What do your students know?

Standards-Based Grading in Algebra and Geometry: Year Two Changes Anna Maria Gaylord
amgaylord@gmail.com

Middle School Math Department Minnehaha Academy 5 May 2012

Traditional grading does not indicate whether the students UNDERSTAND or not

Dan Meyer Shawn Cornally Kate Nowak Sam Shah David Cox many more

Ownership Mastery Success

n do ot

Standards-based grading promotes understanding through timely feedback

Example concept list

Assess each learning target separately / Should be discrete concept

Grading block for easy transfer of scores

Numbering is sequential from the beginning of the year

Example concept quiz

Scoring system

I dont even want to try.

Testing Methodology

Weekly quizzes are driven by mastery level. Mid-terms and finals Open note, all concepts tested, regardless of mastery can they still do it? Concepts are not tested by a single problem, several different problems are used to teach each concept.

Scoring system/testing schedule

Copy columns to individual sheets, one sheet per concept, one file per class
Totals: Sum of last two scores

Transfer scores from test to file All classes on one sheet Sort according to last name

Teachers concept quiz record

The stamp is a big deal! Students are working for mastery and once they have a stamp they dont have to test on that anymore
Order of operations 4 2 3 5 5

Students track their own scores it is important for them to own their progress

Year 2: Score entered in teachers grade book is the sum of the last 2 scores

Students concept quiz record

Students can come in for reassessment when a concept has dropped off the in-class quizzes

They need to show me that theyve done some work so they arent wasting my time Concept problems are handwritten on notecards, students need to recopy the problem here and show all steps to justify their answer

Year 2: They can only retest twice per week. Mandatory reassessment for low scores (<6) Google Form-Reassessment Request On-line tutoring help

Reassessment

Year 1 Problems
Retention Passing Easy Concepts, Averaging Problem Problem Solving Trimester imposed end of learning some concepts Homework, level of trust

Let the Scores Fall

No Grading of Homework

Homework and Trust

The Students Must Trust You You Must Trust the Students You Must Trust Yourself

Online Math Tutoring

No Fail Option

Year 2 Observations
More difficult Homework and Trust No Fail Option works Grades are lower but they reflect understanding

I cant believe I have learned all of this.

Email: amgaylord@gmail.com Blog: amgundetermined.blogspot.com

Going past understanding to appreciation