Where Do I Begin with SBG??

Written by: Patricia L. Scriffiny

Reason 1: Grades Should Have Meaning

Reason 2: We Need to Challenge the Status Quo

Reason 3: We Can Control Grading Practices

Reason 4: Standards-Based Grading Reduces Meaningless Paperwork

Reason 5: It Helps Teachers Adjust Instruction

Reason 6: It Teaches What Quality Looks Like

Reason 7: It's a Launchpad to Other Reforms

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/oct08/vol66/num02/Seven_Reasons_for_Standards-Based_Grading.aspx

Written by: Thomas R. Guskey and Lee Ann Jung

Challenge 1: Clarifying the Purpose

Challenge 2: Differentiating Grading Criteria

Challenge 3: Moving from Letter Grades to Standards

Challenge 4: Grading Students with Special Needs

https://www.naesp.org/resources/2/Leadership_Compass/2006/LC2006v4n2a3.pdf

One of the biggest challenges that I've noticed is that we were all educated to teach and assess with more "traditional" practices. We spent many years educating ourselves to become teachers, and now we are being asked to do something completely different. Not only is it a different way of teaching, its a total mind-shift.

Written By: Thomas R. Guskey

Five things to consider in order to make standards-based reporting work:

1) Move from norm-referenced to criterion-referenced standards

2) Differentiate the types of grading criteria;

3) Clarify the purpose of reporting tools;

4) Develop a standards-based reporting form or report card;

5) Maintain consistency in reporting forms.

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept01/vol59/num01/Helping-Standards-Make-the-Grade.aspx

Below are three students from my Floral Design class, deconstructing their responses to our Unit #1 Exam.

You aren't going to go run a 5K after never running one before are you? (well maybe some of you would) Standards Based Grading is much like that process. You start with a plan--your standards, then you start with a small group-maybe one class, you may need to massage out the kinks, but before you know it you are running and your students are flourishing!!

Below, Christi Hack, CRA of Jessamine Career and Technology Center, and former Agricultural Education Teacher, discussing the process of school-wide SBG.

Below, Christi Hack, reflects her thoughts of incorporating SBG school-wide and changes she might have made.

Below, Engineerinig and Math teacher, Andrea O'Bryan, reflects on the growing pains of incorporating Standards Based Grading into her classroom, but also reflects on the benefits it has offered her students.

I have noticed that the more I talk about the standards and their PERFORMANCE level and stay away from the talk of "what's my grade?"....the less students ask that question. I want students to focus on the questions like "how can I do better?" and "what can I do to improve my performance level?" and not "what can I do to get an A?".

Manual Written By: Custom Computer Specialists, Inc.

Another major challenge for our school was re-learning Infinite Campus, to

http://otis.coe.uky.edu/SBR_demo/Standards_Report_Cards_Manual_2008.pdf

I teach High School Agricultural Education at Jessamine Career and Technology Center in Nicholasville, KY. I attended the University of Kentucky, where I earned a B.S. in Plant and Soil Science, B.S. in Agricultural Education, and M.S. in Vocational Education. I earned by National Board Certification in Agricultural Education in 2011. My husband, Ryan Thomas, is also an Agricultural Education teacher. We have two wonderful children, Barrett and Molly.

Email: christina.thomas@jessamine.kyschools.us
Website: http://www.jessamine.k12.ky.us/12/Home
Location: Jessamine Career and Technology Center, Wilmore Road, Nicholasville, KY, United States
Phone: (859) 881-8324
Twitter: @RCBThomas