Communicate:
What I like about standards based grading is that it allows me to communicate much more specifically the student’s strengths and weaknesses than does a simple letter grade. An A- in Project Adventure doesn’t tell anyone with any specificity what this student does well or needs to improve on. When I can say on the report card that they participate vigorously in activity, they treat others with respect, but they need to be more willing to take positive personal risks in class to enhance their growth and development, this says so much more.
This communication of course is important for the student to receive but it is also important for a number of other interested parties. As a teacher understanding specifically where the student stands is the basis for differentiating. It will also be important for future teachers to know specifically what the student has understood and what they still need to improve on. Finally, it also better informs the parents as to their student’s current ability within the curriculum area.
Communicating in a timely manner is also important. When students receive the information promptly they stay more engaged, can more easily understand the feedback, and can take corrective action to increase their knowledge. Similarly, using United Based Grading allows me to report out the students learning in a timelier manner than interim and quarterly grades did in the past.
I also like the ability to make the learning scales very specific. It helps students to better able to evaluate the quality of their own work and it makes it easier for me to communicate to students where they are at in their learning in a very specific area. Much of the time when giving feedback on a formative I don’t have to write as much to explain where the student is at and the improvements they need to make to reach a higher level.
What I like about standards based grading is that it allows me to communicate much more specifically the student’s strengths and weaknesses than does a simple letter grade. An A- in Project Adventure doesn’t tell anyone with any specificity what this student does well or needs to improve on. When I can say on the report card that they participate vigorously in activity, they treat others with respect, but they need to be more willing to take positive personal risks in class to enhance their growth and development, this says so much more.
This communication of course is important for the student to receive but it is also important for a number of other interested parties. As a teacher understanding specifically where the student stands is the basis for differentiating. It will also be important for future teachers to know specifically what the student has understood and what they still need to improve on. Finally, it also better informs the parents as to their student’s current ability within the curriculum area.
Communicating in a timely manner is also important. When students receive the information promptly they stay more engaged, can more easily understand the feedback, and can take corrective action to increase their knowledge. Similarly, using United Based Grading allows me to report out the students learning in a timelier manner than interim and quarterly grades did in the past.
I also like the ability to make the learning scales very specific. It helps students to better able to evaluate the quality of their own work and it makes it easier for me to communicate to students where they are at in their learning in a very specific area. Much of the time when giving feedback on a formative I don’t have to write as much to explain where the student is at and the improvements they need to make to reach a higher level.