Standards-Based Grading:

2. Standards-Based Grading: “Why, How, & Motivation”

3. Huntsville City Schools has implemented standards-based reporting in grades K – 5. This presentation is a compilation of questions that parents have asked as they have become more familiar with the process.

4. Questions about Standards-Based Grading: • Why has HCS changed to a Standards-Based grading and reporting system? • What is Standards-Based grading? • What is the history of Standards-Based Grading? • How does it work? • Which standards are used by HCS? • How will I understand my child’s ability level? • How will my child be motivated?

5. Why has HCS changed to a standards-based grading and reporting system?

6. Huntsville City Schools has adopted a standards-based grading and reporting system in grades K – 5 to support the mission statement.

7. Mission Statement The mission of Huntsville City Schools, the Nation’s premier educational system in one of the world’s most technologically advanced communities, is to guarantee that every student will graduate with the capacity to compete successfully and contribute responsibly in a global technological society through an educational process characterized by •       effective instruction, •       individualized learning, •       superior academic and personal achievement, and safe and orderly centers of excellence, in partnership with families and the community.

8. Effective Instruction: The purpose of SBG is to improve student achievement by focusing instruction and the alignment of curriculum with the essential standards.

9. Individualized Learning: • By reporting on individual standards, teachers are able to effectively isolate each student’s unique academic strengths and weaknesses. • With this knowledge, teachers are able to differentiate instruction and materials for each student’s needs.

10. Superior Academic and Personal Achievement: By using standards-based grading, teachers and parents have detailed information to help children reach their academic potential.

11. What is Standards-Based Grading? (SBG)

12. Standards-based grading is a system of reporting student proficiency on a number of specific learning goals (or standards). The following flow charts illustrate the differences between a traditional grading system and a standards-based system.

15. What is the history of Standards-Based Grading?

16. “The history of standards-based reform goes back to the educational philosophies of Benjamin Bloom, through his 1956 work ‘Taxonomy of Educational Objectives.’  In his work, Bloom discusses the importance of requiring students to develop ‘higher-order thinking skills,’ which was a movement away from rote memorized learning.  The philosophies of Bloom were a driving force in the first uprising of standards-based reform, then called ‘Outcome Based Reform’ (OBE).  Critics of OBE were dismayed by the non-definitive word ‘outcome,’ and it was soon changed to the current term, ‘Standards-Based Reform’. This first gained momentum in 1983, during the Reagan era, with the federal educational goals and objectives highlighted in ‘Nation at Risk.’  This federal interest in reforming education lasted through the Bush (‘America 2000’) and Clinton eras, and is currently known as "Goals 2000.” Stanford University, 2009

17. Huntsville City Schools utilized the following research in making the decision to switch to standards-based grading: • “Formative Assessment & Standards-Based Grading”: Robert J. Marzano, 2010 • “Using RTI for School Improvement”: Cara Shores & Kim Chester, 2009 • “10 Traits of Highly Effective Schools”; Elaine K. McEwan, 2009 • “Grades That Mean Something”; Thomas Guskey

18. Based on the research, HCS concluded that: • Standards-based grading provides better communication to students, parents, teachers, and administrators on what each student knows and is able to do, according to the identified standards. • Implementing SBG during the elementary years will better prepare our students for middle and high school by identifying specific academic strengths and weaknesses.

19. HCS SBG Timeline: • Implementation of the Kindergarten standards-based reporting began in 2011. • A committee of teachers developed 1st & 2nd grade standards-based report cards during the 2012-2013 school year. • The completed report cards were presented to the Huntsville City School board June 6th, 2013. • Implementation of the 1st & 2nd grade standards-based reporting began in August, 2013. • A committee of teachers developed 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade report cards during the 2013 – 2014 school year. • The completed report cards were presented to the Huntsville City School board April 17th, 2014. • Implementation of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade report cards began in August, 2014.

20. How does SBG work?

21. The process of SBG: • Academic domains are broken down into specific skills. • Standards that support each skill are aligned. • Teachers use the standards for instruction and assessment.

22. Which standards are used by HCS? • Huntsville City Schools uses the “Alabama College and Career Ready Standards”, developed in 2010. They are available on HCS’s website and the Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX). They are also linked to the image at the right.

23. What is a standard? A standard is a specific learning goal. Below is a portion of the fourth grade language arts standards.

24. Instruction, Assessment, & Scoring

25. Instruction: • Teachers select individual standards from the Alabama CCRS. • With these specific standards, teachers plan lessons with appropriate and effective instruction. • HCS has specific pacing guides for all grade levels to ensure that all standards will be taught by the end of the year. These guides are available on the HCS website.

26. Assessments: • Assessments focus on exact standards taught during the current instruction. • Individual tests and questions correlate to a standard. • Teachers score the assessment using a rubric.

27. Scoring: • Standards are measured by proficiency levels using rubrics. • A rubric is a scoring guide that determines student performance based on a range of criteria.

28. What rubric will be used? • HCS uses a rubric based on scores ranging from 1 – 4.

29. Why use a rubric and not a percentage? • Students’ proficiencies in SBG are based on their level of mastery towards a standard. • A percentage is an average of a range of scores derived from a variety of assessments. • This averaging of scores makes it difficult to isolate specific skills.

30. Reading assessed as a single subject:

31. Reading assessed as standards using a rubric:

32. Is this the only rubric that will be used? The scoring levels (1 – 4), with regards to mastery, will remain constant. Rubrics will be created to meet the needs of particular assessments with descriptors of the criteria.

33. How will I understand my child’s ability level?

34. Scoring a “3” Meeting Grade Level Standards A “3” indicates that the student has proficient understanding and meets grade level expectations. This student consistently demonstrates mastery of a standard.

35. Scoring a “2” Approaching Grade Level Standards A “2” indicates the student has basic understanding and is working toward meeting grade level expectations. A student receiving a “2” understands the basic concept or skill, but has not yet reached the proficient level. This student’s performance varies in consistency with regards to accuracy, quality, and level of support.

36. Scoring a “1” Not Meeting Grade Level Standards A “1” indicates the student has minimal understanding and does not meet grade level expectations. Performance is inconsistent even with guidance and support.

37. Standards-Based Grading… • Enables teachers to efficiently identify academic strengths and weaknesses. • Provides information that identifies learning gaps or misunderstanding of a concept or skill.

38. Standards-Based Grading… • Provides for above-level work on any given standard once mastery is achieved. • Includes a rubric score of “4”: Exceeding Standards.

39. Is this a Pass/Fail System?

40. A “Pass/Fail” system focuses on minimum expectations.

41. A standards-based system shifts motivation from focusing on a score to skill application and work complexity.

42. How will my child be motivated to excel?

43. Scoring a “4” Exceeding Grade Level Standards A “4” indicates that the student has advanced understanding and exceeds grade level expectations. A student receiving a “4” demonstrates academically superior skills in a specific area. This student shows initiative, challenges themselves, and demonstrates advanced knowledge.

44. How is a “4” achieved?

45. Scoring a “4” Exceeding Grade Level Standards • Above-level work will be available for students who consistently demonstrate mastery of a skill. • Receiving a “4” in one reporting period does not assure it will repeat, as the material within the standard will increase in complexity throughout the year.

46. Scoring a “4” • Rubrics will provide information on expectations for above-level work. • Above-level work is not “busy-work” or “extra-credit.” It is specifically designed to provide challenging academic growth opportunities for students.

47. Digital 1:1 & Standards-Based Grading • Huntsville City School’s Digital 1:1 Initiative supports the teaching of standards in many ways. • Teachers have the technology to remediate, differentiate, and enrich students’ daily curriculum with authentic standards-based learning opportunities targeted to match the unique needs of each child.

48. Standards-Based Grading “Standards-based report cards not only tell you how your child is doing overall, but that your child is really understanding concepts and developing key skills for future success.” Parent