Table of Contents
About the Author xi
Introduction 1
Times Have Changed 2
The Standards-Based Mindset 3
About This Book 5
Two Requests 6
1 The Modern Assessment Paradigm 7
The Advent of Curricular Standards 8
The Resurgence of Formative Assessment 10
The Formative-Summative Disconnect 14
Necessary Shifts in Tradition 14
How to Bring Parents on Board 17
Conclusion 18
2 Accuracy and Confidence: Our Grading True North 21
Philosophy Is Insufficient 21
The Need for Accuracy and Confidence 23
The Case for Accuracy 23
The Case for Confidence 24
How to Bring Parents on Board 30
Conclusion 30
3 Five Myths of Standards-Based Grading 33
Myth 1 Standards-Based Grading Makes It Easier for Students 34
Myth 2 Standards-Based Grading Is More Work for the Teacher 36
Myth 3 There Is Only One Way to Implement Standards-Based Grading 39
Myth 4 Students Are No Longer Held Accountable 39
Myth 5 Students Will Be Unprepared for the Real World 41
How to Bring Parents on Board 44
Conclusion 45
4 The Standards-Based Mindset 47
Why a Standards-Based Mindset? 48
How to Bring Parents on Board 57
Conclusion 58
5 How to Give Students Full Credit for What They Know 59
The Mean Can Be Mean! 61
Reassessment 64
How to Give Full Credit 71
How to Bring Parents on Board 74
Conclusion 75
6 How to Repurpose Homework 77
The Homework Debate 78
Homework as Practice 81
Homework as Extension 87
How to Bring Parents on Board 90
Conclusion 91
7 How to Redefine Accountability 93
The Perils of Punitive Grading 94
A New Kind of Accountability 97
Accountability With Intent 102
How to Bring Parents on Board 103
Conclusion 104
8 How to Use Levels of Proficiency 107
Levels Versus Traditional Grades 108
How to Determine Levels of Proficiency 111
How to Use Levels of Proficiency 119
How to Bring Parents on Board 123
Conclusion 124
9 How to Teach and Assess Student Attributes and Competencies 125
How to Determine Student Attributes 126
How to Assess Student Attributes 130
A Look at Cross-Curricular Competencies 136
How to Bring Parents on Board 140
Conclusion 140
10 How to Use Standards-Based Reporting 143
Set the Stage for Standards-Based Reporting 144
Examples of Standards-Based Reporting 156
The Importance of Reporting Progress 171
How to Bring Parents on Board 174
Conclusion 175
Afterword: How to Navigate the Road Ahead 177
Establish Clarity 177
Change Thinking to Change Grading 178
Once We Think It, We Will Do It 179
A Transformation in Grading Practices 180
Change Can Start With You 183
References and Resources 185
Index 193
