negative view of learners (Vatterott, 2009). At its core, it negates students' intrinsic drive for mastery (Cushman, 2010; Pink, 2009) and implies that homework is inherently distasteful. As Daniel Pink (2009), puts it, "We're bribing students into compliance instead of challenging them into engagement" (p. 174). In addition, grades only motivate students who are motivated by grades—and some students couldn't care less” (Vatterott, 2011) “...past experience has taught us that we are often too quick to assign homework before students have had an opportunity to learn the skills and strategies needed to successfully complete it” (Fishey and Frey, 2008)

“When homework is used as a formative assessment, students have multiple opportunities to practice, get feedback from the teacher, and improve. Homework becomes a safe place to try out new skills without penalty, just as athletes and musicians try out their skills on the practice field or in rehearsals. Effective homework is the rehearsal before the final event” (Christopher, 2008). “Providing feedback (rather than grades) on homework can encourage students to take risks and show teachers aspects of their conceptual understanding that they might not have revealed on a graded assignment” (Dean, Hubbell, Pitler, Stone, 2012, p. 108) Putting it into practice:

What works? What are the common pitfalls to avoid?

● Providing students with multiple opportunities to receive feedback before a standard is entered into the gradebook, i.e. student receives feedback on a draft of a paper before the final draft is entered into the gradebook by standard.

● Assigning homework less frequently and/or a decrease in quantity in order to communicate with students the purpose of the practice assignment.

● Asking students to provide each other feedback on practice assignments, i.e. sharing anonymous student work with the whole class and asking individuals and/or small groups to provide feedback.

● Using homework formatively in nature. More specifically, assigning homework connected with standards for the purpose of planning future instruction.

● Requiring students to complete practice assignments before they can reassess (insurance policy mindset).

● Entering students’ first attempt from daily work into the gradebook and then overwriting it as the student improves. This may create a “Kindergarten” effect in which many students earn low grades at an early phase in the learning cycle.

● Not recording homework

completion. One way to overcome

this pitfall is to use the “collected”

and “missing” indicators in

PowerSchool to communicate with

students and parents the number

of assignments that have been

completed.

Suggested reading: ● Cushman, K. (2010, September). Show us what homework's for. Educational leadership, 68(1), 74-78. Vatterott, C. (2011,

November). Making homework central to learning. Educational leadership, 69(3), 60-64.

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UALS General Marks

M

I understand the learning standard and I can discuss and

apply it with accuracy. A score of 80% or higher

P

I understand some of the learning target, but I need more practice and support to avoid making errors. A score of

70-79%.

NM

I don’t understand enough of the learning target to discuss it

or use what I know correctly. A score of 69% or below. I

Introduced but not yet assessed

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PROMOTION STANDARDS (K-2)

● Students must pass ALL core classes with more than 70% of all standards for each subject mastered. (Communication Arts, Math).

● Students must have 95% attendance. ● Testing data also considered for promotion will be Benchmark scores. ● Students should score 70% or higher on Math BM#4. ● Students must meet their grade level requirements for reading as measured by the reading assessments per grade

level: Sight Words, FAST, F&P, SRI. ● Administration may substitute specific criteria for promotion in place of grades or attendance based on additional or

alternative learning experiences when deemed in the best interest of the student. ● Students must receive recommendation for promotion from their grade level team and principal, based on satisfactory

classroom performance throughout the current academic school year. Administration must approve all team decisions.

SCORING GUIDE FOR MATH AND ELA BENCHMARKS(K-2)

KINDERGARTEN - ELA

Fountas and Pinnell Required Scores FAST Required Scores Sight Word List

Aug Dec March May Aug Dec March May Aug Dec March May

A B/C C D 20 40 60 80 20 40 60 80

1st Grade

Fountas and Pinnell Required Scores Lexile Required Scores

August December March May August December March May

D G/H I J 1+ 25 50 50-150+

2nd Grade

Fountas and Pinnell Required Scores Lexile Required Scores

August December March May August December March May

J L L/M M 150 225 300 350+

KINDERGARTEN, 1st, 2nd GRADES - MATH

Math Benchmark

Aug/Sept Dec May

30% 55% 70% or higher

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PROMOTION STANDARDS (3-5)

● Students must pass ALL core classes with more than 70% of all standards for each subject

mastered. (Communication Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies). ● Students must have 95% attendance. ● Testing data also considered for promotion will be Benchmark scores and MAP scores.

Students should score 60% or higher on BM#4 or the Summer School EOC Test, or should score Proficient or Advanced on the State MAP Tests in ELA, Math and Science.

● Students must meet their grade level requirements for reading as measured by F & P and SRI. ● Administration may substitute specific criteria for promotion in place of grades or attendance

based on additional or alternative learning experiences when deemed in the best interest of the student.

● Students must receive recommendation for promotion from their grade level team and principal, based on satisfactory classroom performance throughout the current academic school year. Administration must approve all team decisions.

3rd Grade Reading Expectations Fountas and Pinnell Scores Lexile Scores

August December March May August December March May M N/O O/P P 350 425 475-500 550

4th Grade Reading Expectations Fountas and Pinnell Scores Lexile Scores

August December March May August December March May P R S/T T 500 575 625-650 700

5th Grade Reading Expectations Fountas and Pinnell Scores Lexile Scores

August December March May August December March S T/U V/W W 650 725 775-800 850

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3-5 ELA/MATH BM Scoring Guide BM 1 (August)- NO GRADE - We will input a percentage as a baseline score.

BM 2 (October)- Approximately 30% of Curriculum should be taught which translates roughly to the following with a BM score of 40% being a perfect score:

M= 80% of curriculum is mastered or roughly a 32% or higher score on BM 2. (40 x .8)

P= 70-79% of curriculum is mastered or roughly a 28%-31% score on BM 2.

NM= 69% or less of curriculum is mastered or 27% or lower score on BM 2.

BM 3 (January) - Approximately 60% of curriculum is taught with a BM score of 60% being a perfect score.

M= 80% of curriculum is mastered or roughly a 48% or higher score on BM 2. (60 x .8)

P= 70-79% of curriculum is mastered or roughly a 42%-47% score on BM 2.

NM= 69% or less of curriculum is mastered or 41%% or lower score on BM 2.

BM 4 (March)- 90% of curriculum is taught with a BM score of 90% being a perfect score on BM 4.

M= 80% of curriculum is mastered or roughly a 72% or higher score on BM 2. (90 x .8)

P= 70-79% of curriculum is mastered or roughly a 60%-71% score on BM 2.

NM= 69% or less of curriculum is mastered or 59% or lower score on BM 2.

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University Academy K-5 Grade Grading Policy We believe that standards-based grading is an effective way to provide a clear picture of what a student knows at any given point. We believe that students need to be able to demonstrate their learning and retention in a number of ways.

*Mastery: Students will work towards mastery of grade-level skills and standards through practice and hard work.

*Effort/Responsibility: Every day students should come to school ready to learn. This includes having the necessary tools for learning--pencils, pens, notebooks, Agenda and classwork/homework/practice.

*Positive Attitude: Attitudes play a huge part in being successful. Not only do you have to believe that you CAN succeed, you need to contribute to others succeeding by having a positive attitude towards school, teachers, and others.

*Citizenship: This includes being able to take care of yourself, and take care of others. Citizenship means being able to be okay even when others are not okay. Each month, as a school, we concentrate on a citizenship trait that is the emphasis for that month.

Policies:

1. Classwork, class notes and practice assignments provide practice for the mastery of skills. Therefore, it is an expectation that students complete these items in a timely manner, as they are a direct impact of their final grade. However, there will be no points attached to these items, only feedback provided by the teacher and a mark in Powerschool indicating whether or not the student is meeting this learning target.

2. If the student does not complete the required practice assignment, the teacher reserves the right to not allow the student to complete the assessment until the skill(s) practice is completed.

3. Tests are the ultimate display of what you know. If you take an assessment and do not master (80%) the standard, you must retake all or part of the assessment at the assigned time on the assigned date. You will be given multiple chances to retake, with intermittent tutoring, until they can demonstrate that you have mastered the skill.

4. In order to retake an assessment, the student must complete some form of reteaching/tutoring activity, or extra practice to determine if you are ready to retake the assessment. The requirements will be determined by each teacher unique to their class. This work may be completed in class or out of class.

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