MASSP Grading For Learning

Grading Reform

Austin Public Schools

Elimination of Zero (50% Rule)
Assessments and Data
Ideas/Thoughts

Austin Public Schools

Principal Katie Baskin, Lynn
Grading for learning is how they go about grading
Communicating student knowlege accurately
What a student knows versus what a student does
Traditional System Problems
-grades for homework, extra credit
Why look for a new grading system
-Teacher Led
-kids need to learn and practice their skills
-Wanted to be able to share what a student does for practice...and separately show how much
they know.
Doing homework isnt necessarily the problem...if they dont understand the concepts, obviously
the homework wont help
They ran data on Math Grades verses MCA Results
15 Fixes for Broken Grades- OConnor
Ken OConnor-How to grade for learning is a great tool for staff development
Advancing Formative Assessment in every classroom: Moss
Warm Demander Article
Austin has a Knowledge Grade and a Life Skills Grade (on a rubric)
-How much extra work does this seem like as a teacher?
I like the language of practice and assessment versus formative and summative
High School put a learning plan into place in order be eligible for the retake...make them think
about what they are going to do differently.

Put energy where it matters

*Not raising or lowering scores...just getting them to reflect what students know
-What courses should these kids actually be taking-better placement (able to change
registration conversations)
*if our grades have meaning do we need state testing?
-provide research/articles for people.
-every year they have an hour to an hour and a half presentation of
expectations/parameters for all teachers
-new teachers get more!
-they have annotated bibliography in the handouts
-common planning time every day for math teacher (every day they have 3rd hour off)-7 period
day
-9th grade has team philosophy-team meets every day about kids and put intervention
into place

Elimination of Zero (50% Rule)

*This is not a no-zero policy-zeros are possible!
-if they dont turn something in, they do get a zero
-do whatever they can to make sure it is not a zero
-before, a zero could have meant many different things
-now its is either they didnt do it or they need to make it up for cheating
-gives them hope, stay in the ballgame
-my thought, you cant do this until you have a very good grading system in place
-in comments they do put what the actual score is
*Parent communication has been difficult as to why their kid is scoring 10% but getting 50%
-use of incompletes and missing verses zeros-does this change the mindset of students?
*you must have
-4 assessments per quarter and 20 practice items (1 graded practice item)
-they had 8 week quarters
-need data collection in class for parents to get a hold of...major problem in
-cant retake formative...just summative one time
-quizzes can be formative or summative
-90/10 forced kids to know the learning versus just doing things to get them done.
-had to get it done at some point just not at that date and time
*in math we would have to do 40% because of our grading scale
-

we need weekly quizzes in precalc to check in with kids and get grades in gradebook
100 point test

Holt curriculum for 6-12

other changes they have made: staff development changed...common assessments, item
analysis, teachers looked in the mirror and said we need to fix us...how do I know if we are
learning
gave kids two math classes a day.still have intervention classes
grading for learning has not been problematic
how do teachers go through data
-6-8: they have prep time and data time...one day a week they work with data coach who
brings them data (district data), one day a week with counselor, one day a week with
team time, one day a week study hall with homeroom, one day a week
-how does high school organize
-counselors did a lot of research on test anxiety...it becomes normal so it doesnt need to be
anxious....test anxiety is actually a learned behavior
-created a grading for learning team and put biggest nay sayers on it
-orchestra teacher.anything less than 90/10 isnt grading for learning..are you ok giving a kid
an A who never gets an A on a test
-staff has become problem solvers as the data comes out now because it is part of the
culture.they keep educating people...keep getting them new articles.
-had to put parameters in to how many times you are assessing
-must have enough evidence in gradebook to know what they know.
-spend time on writing quality assessments
-team time will never go away
-assessments were on part of chapters...give a test on 1.1-1.5 and then on 1.6-1.8
-Backwards design.
-balance between not too many and not too few assessments
-more inconsistent the student is the more assessment that is needed

Assessments and Data

My questions
-did you have people struggle with the mindset of giving them points
-how long after your change in grading practice did you implement this? It seems like it would
be good AFTER good grading practice
-On homework check do kids correct their homework (you said you walk around and look at it)
*90/10 argument...if a kid can get an A without doing any work, then they shouldnt be penalized

Ideas/Thoughts
-Make copies of the rubrics that the students fill out for themselves and I will fill them out as well
to see where they line up...use this as my starting point for conferences.
-By hand make adjustments to 50% for any grade below to see if how it impacts a students
overall grade
-Our attendance policy does not match with all of this research with grading

-I wasnt here before it was in place but I really struggle with our schools attendance
policy
-Read the book 15 Fixes for Broken Grades- by OConnor
-which administrator is going to be the lead for this?
-I would love to do some work around all of this for my admin hours through the spring
-move towards data compared to the ACT