A CONNECTION BETWEEN SELF REPORTED GRADES AND FEEDBACK

Jaimee Sutherland

Farmington Middle School

SELF REPORTED GRADES

In traditional formative assessment contexts, teachers conduct the assessments, keep records, and track student progress. But in assessment for learning classrooms, we understand that when students self-assess regularly and track and share their progress, their confidence in themselves as learners and their motivation to do well grows along with their rising achievement.

FEEDBACKFeedback is information provided by an agent (teacher, peer, book, parent, self experience) regarding aspects of one’s performance or understanding.

HOW DO YOU CONNECT THE TWO?

See Lesson Reflections Handout

FEEDBACKExample:

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

• Each of you were given a student work sample as you entered the room. Match your sample with the correct level descriptor.

LEVEL FIVEStudent can add fractions and/or mixed numbers and write the answer in simplest form.

LEVEL FOURStudent can add fractions and/or mixed numbers but the answer was not in simplest form.

LEVEL THREEStudent can add fractions but had difficulty working with the whole numbers in problems involving mixed numbers.

LEVEL TWOStudent made a mathematical error when expanding the fractions, therefore the answer was incorrect.

LEVEL ONEStudent added the numerators and denominators together without finding a common denominator.

IN YOUR CLASSROOM• Give students the scale and have them match student work samples to the corresponding level.• Have students complete a formative assessment on a post-it note and then place it under the correct level at various locations in your room.• During a classroom discussion, talk about mistakes students often make when solving problems and match them with levels.

SELF REPORTED GRADES

• Based on the feedback from the level descriptions and lesson reflections, have students predict their score/grade for the quiz/test.• Have students convert their scores to percentages (math) and graph them on the number line.• Students will compare their prediction to their actual grade and analyze the results.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

• Use the template to pick a learning target and write descriptors for each level.• What would student work look like at each level? Give specific examples.

ONE STEP FURTHER: GOAL SETTING

• Communicate with your students about their progress on their reflection sheets• Have students set quarter/semester/unit goals and work together to achieve them• Make excellent samples for parent communication

DISCUSSION• What ideas do you have to implement this process in your classroom?• How might this process look differently in other subject areas and/or grade levels?• What difficulties do you expect to face when implementing this process?• What benefits do you expect to see from this process?