Assessment & Grading Philosophy and Practices 2018-19 - *How our work together has and continues to create a new landscape of learning at the high ...
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High School
Assessment & Grading Philosophy
and Practices 2018-19
*How our work together has and continues to create
a new landscape of learning at the high school
High School Through student and faculty surveys and work from the Grading & Assessment Committee last spring, positive directions and common questions still being raised since implementing changes in 2014-15 are ready to be shared. Answers are provided so that we will have a better common understanding of expected practices.
Essential Question:
How confident are we that the grades
students get are more:
• accurate
• consistent
• meaningful, and
• supportive of learning?
If grades do not meet these four conditions of
quality they are “broken,” i.e., ineffective.
3 High School
To work toward assessment and grading
being more ACCURATE we are no longer...
○ blending behaviors with achievement
in final grades
○ relying simply on an accumulation of
points divided by the number and
weight of categories in a grading
program
○ Using extra credit and 0’s inflating
and deflating achievement
*responses from faculty feedback in 2017-18
4 High School
To work toward assessment and
grading being more MEANINGFUL,
we are...
○ Aligning assessment types and
questions to Standards and their
associated Learning Targets
○ Giving more feedback that is
timely and specific to growth
*responses from faculty feedback in 2017-18
High School 5To work toward assessment and
grading being more CONSISTENT
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○ Course teams using collaboration
time to work together on
instructional strategies, developing
common assessments with
associated rubrics/scoring guides
and moderating student workTo work toward assessment and grading being
more SUPPORTIVE of LEARNING, we have...
○ not included formative work in a final grade - allows
for more risk-taking and move to gaining a more
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intrinsic value for learning (has led to motivational
issues - how do we address that?)
○ involved students more in the grading process and
self-reflection
○ provided exemplars and shared rubrics ahead of
assessments
○ considered the fact that learning is not always linear
- more opportunities to demonstrate proficiencyREPORTING OUT
● Ongoing feedback on
High School schoology has
streamlined grade
reporting
○ Q1 and Q3 report
cards gone
● Approaches to
Learning formalized
and reported at Q1 and
Q3 (feedback on how to
grow if inconsistent or
rarely shown)As per our Grading and
Assessment philosophy and
practices, professional
judgment is used by educators
Questions/Clarifications - in course development from
commonly asked by faculty curriculum planning to
and/or students classroom instruction and the
assessment of learning
(formative and summative).
Q: There is a lack of
Teachers use their own
clarity/consistency in how education and experience,
grades are determined. What ongoing professional
factors can be used in our development as well as
“professional judgment”? ongoing collaboration with
their colleagues to help shape
the learning of their students.
High School 9“One of the hallmarks of
being professional is that
members of a profession
make decisions based on
evidence and their
Questions/Clarifications - specialized knowledge and
commonly asked by faculty experience. In general, when
and/or students a person challenges a
professional on one of his or
Why professional her decisions, the
judgment? professional defends it by
citing the evidence and
reasoning that led him or her
to the decision.”
High School - Ken O’Connor 10Professional judgment is used on a daily basis
when working with students in areas such as:
● most appropriate instructional and
learning strategies;
● how to differentiate based on student
High School
need;
● how and when to check for understanding;
● when to use student reflection and
self-assessment;
● scores or marks on an individual
assignment or assessment;
● when to reassess for understanding.Professional judgment is also used when
determining a final course grade. Teachers
determine final course grades based upon:
● The most consistent pattern of
performance against course Standards
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and the associated Learning Targets
primarily from grades on summative
assessments throughout the course.
● Most accurate measures of central
tendency of summative scores (Mode,
Median, Mean, Line of Best Fit...).● growth over time and recent
achievement.
○ Because learning is developmental,
achievement over time as well as more
recent performance is important to
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consider. However, this does not mean
looking solely at the most recent one or
two grades.
○ If specific learning targets were not
met early in the course but were
mastered later, the later grades are a
more accurate representation of
achievement.● level of rigour and timing of a summative
assessment.
○ No summative is formally weighed any
more or less than another. However,
because there is a natural increase in
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knowledge/skill expectations as a
course progresses, later assessments
and the performance on them will often
cover learning targets at a deeper level
of understanding than was expected on
assessments at the beginning of the
course.● Performance on formative work that provides extra evidence
of proficiency toward the Standards and associated Learning
Targets and/or is necessary for class preparation.
○ Researchers and authors such as O’Connor, Guskey,
William and others indicate formative work can be
considered in final grade determination IF the formative
work:
■ helps grade determination for students caught
between final course grades (not punitive throughout
the course)
■ the formative work is targeted (aligned to summative
expectations), and provides extra evidence in
proficiency of the Learning Targets for the unit.● Formative work can always be marked (e.g 3 out
of 5…but the verbal/written feedback showing a
way forward is most effective for growth).
● Schoology categories for formative feedback
○ Homework – practice (should be
High School
differentiated - not a “one size fits all” and is
not considered in final grade determination)
○ Homework – class prep (in borderline cases
can be considered in final course grade
determination IF tied to learning targets)
○ Classwork (in borderline cases can be
considered in final course grade
determination - IF tied to learning targets)● correlation with the most
appropriate High School
High School
Grade Descriptor language.No - Group marks or scores
are permissible for
formative feedback but a
group grade can not be
considered as part of an
Questions/Clarifications - individual’s personal
commonly asked by faculty
summative grade.
and/or students
Cooperative learning is
Can I include group essentially a learning
grades in a summative activity, not an assessment
assessment grade? tool to reflect the
achievement of each
student.
High School 18Yes - our goal is to see
demonstration of
learning. We will track if
the attendance behavior
becomes an issue.
Questions/Clarifications - However, it needs to be
commonly asked by faculty
and/or students made clear that makeup
is at the TEACHER’S
Do I have to give absent
convenience and not the
students an opportunity to
student’s. An alternative
take the summative?
assessment should
always be given.
High School 19Yes - A new code
“U” will be used
for any student
Questions/Clarifications -
who is absent for
commonly asked by faculty a summative
and/or students
assessment. We
Can we have a way of
tracking students who are will be able to
absent for summatives? track for patterns
and intervene
High School earlier. 20At course end, an “IE”
becomes the
equivalent to an “F”.
Essentially the
Questions/Clarifications - student never
commonly asked by faculty
and/or students demonstrated
We give students an ‘IE’ for achievement toward
not completing a summative
learning
but what eventually does that
turn into and when? targets/standards
assessed.
High School 21Depends, an incident for a
student should NOT
necessarily preclude them
from getting an “A” for the
course. It is another factor
Questions/Clarifications - in professional judgment
commonly asked by faculty
and may need discussion
and/or students
with Sue and/or Brent as
What happens when a student each case is individual.
cheats - does it impact year long Tough paradigm to shift but
grade (no ‘A’ because they are
cheating is a behavior and
not consistent?)
students should be issued a
disciplinary consequence,
not a grade consequence.
High School 22
*Integrity policyOur published policy states
that “Feedback and grades
are to be entered within a 1,
8 day cycle unless the nature
of the work/assessment
makes this not possible
Questions/Clarifications - because of the need for
commonly asked by faculty
individual conferencing
and/or students
before posting, a retake, etc.
When do I need to have If this is the case, it must be
feedback recorded in clearly communicated and it
Schoology should never exceed 2, 8 day
(comments/marks/grades)? cycles. Students want more
consistency with the policy
across the school - one of
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their biggest concerns. 23Yes, was shared...we
need to make sure the
Questions/Clarifications - time is used in a
commonly asked by faculty
and/or students meaningful way. At
Can we have a mid-year mid-year ALL classes
modified schedule again to must meet for the
spread out the workload
for teachers/students? time period assigned
High School 24Yes and No, The
schoolwide assessment
philosophy states that the
purpose of assessment is
to support student
Questions/Clarifications -
learning. Accordingly, the
commonly asked by faculty
and/or students
High School recognizes
that there is value in
Can we have conditions for offering multiple
reassessment and do we opportunities for
always have to have students to demonstrate
reassessment options? understanding
throughout a course until
proficiency is obtained.
High School 25Therefore, reassessments may be offered covering a
discrete set of skills and content but not necessarily if
they will be assessed recursively.
If a student has met proficiency for a standard/target,
reassessment may not be necessary. Opportunities for
reassessment may also be subject to timely and
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successful completion of formative work and evidence of
preparation for reassessment. In all cases, teachers will
use professional judgment in determining when
reassessment is appropriate and will administer
consistently within their course teams.
Clear communication of reassessment guidelines will be
published in Schoology and students will be notified
when reassessment is not possible.”● Re-assessment is not a
“given” and is a privilege
that is earned by doing the
appropriate formative
work during the unit and
demonstrating an effort at
re-learning material
Questions/Clarifications - before re-assessment.
commonly asked by faculty Reassessment is always at
and/or students the teacher’s discretion.
This school-wide philosophy ● It is most appropriate to
is research-backed and based be reassessing targets that
on the work of the G & A were not met, not simply
committee two years ago. reassessing everything.
Some clarifications: This reassessment can
take many forms both
verbal and written.
High School 27● There is no “averaging” of the
original and the reassessment
grade. However, both can be
recorded in the students’
portfolio to show growth.
● Course teams MUST be
Questions/Clarifications - consistent in the administration
commonly asked by faculty of reassessment.
and/or students
● Formal reassessment is not
This school-wide philosophy necessary if the tested
skills/knowledge is recursively
is research-backed and based
assessed and/or if the
on the work of the G & A
reassessment is happening
committee two years ago. through the formative process
Some clarifications: (eg. writing drafts which are
receiving feedback before a final
High School draft, practice quizzes…) 28Yes, this was mentioned
often...teachers want more times
to share school-wide practices
that are working for them re:
grading, models for tracking
Questions/Clarifications -
commonly asked by faculty summative grades, reassessment
and/or students practices, formative work
Can we have more sharing completion strategies…one
of good practices from Wednesday meeting each month
different departments and set aside for full faculty
levels? collaboration time or possibly
Monday morning check-ins for
High School this. 29High School
Assessment & Grading Philosophy
and Practices 2018-19
*How our work together has and continues to create
a new landscape of learning at the high schoolYou can also read
