Standards Based Grading

Over the course of this year, the 10th grade ELA team has been using the Standards Based Grading model. This means that we are beginning to shift focus from completion of work, to mastery of skills. Because this is all new, it is understandable that it can be a little confusing. So, hopefully this post will clarify how this works.

Gradebook Breakdown:

In the gradebook, you’re likely to see a lot of assignments that contain a score but are not marked as “graded” and thus do not contribute to an overall percentage score. This is purposeful. Every assignment that we create, we align with one of 6 skill categories:

1. Claim
2. Collaborative Discussion
3. Text Analysis
4. Author’s Purpose
5. Evidence
6. Inference

For example: Say we took a quiz on Chapters 15-16 of a book. and that quiz will have two assignments in the gradebook, one for each skill tested:

“TKAM 15-16 Quiz 10.1” – Which is a score aligned with the questions that asked students to make inferences about the text based on evidence.

“TKAM 15-16 Quiz 10.4” Which will be a score aligned with the questions that asked students to identify words in context, use evidence to defend answers, etc.

The reason we are doing this is to establish a trend in mastery, so, for each category there will be multiple grades using the standards based scale which scores assignments on a letter grade scale of A-E.
Here’s what this looks like on a school-wide scale:

:

Most importantly, What does this look like for LA 3/4?
Pretty much the same, We will be using the same scale as always, but instead of using numeric values (1-4) we will be using Letter grades to represent proficiency in each skill.

(DHS Grading Scale for reference below)

How will these scores be calculated?
Every assignment will be made to be scored out of 10 points, below is a quick rundown of how that breaks down, and LINKED HERE is a more comprehensive guide to those calculations.

The Quick and Easy Version:


10 (A) = Mastery/Honors (Yay! You went above and beyond!)
9 (A-) = Proficient (Good! You’re at grade level! That’s the goal!)
7 (C) = Developing (You’re getting there with a little more practice!)
6 (D) = Beginning (We have some work to do still!)
0 (E) = Missing or No Evidence (Where’s your work???)

Once your work is graded accordingly, we then look for a trend in your grades…

How do we establish a trend?

FAQ: “Ms., why does it say “not graded” in the gradebook?

Each skill category has multiple grades entered, but “not graded”. This is because we use those scores to calculate a mode average, or the number that appears the most across all of the assignments per skill.

Example:

Grade 1: A

Grade 2: C

Grade 3: A- 

Grade 4: A-

Grade 5: A-

Grade 6: C

The mode average of these scores would be A-. We record these scores in an assignment that is labelled “Skill Average” in each category, which will be the only one that is recorded as “graded” thus calculating that score into the actual gradebook grades Ultimately, this model helps kids because many of the lower scores from early in the year are dropped towards the end. These scores are visible in the gradebook as: 

 “8/30/21_(Skill Name)_ Skill Average _

Example: 8/30/21_Claim_Skill Average_

Again, these will be the only assignments in the gradebook that are marked as “graded”, and while the date will stay the same, they will be updated every week to be accurately representative of student skill proficiency.

As grades are entered into the gradebook, they will be entered as letters rather than numbers, which will then correspond with a percentage value. Over the course of the semester these percentages (by skill category) will be averaged into a cumulative grade. Those percentages will then be compared to the DHS grading scale above. NOW, even though there is not a B on the 4 point scale, that does not necessarily mean that you are impervious to receiving a B as a cumulative class score. Here’s why: during the semester your scores for each category will be averaged together, which could still equate to a percentage reflective of a B on the DHS grading scale (see below for example).

If I have comments next to my assignment, what do they mean?

Comments are left to categorize your work and inform students of potential issues with that work. So, if you see:

Unsubmitted:
This means your work is not turned in or missing. This means I have not received your work and cannot assess it.

No Evidence to Assess:
This means you have turned something in, but it is a blank document; which again means I cannot assess your work. It might also mean that you may have turned something in, but it is incorrectly done.

Academic Dishonesty:
This one speaks for itself. If you are caught cheating, plagiarizing, copying, etc, your work will be given a zero.

Incomplete:
This means that you turned something in, but it is not finished.

Unsatisfactory:
This means that you turned in your work but it is poor quality or there is no evidence of an attempt at the skill being assessed.

Practice:
This means that the score you received will not be weighted to affect your grade. Practice means that it is not an official attempt at proficiency or mastery.

If there is a written comment: these are used to denote unique issues with some work that need a more detailed explanation or assessment.

How will my class average grade be calculated?

Whether it’s progress report time, report card time, or the end of the semester, this is an important question to keep in mind. The answer:

Just like normal

Once we have gone through and looked at your grades skill by skill to determine that mode average, what do we do with them?

We average them! Just like normal assignments, these individual skill grades will be averaged together to create a cumulative average percentage. This is the score you see next to your name when you check the gradebook.

Example:

Say you earned these mode average scores for each individual skill category:

1.Claim: A (Scale = 94%)
2. Collaborative Discussion: C (Scale =74%)
3. Text Analysis: A- (Scale = 90%)
4. Author’s Purpose: A- (Scale = 90%)
5. Inference: C (Scale =74%)

Averaged together, these scores would come out to a total of 84.4%
How? 94 + 74 + 90 + 90 + 74 = 422
          422/5 Categories = 84.4

When we cross reference that average of 84.4% with the DHS Grading Scale, that score is indicative of a B.

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These cumulative averages are the percentages you see as your class grade.

Why you shouldn’t panic:

In the beginning, scores may seem lower than you would like, or feel are accurate. That’s because there are not a lot of grades in the gradebook and not enough to establish a long trend. It’s OK! Just like you build a house, you begin at the ground level and work your way up! We’re building UP instead of tearing DOWN. If you’re doing everything you need to and practicing, you should see an upward trend as time passes and ultimately, your semester grade will be higher! You’ll be ok if you do your work, get help when you need it, and work towards making steady progress!