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Emphasizing content mastery over point accumulation, Standards-Based Grading (SBG) shifts focus towards learning outcomes rather than traditional grading practices. It allows students to demonstrate growth and mastery over time without being penalized for test performance. SBG involves specific learning targets and allows for retesting based on remediation, ensuring students truly understand the material. This innovative approach promotes accountability for mastering content and emphasizes actual learning rather than memorization and test-taking skills.
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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.
