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Grading in the 21Grading in the 21stst CenturyCentury
Myron Dueck Myron Dueck B. Ed – U. of ManitobaB. Ed – U. of Manitoba M. Ed – U. of VictoriaM. Ed – U. of Victoria
Princess Margaret Secondary SchoolPrincess Margaret Secondary SchoolPenticton, BCPenticton, BC
BioBio• 12 years in education.
Grades 4-12 teaching experience 6 years at the Middle School level 6 years at High School Manitoba, New Zealand, British Columbia
• 6 years of BC provincial exam experience History 12, Social Studies 11 Marking and development
• 1.5 years: Focus on Assessment comfortable on WHY A focus on HOW Special focus on struggling learners Presentations in Oregon, BC, and …
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Agenda• Whole Group Session #1 9:00-10:15
Overview of context, research, vision, ideas.• Of & For Learning (research)• Shifting paradigms: Behavior vs. Tasks vs. Learning• Princess Margaret’s approach to AFL: three targets
– No zeros, late deductions, or grading homework
• Whole Group Session #2 10:30-12:00 My personal approach – HOW did I…
• Work with my principal/administration?• Implement these strategies in the my classroom? • Communicate these changes to my
students/parents?• Address the most obvious challenges within my
school?
Agenda continued…
• Whole Group Session #3 1:00-1:30 How has this impacted student motivation?
• Success, confidence, risk-taking, school completion, healthy relationships
• School Groups Session #4 1:30-2:15 Where do we go from here? Schools/districts discuss…
• Where are we going with alternative assessment strategies?• How are we getting there?• What is our next step?
Alternative strategy: Where do ‘I’ go from here?• Teachers begin to plan how they will approach their own learning
targets using AFL strategies
• Whole Group Session #5 2:30-3:00 Debrief/report/wrap-up
Pre-Corrections
• Cell Phones…Off or to silent ring
• Breaks…scheduled, but also when needed.
• Not every slide will appear in your handouts.
• Examples of poor practice may be exaggerations in order to emphasize a point.
• Focus on systems, which are universal. Practices need to be age/curriculum appropriate.
**
Acknowledgements
• Assessment Training Institute• Rick Stiggins, Judy Arter, Jan Chappuis,
Steve Chappuis
• Leaders in Assessment & Grading• Ken O’Connor, Thomas Gusky, Dylan
Wiliam, Paul Black, Anne Davies, Lorna Earl, Ruth Sutton, Michael Scriven, Benjamin Bloom, etc.
**
My Job…
To introduce you to the practical application of new practices
around grading and reporting that are fair, reasonable and focus on
learning rather than task completion or behavioral issues.
I will do that by…
1. Introducing you to the three most ineffective (and overused) grading practices.
2. Introducing you to the process used at Princess Margaret to develop fluency & capacity…including challenges.
3. Sharing a working model of how I have put some of the theory into practice. (HOW)
4. Provide a support to teachers and administrators who want to pursue similar changes.
Disclaimer #1Disclaimer #1
There is NO assumption on my part that…
1. Inappropriate teaching and learning practices are widespread in the state of Kentucky.
2. There is a knowledge deficiency with this group that I am here to fill.
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Disclaimer #2
• I CANCAN provide you with… concepts, research findings, new ideas implementation examples (a teacher’s perspective) student voices a challenge (discomfort?) (re) energize and/or (re) focus opportunity to discuss/explore
• I CANNOTCANNOT provide you with… all of the answers! organizational commitment to change experimentation & colleague support
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Definitions?
• Mark = Score on Individual Assignment.• Grade = Cumulative for the Course.• 50% is a pass
A = 86-100 B = 73-85 C+ = 67-72 C = 60-66 C- = 50-59 F = 0-49
**
More Disclaimers…
1. Quick overview of our/my progress & process...
…more questions than answers.
2. Few examples… …more than I am able to present
3. Focus on BIG IDEAS…and APPLICATION! …relevance comes when applied to specific content
areas, grade levels, or by specific adults.
4. You might not agree with me… …and I am okay with that!
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Important Important ThemesThemes
Theme #1
Everything we do in our classrooms/schools
should build confidence and reduce anxiety,
stress, and confusion
Theme #2
Fear of Failure only motivates the students
already not failing!
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Theme #3
Effective practices are only as good as the systems
designed to support the adults who use them.
**
Theme #4
The enemy of GREAT…is good!
The The BIGGEST BIGGEST
IdeaIdea
The BIGGEST Idea!
• There is no greater task…and nothing is taken more personally…than questioning and/or challenging teachers’ grading and reporting practices.
• Therefore, disconnect the idea of growth and discrediting past practice…
**
Questioning Questioning Grading Grading PracticesPractices
Grading Misrules
• Giving students a second chance is soft. …life is full of do-overs
• Academic rigor means setting unreasonable expectations. …is about accountability.
• The punishment paradigm produces the epiphany. …more likely to quit!
• Students who are unsuccessful didn’t try. …“Can’t” do vs. “Won’t” do
Princess Margaret Secondary SchoolPrincess Margaret Secondary School
• Grades 9-12• Converted Jr. High
Tradition: 1958 vs. 2003?
• 770 students• 70 total staff
50 teachers (including part-time) 20 CEAs
**
Three targets for Princess Margaret in 2007:
Stop…
1. Grading homework.
2. Reducing scores for late work.
3. Using “0” for work not handed in.
Two definitions we need to know:
summative assessment …has referred to tests administered after learning is supposed to have occurred to determine whether it did. (assessment OF learning)
formative assessment …has been the label used for assessments conducted during learning to promote, not merely judge or grade, student success.
(assessment FOR learning)(From: Formative Assessment to Assessment FOR Learning:A Path to Success in Standards-Based Schools – Rick Stiggins)
Anytime a student makes a first attempt at practicing new learning it should not be included in the grade book until the teacher provides descriptive feedback on the student’s work.
NO Grades for HWOur position
What do we mean by “Homework”?
• Work done as practice or reinforcement to an in-class lesson
“…do numbers 1-20 as practice…”
• Work that is standardized and administered to a whole group
“…read the chapter and complete the five review questions at the end…”
• ‘homework’ does not refer to projects or major assignments that were started in class, but require extra time to complete
Group Talk #1
Stop grading homework
“Don’t use information from formative assessments and practice to determine grades; use only summative evidence.”
(From: O’ Connor, K. 2007. A Repair Kit for Grading: 15 Fixes for Broken Grades)
**
Why No Grades for HW?
• Whose work is it?• Flawless instruction?• Clear on directions?• Feedback (immediate) matters.• With teacher, not without!• Mark the games, not the practice.• 48 vs. 79!
Questions
• When are students supposed to take the academic risks we encourage them to take if everything they do counts?
• If the prospect of the grade is the only potential motivator, then is it possible the assignment isn’t important…and maybe the students shouldn’t be asked to do it!
NO Late PenaltiesOur position
Students should be graded on the quality of their work (their ability to meet the desired learning targets) rather than how punctual the assignment is.
Group Talk #2
“Don’t reduce marks on ‘work’ submitted late; provide support for the learner.”
(From: O’ Connor, K. 2007. A Repair Kit for Grading: 15 Fixes for Broken Grades)
**
Why No Late Penalties?
• Some students predictably struggle with deadlines.
• Deadlines keep students organized.• Right/Late vs. Wrong/On-Time• There will not be a flood of
assignments.• We don’t add for early.• Behaviour vs. Learning
What’s in a Grade?(Ministry of Education in British Columbia)
“…letter grades will be used to indicate students' levels of performance in relation to the learning outcomes for each course or subject and grade.”
What about Kentucky?
• The Combined Curriculum Document (CCD) is a resource created by the Kentucky Department of Education to show the connection between the Academic Expectations (what students should know and be able to do as a result of their school experience)…
Assessment of achievement of goals -- Development of Commonwealth
Accountability Testing System
Kentucky teachers shall have a significant role in the design of the assessments. The assessments shall be designed to:
(a) Measure grade appropriate core academic content, basic skills, and higher order thinking skills and their application. The assessment shall measure the core content for assessment used by the Department of Education
The Kentucky Board of Education…
• The reporting structure shall include the following components: A school report card that clearly communicates with parents and the public about school performance.
It shall include but not be limited to the following components...
1. Student academic achievement, including the results from each of the assessments administered under this section;
2. Nonacademic achievement, including the school's attendance, retention, dropout rates, and student transition to adult life
3. School learning environment
2 Challenges(Ken O’Connor – “How to Grade for Learning”)
“The penalty…(10% per day)…distorts their achievement and, therefore, contributes to a mark (eventually a grade) that does not have clear meaning.”
“The punitive nature of the penalty is a powerful disincentive for students to complete any work…”
Possible Solutions?
• Eliminate the academic penalty.• Focus on learning…not task completion.
• Provide a window for handing in work.• Give the opportunity to manage time.
• Provide support ahead of time• We know the assignment is going to be late…Be
proactive!
• Spend more time in preparation.• Directions, set-up, explanations, exemplars, etc.
NO Zeros!Our position
Assigning a “0” for work not yet handed in is arbitrary and mathematically invalid. Zeros reflect what a student has not done, not what a student knows.
Group Talk #3
“Don’t include zeros in grade determination when evidence is missing or as punishment; use alternatives, such as reassessing to determine real achievement or use ‘I’ for Incomplete or Insufficient Evidence.”
(From: O’ Connor, K. 2007. A Repair Kit for Grading: 15 Fixes for Broken Grades)
**
Why No Zeros?
• Random…why not 4, or 11, or 23?• Students view it as unfair…mean!• Assignments are rendered unnecessary.
• If, with “0”, the student is passing the work will never be completed.
• Does not produce the desired results.• No empirical support.
Ex. “Jason’s Grades”75
61
56
63
58
60
62%
Now add a “O” to the Grade Book0
53%
X – Without the “75”, the grade is 59% (3% impact)
9% Impact!1 more “0”?
46%
**
Can I shoot a Basketball?
Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri.
49 100
1010 1085
0 4200
**
Zero…the ultimate weapon!(Thomas Gusky, “0 Alternatives”, Principal Leadership, October 2004; 5, 2)
“Some teachers recognize that assigning zeros punishes students academically for behavioural infractions; nevertheless, most believe that such punishment is justified and deserved.”
Zero…the ultimate weapon!(Thomas Gusky, “0 Alternatives”, Principal Leadership, October 2004; 5, 2)
“The threat of a zero – and the resulting low grade – allows teachers to impose their will on students who might otherwise be indifferent to a teacher’s demand.”
Traditionally, this Traditionally, this is what we’re is what we’re doing now!”doing now!”
Our process…
• Year “0” …spend the right amount of time introducing the new ideas to your staff.• Positive results, research, etc.
• Vision, support, coaching, encouragement, risks, etc.
• Be clear about what you want and what it would look like.• Introduce individual practices
• Provide replacement routines.• “What should I do instead?”
• Find someone to implement new practices…• …and then let them tell their stories.
Willing & Able?(Individually and/or Collectively)
• Willing, but not able?• Move ahead with plans
• Make sure people are comfortable with the research, rationale, and replacement routines.
• Able, but unwilling?• Think BIG, but start small.
• Plan for rapid results by encouraging minor changes that make a big difference
• Support, support, support!
Theory into Theory into PracticePractice
Step 1
How did I work with my principal/administration?
Basic developments…
• District goal: Assessment FOR Learning• Staff professional development sessions
with AFL as a focus• What is AFL?• Differentiating assessment• Ken O’Connor’s book: ‘15 Fixes for Broken Grades’
– No zeros, no late penalties, no marking HW
• Sound Grading Conference in Portland, OR• Guest speaker
My visit to Portland… (December 2006)
• Interest and exploration – a reason to go• New information on grading practices• The distinct need for change• A feeling of being overwhelmed• I understand the ‘WHY’ part of this, but…
…Where do I start?
**
Step 2
How did I implement these strategies in my
classroom?
Change #1 Rewriting Writing
•Students can rewrite their essays as many times as they like (with conditions).
Student Response
“If I know I can get a good mark, I will keep trying.”
R.D.
**
Change #1 FallaciesFallacies
1.“I’ll be bombarded with rewrites!”
2.“Only the top students will be interested.”
Change #2Interactive Unit Plans
• Highlight what students will need to know, demonstrate, reason, etc…
(based on core content/learning standards)
• “I can explain how the involvement of the USA affected the outcome of World War II.”
• “I can explain how the following terms relate to the Holocaust.”
Related Core Content for Assessment (KY)
• Students will evaluate how the Great Depression, New Deal policies and World War II transformed America socially and politically at home and reshaped its role in world affairs.
• “I can evaluate how the Great Depression changed American society and the role of the government.”
Why does this help you??
“It was a huge help. I am able to focus my studying and figure out what I know and don’t know before I write the test.” (M.G.)
“I can focus my studying and save time.” (T.S.)
**
Change #3Student Choice on Retesting
• Construct a test with separate sections divided by topic. Each section will have a total value.
• Students write the test and each section is tabulated separately.
• Using a custom tracking sheet, each student will calculate her overall test score, as well as the individual scores from each section. The student will also indicate on the tracking sheet how they will change their preparation pattern for the next test.
• Taking into account his academic goal, overall test score, and the score on each section, the student will decide which sections to rewrite.
Change #3 (continued) Student Choice on Retesting
• Photocopy the tracking sheets and provide the student with a copy for study purposes.
• Construct a new test with the same sections and values, but different questions.
• Using one standard template, cut and paste the sections selected by the student, print the document and administer the new test.
• Mark the second test and determine which sections have increased scores.
• Determine the new overall test score and track the improvement.
Student Reaction!
“You know why students will do this, Dueck, you know it…they want to do better. Kids will do this just because they want to do better.”
K.K.
**
Say What?
“I thought rewrites were a form of punishment.”
- K.K.
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Student to Student!
“Why wouldn’t you come back and try again if it means you can improve?”
D.M. to A.L.
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0
5
10
15
20
25
30
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
GeographyTest
Social Studies 9 Percentage Increase on Retesting
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Socials 11G Percentage Increase on Retesting
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19
WWI Test
1920s Test
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A reminder of the two definitions we need to know:
summative assessment …has referred to tests administered after learning is supposed to have occurred to determine whether it did. (assessment OF learning)
formative assessment …has been the label used for assessments conducted during learning to promote, not merely judge or grade, student success.
(assessment FOR learning)(From: Formative Assessment to Assessment FOR Learning:A Path to Success in Standards-Based Schools – Rick Stiggins)
**
Summative and Formative
• When a student takes advantage of a rewrite opportunity, all or part of the first test becomes a formative assessment tool.
“Some have argued that formative and summative assessments are so different in their purpose that they must be kept apart…However, it is unrealistic to expect teachers and students to practice such separation, so the challenge is to achieve a more positive relationship between the two.” (Black, Harrison, Lee, Marshall and Wiliam, “Working Inside the Black Box”, PHI DELTA KAPPAN, September 2004; 15)
Tracking Retesting Using a Simple Grading Program
First test score: 16/38 Improvement from retest: +21_______________________________________________________
New entry in grade program: 37.021 (37.021/38)
From this new entry in a class list, the teacher can determine:
Original test score New test score
Level of individual student improvement Number of students who retested
Pattern for individual/class
The New Language!
“Sick, sick man, that is sick.”
K.M.
**
Change #4Target-based Reporting
• Students now track all of their test responses according to Provincial Learning Outcomes (PLOs).
• Using the data from this process, students can more effectively study for comprehensive exams (provincial).
• By determining which learning outcomes were more challenging, students can adjust their preparation accordingly.
• This data can be shared with parents to enhance the reporting process.
Moving beyond…
Mark: 72
Comment: Good Work!
**
A Conversation
• STUDENT: STUDENT: “This studying according to PLOs thing is a really good idea. Are you the only teacher doing this?”
• DUECK:DUECK: “Right now…yes.”
• STUDENT: STUDENT: “Why are you the only one?”B.M.
**
Things I had never heard before…
“I’m rockin’ on 4.4!”T.C.
“I’m 6 for 6 on 3.3!”S.H.
**
A Framework for Sound Assessment
What are the basic components to consider when designing sound assessment strategies?
The ETS model is a good start!
Purpose
Targets
ACCURACY EFFECTIVE USE
Student Involvement
Design
EffectiveCommunication
Source: ETS
Change 5: Zeros replaced by an INC (Incomplete)
• No zeros for incomplete assignments or missed tests/quizzes.
• Assign an INC in place of a mark.
• The entire course grade is replaced by an INC until the assignment or test is finished.
Student Responses
“When I see an INC rather than a mark, that is really…irksome. I mean it is all about the suspense and that just kills it.”
**
Why I don’t give zeros:
1. Zeros do not reflect what students know.2. Zeros nullify/distort the marking I have
completed.3. Zeros are a conflict of interest.4. Zeros discourage students.5. Zeros do not reflect ‘real-life’ scenarios. 6. Zeros do not teach responsibility.7. What part of this course is optional?
What a student thinks…
“It’s zero, it brings [my mark] down, but it is not a big deal. Zero is a punishment…not a motivator. Punishment has never really motivated me. A chance to improve my mark, now that is motivating.”
B.M.
**
Ask yourself this question:
If your goal is to have each student’s final grade to reflect the extent to which he or she has met the established learning objectives, do you want that number to be as accurate as possible?
Change 6: Flexible due dates combined with support.
• A due date is given as a guideline for major projects.
• Students who predictably struggle with completion issues are given support prior to the due date.
• Support is provided for students who do not hand the project in within a specified time.
Overall Effects…
• Increased risk-taking
• Less confrontation…we’re on the same side!
• The focus shifts from task completion to learning
• Stronger results on standardized exams
Group Talk
• What are some challenges you see in implementing these type of changes to your classroom/school?
• How would your school community, in whole or in part, react to: Multiple rewrites/do-overs No zeros No academic penalty for late assignments
Step 3
How did I communicate these changes to
students?
My New Reality
• “You will have to work very hard to achieve a zero.”
Day 1, History 12
Key points in communicating to students.
1. Build the new expectations into your course outline.
2. Remind students of retesting by section (especially struggling learners/anxious test writers)
3. Develop a working language around learning standards and knowledge targets.
• take the mystery out of the material!
What do the students think?
• A simple test feedback form can offer valuable feedback on:
student confidence
individual testing preferences
study patterns and tendencies
Step 4
How did I communicate these changes to parents?
Keys to parental support/awareness…
1. Send a letter home to parents explaining the systems you are using.
2. Send a copy of the PLO report home with the report card.
3. Engage in the conversations!
Revolutionize the parent-teacher interview…
More effective interactions with parents
• Number of retests and corresponding increases» 45.0/53 50.005/53 (5-point increase)
• Areas to focus upon
• Exam preparation and awareness
• Testing strengths and preferences
Step 5
Where are the most obvious challenges within
my school/community?
Tradition vs. Change
Teacher preparation and support time.
Teachers and research
‘the dreaded R-word’
A widening gap between in-class and standardized
testing results.
“We need to teach real-life lessons!”
(use late marks and zeros)
The accountability conversation…
“I like these strategies and all that…but I am not into letting kids off the hook. I mean, when are they ever going to learn that a due date is a due date?”
“There are times when you must get something in…it is called responsibility!”
“You need late marks and zeros to let kids know what the real world is like.”
• “I like all the strategies and all that, but…” Have you used them?
• “Letting kids of the hook…” Does giving a zero increase accountability?
• “…it is called responsibility…” Definition: ‘being responsible; obligation’
‘obliged or expected to account for’
Let’s talk about accountability…
“Can I please just have a zero?” - anonymous (5+)
Step 6
How has this impacted student motivation?
What is confidence?
“the expectation of a positive outcome”
The student decides if learning is going to occur!
Two questions lie at the heart of this decision:
1. Am I capable of learning?
2. Is it worth my effort?
Motivation…
1. Anticipation of success (11G projects)1. Zeros2. Flexible due dates3. Retesting
2. Confidence and in-class behavior (Cody)
3. Routine/mental ease (Tianna & Morgan)
4. Encouraging risk-taking (11G)
5. Increased provincial exam results6. School completion7. Building healthy relationships
Wrap-up: What Now?
• Change requires action.
Individually or as a group, answer these questions:
1. What are my/our next three steps?
2. What challenges do I/we expect?
3. How do we overcome these challenges?
Megan…
“This is probably the only class I’m putting effort into.”
(why is that?)
“I get to see what I am right about and what I am not. I can then get my grades up”.
(pause)
“It makes me feel smarter than I really am…I mean…I don’t get good grades, but in this class I know things and I feel smart.”
“ I haven’t really felt smart in the past.”
**
Why do I do this? **
Questions?Questions?
