Standards-Based Grading

In 2016 a group of faculty and administrators at McCann began to evaluate grading policies and practices throughout the school to look for best practices and areas for improvement.  It was then determined, and approved by the school committee, that in order for assessment of learning to be effective, and equitable, we would move from a grading system based on the traditional 0-100, A, B,C,D, and F scale, to a standards-based grading system.  In this system, students are assessed according to how well they meet a set of learning standards that have been written for each course.  These standards were developed and written based on the Massachusetts State Frameworks.  Every teacher in every course at McCann will follow these grading practices:

1. Use a consistent school-wide 4-tier achievement scale
2. Academic achievement is reported separately from behaviors
3. Achievement is organized and reported by standards
4. Scores are based on a body of evidence
5. Students have multiple opportunities to demonstrate proficiency

Big Ideas:

• A scale with 4 levels is used rather than a traditional scale with 100 points
• Assessment scale has clear descriptors and language for the reporting standard
• Proficient is the grade-level expectation as described in the reporting standard

Through conversations, the grading committee determined that traditional scales with 100 points were focused on work completion, not on mastery of content. The purpose of the 4-level scale is to give clear feedback of student learning on a standard.  Additionally, many things were embedded (hidden) in the 100 point scale that were not indicators of student learning. For example, tardiness, absenteeism, attitude, effort, and behavior are all factors that have been included in the score in traditional grading systems. These are not factors of what a student knows but rather who a student “is.” Accurate assessment of student learning should focus solely on what a student knows.

Scores will be based on the following scale:

Level	Description
4- Proficient	Demonstrates mastery of the skills and knowledge required in the standard.
3- Approaching Proficiency	Demonstrates a significant understanding of the skills and knowledge required in the standard that is nearing mastery.
2- Developing	Demonstrates basic understanding of skills and knowledge in the standard.
1- Limited	Demonstrates little to no understanding of skills and knowledge in the standard.
0-No Evidence	Demonstrates no evidence of the standard to be evaluated.
Not Covered	Not covered during this reporting period.

In this assessment scale, “Proficient” is considered the score that teachers and students are aiming for.  This is the target goal for all students and a rating that indicates they have fully met the expectations for this standard. An “Approaching Proficiency" rating means that a student is doing well with that content and is getting close to mastery. “Developing” indicates that a student is still working to understand the content or skills being taught and can be expected when new content is introduced. “Limited” indicates that a student is significantly struggling with the standard which could be for a variety of reasons. 

Big Ideas:

• When effort or behavior have an effect on your grade, it is hard to tell what a student actually knows and can do with their learning
• Grades should reflect how deeply students have learned course content
• How students interact with other people, their work habits, and integrity are still an important part of learning. In fact, it is so important that it needs to be reported separately.

Both learning and behavior are equally important. So much so that they each get a separate report in the standards-based grading environment. This ensures that the academic grade reflects only progress toward meeting the learning standards and not behaviors or work completion. The standard below illustrates the criteria for which student behaviors will be assessed to arrive at a “Citizenship Score.” 

	Limited (1)	Developing (2)	Approaching Proficiency (3)	Proficient (4)
I can demonstrate the elements contained in the definition of a McCann Good Citizen	Student demonstrates few, if any, of the elements of a McCann Good Citizen.	Student demonstrates some of the elements of a McCann Good Citizen.	Student demonstrates most of the elements of a McCann Good Citizen.	Student demonstrates the elements of a McCann Good Citizen.

The elements of a McCann Good Citizen, which will also be covered, explained, and taught in Advisory courses are as follows:

1. Respectful (treats members of the school community, and the school itself, respectfully)
2. Hard-working (tries to do their best in whatever situation they are in)
3. Punctual (on time to school and class, completes work according to timelines)
4. Accountable (follows school rules, takes responsibility for their behavior/mistakes)
5. Good communicator (speaks politely to others, recognizes audience, avoids profanity)
6. Honesty (acts with integrity both as a person as well as with their work completion)

In addition to the Honor Roll, students will also be designated as “Good Citizens” and recognized in similar fashion.  Students attaining a Citizenship Average of 3.5 or Higher will earn designation on the “Distinguished Citizens” list. 

If a student receives a rating of “Limited” in their shop area, or in two or more academic areas, they will be ineligible to participate in extracurricular activities. Extracurricular activities are defined as any activities related to McCann Tech that are not part of the required school curriculum. These include, but are not limited to; sports, clubs, SkillsUSA, BPA, Cooperative Work placements, dances, and field trips of a non-educational nature (i.e. senior trip).

The Principal is in charge of extracurricular activities and athletics. In the case of severe violations of the code of conduct, or repeated poor citizenship outside the class or shop area or at a school function, (i.e. parking lot, hallways, bathrooms, cafeteria), the administration may determine a student to be ineligible to participate in extra-curricular activities due to demonstrating limited citizenship in the school building.

Big Ideas:

• Teachers record learning progress on each standard by having students focus on specific learning targets and provide evidence of their learning.
• Ratings on a standard are based on your level of achievement in real-time.  Improvement in performance is not unduly influenced by previous performance.
• Work that is done as practice is graded for feedback but the rating is not recorded in the gradebook.

Until recently, teachers collected every assignment and counted them towards a grade. Assignments were usually grouped into categories based on the type of task that they were and each category held a certain weight which allowed an average to be calculated at the end of the quarter. 

Now, instead of creating categories based on the type of task performed, the grading categories are based on the content and skills that students should be proficient in.

Task-based Categories (Old method)			Learning Standards (New method)
Category	Weight		Metal Fabrication - Grade 9
Tests	30%		MF-9.1	Demonstrate proper shop safety techniques and procedures.
Classwork	20%		MF-9.2	Identify and demonstrate proper use of measurement devices for specific applications.
Participation	10%		MF-9.3	Recognize, identify and interpret basic lines, symbols and measurements on a blueprint.
Homework	15%		MF-9.4	Demonstrate proper layout techniques.
Projects	25%		MF-9.5	Identify basic hand and power tools and demonstrate their safe use.
Focusing assessment and grading on mastery puts student learning, not compliance, at the center of our practice.			MF-9.6	Identify various mechanical cutting tools and demonstrate their safe use.
			MF-9.8	Set up and demonstrate the safe and proper use of a SMAW machine.
			MF-9.9	Set up and demonstrate the safe and proper use of a GMAW machine.

In standards-based grading scores of different categories are not averaged. They are reported as a rating within each standard which will average together into an overall rating in that course at the end of the year, which the instructor will give based on a year’s worth of evidence. This helps foster a growth-mindset where students are encouraged to keep trying to reach proficiency without previous attempts weighing their “average” down. Students learn at different rates and should not be penalized for the speed in which they learn something but rather be encouraged and acknowledged in their pursuit of proficiency. 

Big Ideas:

• A ‘body of evidence’ is a collection of pieces of evidence that demonstrate understanding of the learning targets.
• Our purpose in collecting a body of evidence is to allow teachers to determine an accurate and transparent score for a standard based on a representation of student learning.
• Teachers use evidence to track your learning. Students can track their learning as well.

Scoring/Rating:

A ‘learning target’ is a statement that explains what you should know and comes from a standard.  There may be multiple learning targets in order to meet one standard.

Because of the rating scale provided with each learning target, the teacher looks at the evidence students provide against the descriptors in the scale to determine a score.  Remember that scores show a progression of learning and change with student growth over time.

Sample rating scale for a task in Metal Fabrication:

Reporting Standard: MF-9.2 Identify and demonstrate proper use of measurement devices for specific applications
Limited	Developing	Approaching Proficiency	Proficient
I can identify a tape measure	I can identify and properly use a tape measure with assistance	I can identify and properly use a tape measure independently with accuracy (+/- 1/16")	I can identify and properly use a tape measure consistently and independently with accuracy (+/- 1/32")

Sample rating scale for a task in Advanced Placement Precalculus:

AP-PCAL-11-1: Solve equations and inequalities with and without technology
Limited	Developing	Approaching Proficiency	Proficient
I can solve equations and inequalities, with and without technology, with guided support.	I can solve equations and inequalities, with and without technology, with frequent support.	I can solve equations and inequalities, with and without technology, with minimal support.	I can consistently and independently solve equations and inequalities, with and without technology.

No Evidence:

If over the course of a marking period the instructor feels a student has not demonstrated enough evidence to warrant a rating the teacher will assign a quarter grade No Evidence. Students will need to work with their teacher to provide the needed evidence in order to gain a rating in that standard for the next quarter.