Standards-Based Grading Scale
At BMS we have moved away from compliance-based grading system based on an accumulation of points. Instead, we are focusing on skills and personalized learning. We will report learning and behavior separately.
Philosophy - At BMS we are moving away from a compliance-based grading system based on an accumulation of points. Instead, we are focusing on skills and personalized learning. We will report learning and behavior separately. This will require a mindset adjustment and a different conversation around thinking, teaching, and learning. If you go to the Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Website you will find resources and research examples on the “why” of this grading change. Below you will find more information on the “what & how” so you can be informed and ask the right questions of our students.
Standards-Based Grading Defined - The State of MN has developed learning standards for each subject area to help guide our coursework with students. Our teachers look at past MCA assessments and align those standards to the instruction they provide in each of their courses. Staff decides which standards are critical based on past reports and assessment data along with previous skill progress. Those standards are defined as Essential Learning Outcomes (ELO’s). Those ELO’s are broken into skills and placed on a scale that is used for clarity among all stakeholders. You will see each ELO in the grade book on Infinite Campus as a heading over each score entered.
Scoring Language and Monitoring in Infinite Campus -
1 = Beginning - Without teacher help, the student only finds partial success.
2 = Developing - The student can work independently but needs more practice.
3 = Proficient - The student has mastered the skill (formative practice) or collection of skills (summative) being assessed.
4 = Innovating - The student has mastered the material and will work on an enrichment activity to extend their learning.
Monitoring - When looking through Infinite Campus, which is covered in a tutorial video below, please locate any 2 or 1 and ask your students what skill they need to practice more. Do not let them settle for a 2 or 1 as we need all students to master the skill and content at their grade level. If they have a 2 or 1, we need them to demonstrate active learning and put forth the effort needed to overcome a struggle and learn the skill through more practice or a different teaching approach. If your student has mastered all the skills, ask them how they have pursued the 4 with their teacher, and extended their learning above the grade level expectation.
Behavior Scale - Each student will receive a BEARS Behavior grade from each teacher. If the student has been consistently demonstrating each of the five BEARS characteristics they will receive a 3. If the student has not met a BEARS expectation, a 2 or 1 would be given with a comment describing the skill the student needs to improve upon. The example I gave the students the other day was respectfully listening to the presenter in the auditorium. Those students that had eyes on me, ears open, and mouths quiet would receive a 3. Those students who could not consistently do that were a 2 and those that needed to be moved by me due to a lack of self-control would receive a 1 as they could not independently practice without my direct supervision and assistance.
Learning Scales - This document is a work in progress but contains our curriculum scales by class. If you have questions about a specific grade in Infinite Campus you can cross-reference the standard number to the scale on this document. You will see that these scales are written with Levels of Learning. Level 1 suggests that the teacher must support the student as they practice partial success on the skills in Level 2. Level 2 is where the individual skills are listed for each standard (ELO). These skills are what students will be assessed on as they practice. This could be assignments, discussions, or quizzes but are formative assessments that are meant to tell the students, teacher, and parents how the student is doing on each skill. Level 3 is where the standard or ELO resides. ELO’s usually show an increase in rigor due to the verb in the statement and can be accomplished through using all the skills in Level 2. Level 4 is where enrichment happens. Some scales have examples while others are open-ended to help our students engage in the learning conversation and practice communicating how they may demonstrate their learning. This in itself is a way for our students to show a depth of learning. When they can articulate how they would like to demonstrate what they have learned, they show a level of understanding that is above the grade-level standard. The teachers will help guide that discussion, but it will often begin with an open-ended question and not be about more work or a compliance-driven assignment.
Profile of a Graduate - As you look at this document you will see our philosophy of personalized learning with more clarity. Core knowledge and reflecting on that knowledge is very important. We also believe that providing our students with practice and avenues for sharing their knowledge through the “6 C’s” allows our students to use their knowledge with depth and meaning. It is those learner experiences that will give Byron students all they need to find success in whatever direction they go after graduation.