Assessment-Friendly Grading Categories

Open a gradebook. What do you see?

Typically there are columns for recorded scores from a variety of assignments. The left-most column lists the names of students. Row 1 is a header that labels the type of assignment, followed in the column with the scores that recorded the work by students.

It's difficult to know what such a table of numbers tells us about students' understanding of the coursework. All that can be said for certain from what is displayed is that Summer and Thor excel in taking quizzes--thus labeled--while no clue as to what the "quizzes" are about.

What if, instead, the gradebook looked more like this:

Labels are one key to unlock understanding of achievement data. In this second example, the data has significant meaning. Isn't more important to know what the assignment focused on, then the type of assigned work? There is more to the data in these examples, but to just look narrowly at the impact of substantive labels can raise our understanding of a student's progress.

Whose Performance Would You Stake Your Life On?

Consider this scenario: You’ve taken a skydiving class. At the end of the course, you are going to jump out of a plane with a parachute. [Note to Reality Police: Yes, beginning parachuters are typically tied to an instructor for their first jump. This is a Scenario. Work with me :) ]
There are 3 professionals who pack all parachutes for course participants. You get to choose which person will pack your chute. Who would you want packing your chute: Packer #1, Packer #2, or Packer #3?

Every time I conduct this scenario, no one wants Packer #1. Sure this person started out great. Initially, scores are consistently above the Competency/Mastery Line. But on Week 6 and onward, this packer is unable to pack a chute that is safe for your jump. Choosing this packer is asking for a Once in a lifetime experience.



Packer #2 gets several votes. I’m always intrigued about why this person is picked. Here is a packer who is consistently inconsistent. The exam results are as much below the Competency/Mastery line as above. The common response is that based on the last test in week 9, this person is due for some good packed chutes. Choosing Packer 2 is for those looking to literally gamble with their lives on whether their chute will be the one packed well.



Packer #3 is an interesting story. Looking at the exam results for the first 6+ weeks, and you wonder how did this person stay employed? There is no way I’d want this person in the same room as my chute. Yet something happened beginning in week 7. Not only is this individual packing good chutes, the quality level exceeds the other packers and continues to excel to higher standards. Most people choose Packer #3. There is much to gamble with one’s life when jumping out of a plane. Having a chute packed by this professional, ensures that the focus on risk and reward is based on what you learned by the end of the course.



Interestingly, if we look under the hood of the chart at the raw scores by the packers, a different story is revealed. Traditionally supported or directed by schools and districts, teachers use a 100 percent scoring system for grades. The scores are averaged to get the reported grade. 
[Note: One variation is to “weigh” categories of grades, such as 30% Tests, 20% Homework, etc. Within each category the scores are averaged. More on weighing grades in a later post.]

What if the Packing Chart reflected a school course? Plug-in the class you teach or are taking.
How do the results differ from a record of what students truly know and understand of the curriculum? 

Packer #3 who the vast majority of teachers surveyed would risk their life on her competency has a grade of “D”, while the others who you’d really need a psych test if you chose them to pack your parachute get a “B”.



Assessment and grading practices are complex, and should be treated as such in how academic learning is evaluated. Yet, one component, averages, is a primary tool used for its simplicity in making judgments. Averages might not need to be thrown out of the mix. What’s needed is to include other factors for analysis of student competency. Beginning with clean assessment data, add in a shift in thinking about assessment practices, and add in an educator’s professional experience about curriculum, learning, and the student, will improve students’ growth and academic achievement.

If the primary purpose of grading is to measure academic skillfulness of students, one potential long range outcome is developing and/or nurturing highly qualified future professionals. Our assessments should indicate or track progress of learners.

At the end of the day, if our approach to assessment is multi-faceted and continuously reviewed, there will be more future professionals like Packer #3, and we can help Packer #1 and #2 become more than a facade. 


How does solely using Averages a potential fog to accurate grade reporting?
What elements of good assessment practices do you find important?
How should an educator’s expertise factor in such decision-making?

Grading Practices Re-examined

With a new school year approaching, a month from now, there is so much to prepare for in schools and classrooms. With a refreshed, often times rejuvenated, focus on the "calling" recognized as student learning achievement, this seems the time to consider how best to serve students. Much of our decision making is based on student work and the assessment and grading practices used to get as accurate a picture for meeting learner's needs.

What will follow is a series of posts focusing on grading practices. While I have a bias, which will become obvious, my intent is to offer information and examples for people with experience about grading to consider and join me on a reflective journey to discover what practices are best suited to meeting learners' needs. Those "people" include anyone who has ever been (or currently is) a student, teacher, administrator, business, and/or a parent.

To begin, what's needed is a agreed upon description for the primary purpose of grading. Much is taught from academics to citizenship, to responsibility. Yet, promotion to the next grade and graduation at the HS, MS, and Elementary** level is determined based on academic progress. While "social promotion" happens it's never been the standard by which students are expected to move forward. Our first impression on looking at a report card is that the "Grades" are indicative of academic understanding and skills based on a standards or learning objective orientated curriculum. Tom passed Freshmen English, so he's ready for Sophomore English, Susan is starting the year as a 4th grader, so that means that she has sufficient understanding of 3rd grade curriculum.

**Universities share a similar focus, and are included in this exploration. Their culture has some different challenges, grading practices share some common problems to study.**

Consider this statement, and does it, in general terms, address a commonly accepted view, your view, for the purpose of a Report Card?

The primary purpose for a Report Card grades is to represent a student's level of academic proficiency.

• Primary is underlined to recognize there may be other factors which schools wish to report and/or parents want to know about in the student's development.
• Academic Proficiency is underlined to emphasize that instruction and student learning expectations are keyed to academic curriculum. Look at the Common Core movement, and the impact that NCLB (wiki) has had on states developing common learning standards as proof. (ex. Michigan standards: GLCE and HSCE).
• Proficiency is used instead of Mastery because expectations are not always expecting mastery. Students do need a level of proficiency which could range from recognition to mastery.

The primary purpose for a Report Card grades is to represent a student's level of academic proficiency.

Does this statement reflect or come close to your understanding for the primary purpose of grades?

Thing 18: Teacher & Admin - Slideshare -- Grade Fog

I'm getting a better handle of Slideshare. It is a useful tool to get resources. Now with Social Networks growing, Slideshare could be a means to network as well as use as a portfolio for current and best work for adults and students.

One area of my work is facilitating educators (administrators and teachers) in reflecting and redefining grading practices. Focus assessments on academic focus and scoring without including non-academic practices into the grade. For example, not taking points off a test or assignment because a student did not write their name on the paper. It's an important organization skill to teach, but taking points off skews what we should know about the student's academic understanding of checks and balances in the U.S. federal government, or demonstrate proficiency in solving long division. Here's something from Slideshare:

Reflecting On Assessment A Tale Of Hope And Ideals   2010

View more presentations from John McCarthy.

The Grade Fog Diaries: What's most important

Sometimes the tendency is to focus on what's broken, when what works can model for what is possible. This was illustrated for me when one of my children got a detention for not completing an assignment on time. Many of the students in Music did not know the song that they'd practiced for several weeks.

The academic focus was that the students must know the song fluently. In some classrooms, a punishment would have been meated out, such as copying the song multiple times or writing lines, like "I will do my homework." The former might help a few students, most may have seen it as a punitive measure rather tan a learning tool. The latter work would have no bearing in helping kids acquire the fundamental goal: Learn the song with fluency. Neither approach actually would provide little hope that the  problem would be solved.

The teacher responded by scheduling extra time for students to practice singing, either in place of recess or after school. This was not optional. With parental input, students picked the slot that allowed the child to give up their free time to address a deficit.

Some might question the teacher's action: "How does this teach responsibility?" Take points off their music grade. That will send a clear and strong message. When we take points off for non-academic reasons, we create grade fog. Whether the penalty is 10%, 10 points, 50%, or a Zero for late work, the resulting score ofuscates data on what students know or don't know regarding the learning outcomes. Now before you shoot the messenger, consider that if a consequence is necessary, it can happen through non-graded means. What do students value the most? Personal time.

Traditional consequences may or may not improve responsibility, but it guarantees that:

1. The teacher does not know what the student understands about the learning focus, because the work remains incomplete.
2. Or the student was allowed an easy out if he is not allowed to make up the work to show full knowledge.

The music teacher understood that requiring students to serve a "detention" where the focus would be on practicing the song sent the message: 

• This work is important and will be completed.  
• Accomplish work by scheduled timelines, or lose personal time to get the tasks done.

Result: Kids learn the important outcomes, and progress.

Tox

What is Grade Fog

I met with a school staff the other day to facilitate learning and reflection about grading and assessment practices. We started with a sample of student work. The geography assignment asked that students be able to name the Mid-Atlantic states (US).

The student's score was 80%.

I asked the staff, "What does the 80% tell you about the student's knowledge of the Mid-Atlantic states?"

The responses captured were that the student pretty much knew the states with some errors in knowledge of all the states in the category: Mid-Atlantic. This seemed reasonable given the score. I then asked them to look closer at the assignment, review the correction marks where points were taken off, and see if the assessment of the student's knowledge held.

The directions asked students to take the list of states, capitals, and bodies of water and do two tasks.

1. Label the outlines of states and bodies of water with the correct names, and include the capitals in their corresponding state. All names had a specific color to be written (students used colored pencils).
2. Shade in each state with an assigned color.

On closer inspection, the staff discovered that the student made all labels correctly. Each state had the correct name, with its capital. The bodies of water were also listed correctly.

While the states were shaded in with the correct color, the labels were all in black pencil, not the assigned colors. Points were taken off for each of the labels that did not have the correct color.

Final score: 80%

If the focus was on students' understanding of the Mid-Atlantic states, this student demonstrated 100% proficiency. If the outcome addressed following directions with color coding, this student showed 80% proficiency. Might have potential confusion been eliminated by listing two assessment scores?

Knowledge of Mid-Atlantic States: 100%

Following Directions regarding color coding: 80% 

Grade Fog is when an assessment becomes unclear due to unclear learning targets. Or when several targets are combined into a single assessment score. It's like taking a grilled glazed salmon, roasted herbed chicken, and a seasoned steak, and mash them together, then conduct a taste test to determine the cook's quality for each of the proteins. 

Classroom assessments are valuable to how a teacher can track learning progress. Clear data allows for strategic interventions where needed. Foggy data conceals who needs help, and in what fashion of intervention or challenge should be provided.

In another instance, a student had on the report card a failing mark for Reading. The exam asked students to complete short answer essay questions based on a novel the class read. Based on the student's written responses, the assessment results appeared accurate. The teacher took the student aside and through an interview, asked the student questions about the novel. The student spoke on the questions with far greater depth than the written responses.

The teacher had realized that for the student, poor writing skills impeded demonstration of understanding. The assessment was on Reading, but writing skills became an obstacle to accuracy of the learning targets.

What grade fog might you find in your work or realm of influence?

What lies beneath?