New Standards-Based Grading Implementation Letter

Dear Parents, Students, or Whom It May Concern,

For the 2018-2019 school year, the Northwest Chinese School Gifted Program Level 1
class will be the first classroom in the entire school to pilot a brand new program that
implements Standards-Based Grading into the curriculum. This system of grading will better
prepare students for the gifted qualification exams by letting them know areas that are strong,
and areas that may need work before taking the test. This letter will explain this system in-depth.
What exactly is Standards-Based Grading?
Standards-Based Grading, or SBG, is a recent innovation in classrooms that aims to focus
on the learning of material and increase overall achievement. SBG is frequently combined with
the most modern and up-to-date instructional practices to engage students more effectively and
create a positive learning environment.
TeacherEase Standards-Based Grading
The Basics of Standards-Based Grading - TeacherEase
Traditionally teachers focus on teaching, the attempt to deliver knowledge. In SBG they
also measure student learning, to understand the effectiveness of instruction. Instead of a single
overall grade, SBG breaks down the subject matter into smaller “learning targets.” Each target is
a teachable concept that students should master by the end of the course. Throughout the term,
student learning on each target is recorded. Teachers track student progress, give appropriate
feedback, and adapt instruction to meet student needs. Figure 1 shows example report cards that
highlight the differences between traditional and SBG.

Figure 1

Traditional grading and SBG also use different grading scales. In traditional grading,
students are primarily measured by the percentage of work successfully completed. The
assumption is that higher completion rates reflect greater mastery, and earn higher grades. Often
90% achieves an A, 80% a B, etc.

In SBG, grading is based on demonstration of mastery. Students attempt standards-

aligned activities (projects, worksheets, quizzes, essays, presentations, etc.). Teachers assess the
student output and choose the appropriate mastery level that was demonstrated.
 Typical scales are 1-4 and reflect students’ increasing skill. 1's indicate that students have
little understanding of a concept, and consequently cannot demonstrate any mastery. When
starting a new target, many students have no prior knowledge, and begin at 1. As students learn,
they can demonstrate partial mastery, and score 2. Once they meet a target, they score 3.
Typically 4's are used for students who exceed targets. Figure 2 shows example traditional and
SBG grading scales.

SBG Improves Feedback – TeacherEase

In SBG environments, better feedback accelerates learning. Instead of simply giving

scores like 9/10 or 85%, teachers give feedback about the task performed and skills used. This
helps students understand their current areas of improvement, and helps them reach the next
level. This positive environment speeds learning and students reach higher levels of achievement
-- all while being deeply engaged and enjoying school.

SBG Provides an Accurate Measure of Learning – TeacherEase

One pitfall of traditional grading is inaccuracy. Student averages are highly dependent on
the difficulty of work assigned. If teachers present only low complexity activities, students can
earn high scores with only a weak command of the material.

The opposite is also true. Highly demanding instructors may present very difficult work,
resulting in overly low student scores. Curving and extra credit are used to adjust averages into
more appropriate distributions.

In both cases SBG can improve the situation by providing clearer criteria for measuring
mastery. Mastery of low complexity work yields lower grades while mastery of higher
complexity work provides higher grades. Connecting grades to complexity rather than
percentage completion yields more accurate and consistent grades.

Result of SBG in Gifted Program Level 1

Students will receive two report cards. The first main one is tradtional grades based
(A,B,C,D,F). This is common in secondary education nowadays (middle and high school). The
other accompanying report card will be SBG based with learning targets scored on a scale 1-4.

- Mr. Hanson Dai (08/21/2018)