Tailored and Specific Grading Support

Creating & Implementing Effective Student Reporting Systems:

This customized module seminar work addresses specific school / district needs & desires for developing a more concise / understandable reporting mechanism (report card). Schools will be guided through an instrument to determine their current reality related to the following critical decisions related to standards based / referenced reporting systems:

• Teacher understanding of academic (priority) standards, rigor levels, & evidence needed to demonstrate mastery, partial mastery, no mastery, and exceeds mastery level
• Communication system for staff, students, parents, & other stakeholder readiness
• Readiness / desire for hybrid version (Letter grades for academic performance + process skills and behaviors reported separately)

The areas of focus can / would include:

• Developing goals for what their standards based report card will convey to students, staff, & parents
• Determining specific standards for reporting
• Determining reporting criteria (1-2-3-4, exceeds, meets, approaches, etc.).
• Criteria for student evidence to align with reporting scores / terms
• Clearly defining what current grade reporting conveys (student has met all criteria for reaching mastery of standard(s) and is complete or student is on current pace to reach mastery of specific standard(s)
• Developing supplementary documents
• Creating effective and empowering communication system for staff, students, parents, & stakeholders
• Determining if / where piloting is necessary and prudent
• Applying lessons learned from any pilot to ensure early success in implementation

Leading The Grading Change:

Of all change initiatives in schools—grading policy and practice adjustments are by far the most challenging for schools to successfully implement. Arguments, frustration, and worst of all losses of time, energy, and other resources are far too often the by products & by products of failed grading initiatives. This 1-day practical, evidence based, seminar will help guide teacher and school & district level leader actions to promote effective dialogue into discussion to help determine their best course of actions, both short and long term, for improving existing grading practices. (1 day of implementation support is recommended). The following topics are addressed; each with a highlight of research based support, authentic examples, guiding recommendations or instrument for determining actions / next steps:

• Practice Trumping Policy
• Determining Grading Givens
• Developing and forming focus groups and a school or district level grading cadre
• Monitoring current grading accuracy, truthfulness, & reliability—Determining level of grade inflation / deflation
• Creating a focused short and long-term plan for actions and implementation