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Dear 7th grade students (and parents), September 7, 2010

Are your grades an accurate measurement of what you can truly do and understand? As veteran teachers (Beth Franklin and Melanie Cochems, 7th grade English teachers), we’ve struggled to find a better way of assessing our students—specifically what they know, can do, and understand—without letting other non-academic factors skew grades. This year we are using a well-researched practice called Grading for Learning (also called standards based assessment) when evaluating our students. The many skills and standards for English/Language Arts in 7th grade are divided into 4 main categories: reading skills, writing skills, vocabulary skills, and oral language skills (see blue “I can…” sheet).

Your child’s progress will be reported in 3 categories/groups in My Campus:

• Skills Practiced Student’s performance level on each skill (see back) will appear in the grade book; points are not attached to practice. Performance levels inform the student, parents, and teacher of strengths and areas that need growth for each skill.

• Skills Formally Student’s performance level on each skill (see back) will appear in the grade book WITH a Assessed corresponding score. 90% of final grade.

• Responsibility This score communicates student behaviors impacting achievement, such as meeting deadlines, and Respect following directions, and participating in small and large group discussion. 10% of final grade.

Here are some of the many reasons we feel strongly about using this practice:

• Each student’s performance is compared to “the standard,” not to other students (individual growth, not competition)

• Skills are focused, relevant, and directly related to the curriculum

• Students review and reinforce new skills and are allowed mistakes

• Students are formally assessed after receiving feedback on their practice

• Students know why they achieved a certain performance level

• It is driven by descriptive teacher feedback and student self-assessment

• It better allows for consistency and fairness

For each English skill we work on this year, I will communicate your progress in My Campus using the performance levels below. Remember, actual points in the grade book will only appear for formal assessments (meaning are first given the opportunity to practice that skill with feedback).

Advanced + = 10 points or 100%

Advanced = 9.5 points or 95%

Proficient+ = 9 points or 90%

Proficient = 8.5 points or 85% Our goal is for all students to be proficient at each skill they perform.

Basic + = 8 points or 80%

Basic = 7.5 points or 75%

Below Basic = 6.5 points or 65%

Incomplete (I) = Student has not completed the assessment. A numerical score will be assigned upon completion.

A skill practiced many times will be weighted more heavily than a skill you practice only once. Also, larger assignments where students demonstrate many skills at the same time will be given more weight. Performance levels will only be meaningful and true if the work is authentically yoursb. No one should do your work for you.

LATE WORK

Consider this quote by Richard DuFour, a leader in educational reform:

“We say we want them all to learn; we don’t say we want them all to learn fast or the first time. If some students have to work harder and take longer before they demonstrate proficiency, so be it. In the final analysis, if they demonstrate proficiency, we give them the grade that reflects that.” -Richard DuFour

The level at which the goal is achieved is more important than when it is achieved. All students learn and achieve at different rates and levels. Yes, timeliness and deadlines are vital skills students will need the rest of their lives. There is no arguing that. However, at this formative stage in working with language, we feel it is more important to emphasize meeting learning goals. Severe late work penalties can distort overall grades and discourage students from “digging out” of a failing grade, and students may simply give up on performing new skills throughout the year. This is why late work falls under the My Campus category/group of Responsibility and Respect. A student’s behavior will still be reflected in his/her overall grade, but separately and minimally so the end quarter grade truly reflects his/her performance on language arts skills.

Ideas and adapted and taken from: Ken O’Connor’s How to Grade for Learning and Robert Marzano’s Transforming Classroom Grading

BASIC ASSESSMENT RUBRIC USING PERFORMANCE LEVELS

Use the following information as a guideline. Each skill is assessed and recorded on its own. The true intention of standards based grading is to assess a student’s demonstration of each skill numerous times as he/she works toward mastery. Unfortunately, the abundance of skills our students must practice may mean that some skills are only assessed once.

|Performance |Advanced |Proficient |Basic |Below Basic |

|Level | | | | |

|General |Student demonstrates superior |Student shows satisfactory academic |Student sometimes demonstrates the |Student demonstrates unacceptable |

|Description of|academic performance on this skill. |performance on this skill. Work |skill, but errors are common. The |performance. Student shows limited |

|Each Level |He/she exceeds all tasks at the |indicates a solid understanding or |student “gets” some of the concepts,|knowledge of the skill. |

| |proficient level with no or almost |display of the skill with a few |but doesn’t demonstrate full | |

| |no errors. |errors. In other words, the student |understanding. | |

| | |“gets” how to do the skill. | | |

|Writing |Student writes with inventive ideas |Student writes with sufficient |Student writes with insufficient |Student writes with serious errors |

| |and language; analysis shows |detail and revision is obvious; |details and may wander off topic. |and little focus or purpose. |

| |critical thought achieved through |writing is fluid and organized and |Writing may have simple sentence and|Details are scarce and language and |

| |revision. Writing is clear, precise,|accomplishes the basic purpose. It |errors may interfere with meaning. |sentences are simple. |

| |and engaging. |is effective, logical, and uses | | |

| | |relevant examples. | | |

|Reading |Student comprehends at a deep level |Student uses many reading strategies|Student struggles with reading |Student does not use reading |

| |by integrating numerous reading |such as explaining, distinguishing, |strategies and demonstrates weak |strategies and as a result, |

| |strategies, such as examining, |providing examples, and summarizing,|summaries, discussion, prediction, |comprehension is inadequate. |

| |connecting, comparing, analyzing, | |and interpretation. | |

| |and explaining inferences with | | | |

| |examples. | | | |

|Vocabulary |Student understands and applies |Student correctly uses grade level |Student knows definitions of most |Student struggles with memorization |

| |varied, complex vocabulary beyond |vocabulary. Student uses context |grade level words, but cannot apply |and recollection of below grade |

| |grade level and in new situations. |clues and reference materials to |or make deeper meaning of more |level vocabulary. |

| | |decipher words. |complex words. | |

|Oral |Student presents ideas aloud both |Student speaks willingly and fluidly|Student struggles with forming |Student does not present information|

|Communication |clearly and fluently while |on topic and practices active |thoughts into speech and may stray |orally. |

| |considering audience and making |listening. |from topic. Voice is not clear or | |

| |connections. | |audible. | |

ADVANCED +: A student who performs at the advanced level with absolutely no errors and extension will earn a score of Advanced + .

PROFICIENT +: Student demonstrates proficient level on this skill and is moving toward advanced, but isn’t quite there yet.

BASIC+: Student demonstrates basic level on this skill and is moving toward proficient, but isn’t quite there yet.

Because this is the first time we are using standards based grading, we ask you to be patient with this process.

We encourage you to contact us with questions about the grading process this year. More importantly, we encourage you to discuss grading and learning with your child. I think you gain some important perspective into their academic and personal lives.

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While we don’t like the concept of using “points,” we must convert performance levels to points at the end of the quarter because of the way My Campus is set up.

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