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Kids want to play games to get points in order to get an ‘A’. This is a problem because it puts emphasis on accumulating points and not on what the points are supposed represent: learning. We must migrate our systems of grading away from grading every single assignment (that is assigning a static grade for everything a kid does), and towards grades that are indexed by content. • http://shawncornally.com/wordpress/?page_id=114
WHY SWITCH TO SBG? What does a letter grade mean? The following student earned an “A” for the semester.
What did that “A” mean? • The student is organized. • The student completes (or copies) homework • The student is on task and participates in class • It might mean the student works hard OR it could mean they’ve learned the “numbers game”
SBG IS NOTBASED ON: • Homework • Organization • Participation • Effort • Test Corrections • Extra Credit
SBG requires students to: • Be accountable for mastering content – not just accumulating points • Retain what they learn. A specific grade is not static! It can move up (once mastery is demonstrated) OR it can move down if a student “dumps” the information. Yes, I said it. A grade can be lowered if a student “learns it and leaves it behind”.
What does SBA do for students? • Allows them to master content at different rates. • Allows them to demonstrate growth and mastery OVER TIME rather than being punished for not knowing it on a specific test date.
How does it work? (My “CliffsNotes” Version) • Very specific “Learning Targets” (or standards or objectives…) are placed in the gradebook, rather than assignments: • Ex: Students will be able to explain the difference between kinetic and potential energy and give real-life examples of each. • On assessments, every question is directly linked to a specific Learning Target.
Students earn “marks” for each specific LT – not necessarily one score for an entire assessment. • A student might get 5 or 6 different scores depending on total # of LTs on a summative assessment
Students must complete a “remediation” before they are eligible to retest. • Retests are NOT the same test. • Retests DO assess the exact same content! I want to know my students have actually mastered the standard – not just memorized test questions.
Some ground rules for students… • Students can retest as many times as they like, but they must start remediation/retesting before the next summative exam. • A student must wait at least one day between retests and can not retest on a day they have come to me for help. • I want to move away from cram and memorize…not encourage it!
Students must know exactly what standard they want to reassess. • In other words, a student can’t come and simply say “Which Learning Target is my lowest, I’ll do that.” (Students can not just hopethey’ll do better.)
What about kids who aren’t good test takers? • There really aren’t many students that aren’t good test takers. There are, however, many students who have never learned how to study and take tests. • Retests can be broken into chunks. A student doesn’t have to retake an entire test. They can focus in on areas of weakness and tackle one or two targets at a time.
