From Standards to Gradebook, how do you get there?

The more I read and research topics of standards, unit design, assessments and grading I've come to the realization that most classroom applications of the process are not supported by research.  As an assistant principal, I have the opportunity to be in classrooms frequently during the week and have conversations with the teacher about the process they follow.  I observe that while teachers are wanting to do the best for kids, they are generally practitioners, not researchers.  They don't know what is research-based and what is not.  Most have strong opinions about what they do because it's worked for them, but when you press them on where their beliefs originate from, many don't know how they have gotten to the current point.

Through the next 5  posts I am going to dive into my thoughts on getting from Standards to the Gradebook.  Providing research supported processes and support for teachers to implement in the classroom.  I'll discuss unpacking the standards to make them deepen the understanding of the standard; unit design by Wiggin's UbD process; formative and summative assessments; how to design a summative assessment; and in the end what grade do you give the child using standards-based grading practices.   

The One Thing

The TASSP's Assistant Principal's Workshop over the weekend was well worth the attending.  Sessions were wonderful and networking was even better.  On Monday I had the privilege of listening to Dr. Jerry Adams present on "what's your one thing."  This wasn't a new conversation or concept, actually one I had been thinking about for over a year.  The difference with listening on Monday was I am comfortable to say my "One Thing" is "Focus on Learning."  Hearing this presentation now with your focus developed is very relaxing, but now wanting to develop that "one thing' to a deeper level and add details to what I mean by "Focus on Learning."

Focus On Learning

• Professional Learning Communities
• Increase Engagement in Lesson/Unit Design
• Standard Based Learning

Assessments!!

Assessing the student is a very important process of determines the level of student learning, but also allows the student evaluate themselves.  Often students do not realize the level to which the teacher expect them to learn till they have been assessed.  Hence I feel student's must be assessed on a daily basis to answer the following questions:

1. What did the student learn today?
2. What adjustments need to be made after the assessment?

Formative assessments are those that are conducted daily.  These are the short 'check point' assessments that aren't necessarily used in determining a grade, but will let both the student and teacher know if the learning objective for the day was met.  This can be done with homework problems, tickets out the door, quizzes or even simple teacher monitoring of work.  Based on these assessments the teacher can adjust their lessons to either go back to reteach or even speed up the pace if material is being picked up quickly.  While the student can make appropriate adjustments for upcoming formative assessments.

Summative assessments are used to assess the accumulation of days at the end of a unit or set period of time.  I feel common assessments allow teachers of the same subject to compare data to allow immediate feedback on lesson design and student needs.  These assessment should be created by the teachers in which have taught the material.  Ideally the test would be written prior to unit design and lessons are designed to match the rigor of the assessment.  The assessment needs to directly reflect the standards in which the students are expected to master.