Standards Based Grading in the World Language Classroom

Part 1 - Why Standards Based Grading?

Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages

March 20, 2014

http://eurekaworldlanguage.wikispaces.com/home

Tell your name, where and what you teach, and describe how you feel about Standards Based Learning/Grading in 5 words or less.

Who are we and why are we here?

• Julie Weitzel, Lafayette High School, Spanish I and II

• Denise Pahl, Eureka High School, Spanish III and IV

• Kim Lackey, Eureka High School, Spanish III and IV

What are the Standards?World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages

Formative Assessment about the Standards: http://tinyurl.com/kc9vczm

What do teachers count in students’ grades?• Homework

• Quizzes

• Portfolios

• Participation

• Extra Credit

• Speaking Assessments

• Writing Assessments

• Reading Assessments

• Listening Assessments

• Projects

• Chapter Tests

What do you think should count in students’ grades?• Homework

• Quizzes

• Portfolios

• Participation

• Extra Credit

• Speaking Assessments

• Writing Assessments

• Reading Assessments

• Listening Assessments

• Projects

• Chapter Tests

Different Mindsets About the Purposes of Grades

Student grades are meant to rank students.

Student grades can be used to control/punish student behavior.

Student grades communicate what students know and are able to do.

Maybe all of the above?

What should count in a grade?

A grade should reflect what a student knows and is able to do.

– Assessments of students’ ability to communicate in the language.

– Assessments of cultural and linguistic knowledge.

What shouldn’t count in a grade? • Extra Credit• Participation• Homework or practice for completion

points• Anything that uses grades as a

punishment (cheating, late work)• Anything that doesn’t clearly

communicate what kids know and are able to do.

But if I don’t count it or count off for it...

My kids just don’t do homework if it’s

not for a grade.

They’re not working up to their potential!

They don’t respect deadlines and consistently

turn work in late!

They need to learn to be more

responsible!Agh!

Someone cheated!

Extra credit?

Engaging students and encouraging participation• Technology for formative

assessment (clickers, Socrative, Conjuguemos/Quizlet)

• Stamping student sheets for participation in small group conversations

• Exit tickets

• Differentiated instruction and student choice

• Games and Competition - Around the world, Head of the class, Row Races

How do we encourage students to complete homework?

• Include formative assessment with feedback in your teaching.

• Make sure students can see clear connections between formative and summative work.

• Feedback for formative assessments can be reported as inactive assignments.

• Reward students with stickers, stamps, candy, etc.

How do we handle cheating?

Which consequence would be most effective?

● A zero on the assessment?

● Write-up, meeting with principal, parent phone call, and detentions?

Late / Missing work?● Due date vs. the drop dead date

○ Incentives for turning in by due date○ Drop dead date for teacher sanity

● Preventing Late Work○ Student reminders (Remind 101)○ Parent communication (e-mail, Teacher

Messenger, newsletter)○ Fewer at home projects and more in-class

assessments● Assign a detention and have the student

complete their work during that time.

Other ideas for Interventions: Intervention #1 - Student Conference

How can I help you?

What’s going on?

Is everything

OK?

Let’s figure this out!

I’m worried about you.

Let’s make a plan!

Intervention #2 - Parent Contact

• Email

• Phone call

• Group emails / Teacher Messenger to parents of students who o Get below proficient on an

assessmento Didn’t complete their

homeworko Turned in an assignment lateo Are missing work that needs

to be made up

Intervention #3 - Disciplinary action

Mandatory Academic Tutoring Session / Academic Detention

Retakes / Reasssessment / RedosOur policy:REASSESSMENT OPPORTUNITIES

• Students who have not shown proficiency will be re-assessed with the exception of listening and reading assessments.

• Students will be required to complete supplemental review work before being allowed to re-take a quiz.

• Although retaking a quiz may be an option, students should prepare for all assessments and give their best effort when assessments are originally given. Reassessments are primarily for those students who have not yet demonstrated proficiency.

• The new grade on the re-take will replace the old grade even if it is lower than the original score because the new score represents the most recent evidence of what the student knows and is able to do.

• When graded assessments are returned to students, students who have not yet demonstrated proficiency will receive feedback providing a plan for reassessment. Students will commit to taking ownership of their learning by following the reassessment plan as well as committing to a date and time outside of class for reassessment.

Why?

Practice Quiz

Assessment

Reassessment

Make-up Work and Delayed Assessments

Our policy:MAKE-UP WORK AND DELAYED ASSESSMENTS

• Students who miss an assessment due to absence will be asked to commit to a date and time outside of class to make-up the assessment.

• In extreme cases, students may receive permission from their teacher to postpone taking an assessment. Students will commit to a date and time outside of class to take the assessment. A parent e-mail may be sent to explain the agreement.

• Students who do not complete their assessment in a timely manner will be assigned an academic detention.

• Scores for assessments that are not taken on the scheduled date will be entered into Infinite Campus as an M which counts as a “0”. After the assessment is completed and graded, this score will be changed and full credit will be given.

Why?

How can we manage retakes? How do we manage our time and use it efficiently?

● �Designed for students who do not demonstrate proficiency (not prepared to move forward in their learning), but OK for anyone to re-take.

● Generally done before or after school

○ Academic Lab situation - department / school responsibility for all students

○ One day per unit - Make-up/Retake day in class

● Students who abuse the privilege of retakes can be banned from retaking assessments.

But... will kids be ready for college if they get to retake quizzes and don’t have to do their homework?

• Current system often advances students who are not ready and holds back kids who could be excelling.

• The best way to prepare students for college is by rewarding achievement and teaching them what quality looks like.

• More and more colleges are realizing the limitations of traditional grading systems and making changes.

Student Reactions to Standards-Based Learning & Assessment and Reassessment

How should we set up our gradebook? Online Gradebook categories? Weighting?

Options:• Types of assessments/assignments (Quizzes,

Tests, Homework)• The Four Skills (Listening, Reading, Writing,

Speaking)• The Standards (Presentational, Interpretive,

and Interpersonal Communication + Linguistic and Cultural Competence)

How we set up our Online Gradebook

Our Infinite Campus Categories:25% Linguistic and Cultural Competence 25% Presentational Communication25% Interpretive Communication25% Interpersonal Communication0% - Inactive category/assignments for Formative Work (Homework, Participation, Practice Quizzes)

How we set up our Online Gradebook

25% Linguistic and Cultural Competence • Vocab Quizzes• Grammar Quizzes• Cultural Competency Evaluations• Pronunciation Assessments• Lifelong Learning Projects

How we set up our Online Gradebook

25% Presentational Communication • Writing

– Essays / Paragraphs responding to a prompt– Integrated vocabulary and grammar quizzes (split

the grade, part for Linguistic Competence, part for Presentational Communication)

• Speaking– Small group presentations – Whole class presentations– Video narration – Voicemails - speaking for an audience of one

How we set up our Online Gradebook

25% Interpretive Communication • Listening / Viewing• Reading

Questions - Reflect Common Core State Standards and AP Language and Culture expectations

How we set up our Online Gradebook

25% Interpersonal Communication • Speaking

– Small group (3-5 students)– Speaking in pairs / with teacher– Lots of formative work!– Prompts = Conversation Starters

• Writing– Google Docs, Today’s Meet– Simulate an online chat / texting situation– Letter writing / responding to correspondence

What will be your take-away from this morning? Who will you share this with?

• Review of the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages

• What should count in a grade / What should grades reflect?

• Strategies for participation, homework, cheating, late work, low-quality work

• Managing Reassessments

• Gradebook categories that support Standards Based Learning / Grading