Standards Based Grading
Standards Based Grading
Standards-based grading, or SBG, is pretty straightforward. Simply put SBG is measuring how much a student knows about the learning objective.
Doesn’t seem confusing at all, right?
Well when you start diving deeper into what that statement means, then there can be some confusion. Many teachers are taught this grading philosophy, but when it is time to implement it, then questions start flowing out. The answers can be wildly different ranging from extremely vague to so descriptive in one subject that it is difficult to know how to implement in your classroom. Then the opinions on those answers can bring out discussions of teaching philosophies. Whichever philosophy you use to set up your classroom is your choice. This philosophy is used by many schools and individual teachers, and hopefully, this explanation offers a little insight into SBG teaching philosophy.
Standards-Based Grading is …
Giving students grades based solely on the level of knowledge of the learning goal.
Communicating what students need to know at the beginning of the unit/lesson.
Giving many opportunities and ways for students to prove that knowledge.
Having tiered assessments to truly gauge the students understanding.
Altering teaching strategies based on students' current knowledge to extend student knowledge.
Deeper coverage of less material.
Teaching and assessing one standard at a time. It is ok if you use other standards to support each other, but grading to the standard only works if you can separate your assessments to one standard at a time. Many teachers will mix standards in lessons, but how do you know to what degree the student knows each standard? It would be difficult enough to mix two standards, but some try to do three or four. It is not possible for the teacher to assess students level of knowledge of each standard, so by default not grade to the standard. (Again if that is your teaching philosophy then great, but it just doesn’t comply with SBG)
Standards Based Grading is not …
Punitive grades are things like taking off points for being late, or a work habits grade, like bringing everything you supposed to or sitting in the right spot, or not allowing a student to turn in an assignment based on absences.
Participation grades should not be a part of the student’s actual grade. If a student receives an A, because the student participated in an activity, or you decide to not grade a worksheet, like a crossword puzzle, and just give them a grade if turned in. Some teachers will give participation grades for all kinds of things including work left for students while a substitute was managing your class, or for outside activities or experiments.
Memorizing a study guide or vocabulary list and getting good grades. If a question is asking a question that can have an answer that can be memorized then that question cannot measure the student’s true amount of knowledge on a topic.
Extra credit undermines the philosophy. You should not be able to do a worksheet or essay or various other activity that improves your grade if that work is not directly related to the knowledge needed for the learning objective. If the work is directly related to the learning objective then it is not “extra credit” but an alternative learning assignment and needs to be designed with the intent of measuring the level of student knowledge.
Only multiple-choice or simple assessments. This does not tell you the student's true understanding. The students may have difficulty communicating or reading but know the standard. Realistically the assessment may have issues like incorrect answers marked or miswording of the questions. The students could easily memorize and forget or cheat.
Standards-Based Grading Outcomes
Many teachers have differing opinions on some of these statements, and most of the reasoning I understand. But the outcomes of SBG have been proven in many studies and the results are consistent. Students' grades improve, and an increase in student engagement. Students do not feel pressured by constant tests and quizzes. Students do not feel defeated by the knowledge they do not have or by their past assignments. Students do not have to worry about how to get or keep their grades. Teachers can plan more efficiently and make their units more cohesive. Personally since gaining a better understanding of and implementing SBG, my class has become much easier to teach in more ways than I probably realize.