Transforming Student Mindset: Standards-Referenced Grading in Middle School, ACTFL 2015

Transforming Student MindsetStandards-Referenced Grading

in Middle School

ACTFL 2015

• Vielka Reina • Ted Sadtler • The Westminster Schools

Introduction

• Standards, not content, drive curriculum • Creating, sharing, and calibrating rubrics is a critical component in a successful language program

• Effective assessments share three criteria: • Alignment with standards • An informed student body • Probative, reflective, and strategic value

Three takeaways from today’s conversation

• Curriculum framework (including standards and targets)

• Course content, grades 6-8 • Sample assessments • ALL rubrics

Four resources from today’s conversation

• Dropbox link: http://ow.ly/Ux1TU • https://todaysmeet.com/GradingForMindset • Ted Sadtler @senor206 • Vielka Reina @vnreina

Resources and Contact Info

Meet Marisa

Grades don’t motivate kids effectively. Understanding does.

strengths and weaknesses

The Problem

Ownership, Access, Communication

• Textbook encourages teacher ownership

• Many rubrics are not visible to students-they reside in the teacher’s expertise

• Teachers struggle to communicate expectations beyond “Do this, do that”

Our Solution

Standards Rubrics Assessments

Turning-point professional development [involves] translating standards into learning targets for students.

-Susan Brookhart

• We publish standards at the beginning of the unit

• We examine rubrics with students using authentic student work

• Assessments derive literally from standards

Standards, not content, drive curriculum

A student with a standard is like a hiker with a compass

Standards-Referenced vs. Standards-Based

The Westminster Fund engages nearly 300 volunteers annually.

Grant Wiggins and Robert Marzano describe standards-referenced grading:

• Teachers give students feedback about their proficiency based on a set of defined standards

• Report student levels of performance on the standards • Students are not moved forward (or backward) to a different set of

standards based on their level of competence

Language Standards, Grades 6-8\

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• I can present information about myself and others.

• I can ask, understand, and respond to questions.

• I can understand simple texts.

• I can understand questions, as well as audio & video samples.

• I can present information and produce texts such as an email, letter, essay, or story.

Curriculum Framework

The Westminster Fund engages nearly 300 volunteers annually.

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Final Thought

The Westminster Fund engages nearly 300 volunteers annually.

A student with a standard is like a hiker with a compass

• The student must be able to make meaning with the standard

• He must be able to find relevance in the standard • He must see the standard play out in multiple activities and

assessments

Creating, sharing, and calibrating rubrics is a

critical component to the process

Rubrics, like maps, need to be legible, available, and consistent.

Create Rubrics Together

The Westminster Fund engages nearly 300 volunteers annually.

Call out box for text only.

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• Focus on the user

• Benchmark to standards (ACTFL)

• Take the time needed

• Argue over the big words (and little words)

• Use consistent language across rubrics

• Revisit after you “put them in the field”

Share Your Rubrics

The Westminster Fund engages nearly 300 volunteers annually.

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• Students appreciate a level playing field

• There is power in speaking common language around language performance

• Observe each other’s use of rubrics

We all laid our rubrics on a big table—dozens of rubrics. We didn’t know where to start.

-English teacher

Calibrate…Often

The Westminster Fund engages nearly 300 volunteers annually.

After a while my idea of what a “3” sounds like differs greatly from what my colleagues think.

-Zeke, Spanish teacher

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• Listen to past student work from multiple levels

• Grade and compare

• Discuss, argue, dig in your heals and give up ground

• Don’t stop until you reach consensus

Presentational Speaking Rubric

Interpretive Reading Rubric

Final Thought

The Westminster Fund engages nearly 300 volunteers annually.

Rubrics, like maps, need to be legible, available, and consistent.• Use words kids understand, even if they’re not precise • Discuss the rubric BEFORE assessment (beginning of year,

at interims) • Create parallel structure where possible (Speaking/Writing,

Listening/Reading) • Use the same rubrics in all language classes

Effective assessments are effective for a reason.

reasonsthree

Effective assessments derive from valid standards

• Tasks are aligned with meaningful standards

• Students are informed about the process and expectations

• Students have an opportunity to reflect on past work in order to prepare for future work

In effective assessments…

Tasks align with standards\

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• Standard provides the skill for the assessment

• Learning Target provides the context for the assessment

Example: Interpretive Reading

Example: Interpretive Reading

Students are informed participants

The Westminster Fund engages nearly 300 volunteers annually.

Studies of change convincingly show that success in any change effort always hinges on what happens at the smallest unit of the organization.

-Peter Senge

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• Students have access to rubrics throughout the year

• Students have the opportunity to hear previous student work while listening to the rubric

• Student have a chance to ask questions about wording and expectations

Assessment has a growth orientation

The Westminster Fund engages nearly 300 volunteers annually.

formative assessments = assessments that carry the intent of informing future practice & performance

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• Students should have the opportunity to listen/read their work while examining teacher feedback

• Students should be able to reassess in certain circumstances

Final Thought

The Westminster Fund engages nearly 300 volunteers annually.

Assessments are both the destination and the waypoints on the path to learning.*

• Assessments provide • evidence of actual proficiency • advice for future performance

• Assessment OF learning vs. assessment FOR learning**

*to paraphrase Grant Lichtmann **to directly quote Rick Stiggins

Conclusion

Change starts with you

The Westminster Fund engages nearly 300 volunteers annually.

Studies of change convincingly show that success in any change effort always hinges on what happens at the smallest unit of the organization.

-Peter Senge

How can we help?

• Q&A • TodaysMeet

• More “show n’ tell” • Dig into specific standards, assessments, or rubrics

• Look at our gradebook