post by Linda Hardy | | Closed

A New Marking System at DHS

Dearborn High School has moved to standards-based grading. This is a grading system that is gaining acceptance throughout Michigan and the United States.

Standards-based grading is a major shift in thinking about how your child earns a grade in school. Gone are the days of the A-E grading scale. DHS wants parents and students to know what their child has learned and/or still needs help on. Previously, if a student received a B, parents and students did not know what actual skills their child was lacking and needed to improve on. Standards-based grading eliminates this confusion.

What is standards-based grading?

Students are graded on a number scale from 4-3-2-1-0. Standards are a list of things that students are supposed to learn in each class. In U.S. History, we will be focusing on 4 standards. All of the scores in our gradebook will be under one of these four categories.

Skill 1: Historical Argumentation (HA)

Skill 2: Source Evaluation (SE)

Skill 3: Historical and Geographical Literacy (HGL)

Skill 4: Social Emotional Learning-Self-Management (SEL)

Why is standards-based grading better than the old A-E grading scale?

  1. No penalty for learning. Students will be working on these standards throughout the semester. They may score low at first, however, as their skill level grows their scores will improve.
  2. Teacher feedback and support. Teachers will be using a rubric system. Students will have their work graded using different rubrics the students will be given in advance. A rubric is a way to evaluate the performance of the student and their work.

Scoring Guide: Standards-Based Grading

Students will be recieving this grading rubric in class. Their copy has the explanation for how to reach each level.

Master: 4

Student independently demonstrates a deep understanding of the knowledge and skills, and is able to apply it to new and unfamiliar situations.

Proficient: 3

Student consisently understands, and independently and accurately applies the knowledge and skills in familiar situations.

Partially Proficient: 2

With teacher support, student demonstrates an emerging level of understanding and ability to apply the knowledge and skills.

Beginning: 1

With teacher support, student attempts to demonstrate a basic understanding and ability to apply the knowledge and skills.

Missing: 0

Not enough evidence to determine level of proficiency. Evidence is either missing or incomplete.

A student will move from each number once they have demonstrated that they understand the standard and they can demonstrate it independently. (K)

THE FINAL SEMESTER GRADE:

To earn an A, students need a final score of 4 for three of our four standards and a score of 3 for the remaining standard.

To earn a B, students need a final score of 3 for 3 of our four standards and a score of 2 for the remaining standard.

To earn a C, students need a final score of 2 on all four standards.

To earn a D, students need a final score of 2 for three of the standards and a score of 1 for the remaining standard.

Failure to earn an A through a D, will mean the student failed the class. Students will have to repeat the class in order to receive credit for graduation.

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