Mountain Brook Schools
ACLD Approved PLU
PD Title# PLUACLD297
REGISTER in STI-PD for this PLU
Building A Standards-Based Approach to Assessment and Grading
Abstract
Teachers and administrators in all schools in Mountain Brook Schools have been researching and discussing
the merits of standards based grading for the last eight years. All K-3 teachers have developed, piloted, and
revised standards-based report cards for at least five years. Mountain Brook Schools follows the RPLIM
model of designing professional learning.
The purpose of this professional study for administrators and teachers with instructional leadership
certification in Mountain Brook Schools on Building A Standards-Based Approach to Assessment and Grading
is to continue to build readiness and capacity of administrators and teachers, to create a plan of action, and
to learn through reading, implementing, assessing, and adjusting new practices in assessment and grading
for grades kindergarten through 12th grade.
The participants will attend a session by Rick Wormeli on "Standards-Based Assessment and Grading
Practices" to be held on June 19- 20 (elementary session or secondary session) at Mountain Brook High
School, read Thomas Guskey and Lee Ann Jung's book entitled, Answers to Essential Questions About
Standards, Assessments, Grading & Reporting, discuss the learning, develop a plan for extending the
learning school-wide and implementing standards based assessments and grading in classrooms, lead the
implementation in the school, evaluate the implementation, and adjust the plan of action based on new
challenges and opportunities at the end of the school year.
The prerequisite for the professional study will be to attend the Rick Wormeli session since it had to be
scheduled prior to the approval of the professional study. Participants who were unable to attend the live
session will be able to view a video recording of the session.
This professional study will provide one (1) PLU and will be available for two years (2014 through 2016).
Participants
TARGETED PARTICIPANTS:
Superintendent
Principals and Assistant Principals
Supervisors and Directors
Teachers and Others with instructional leadership (administrative) certification
Delivery Methods
Workshop or Videotaped workshop
Book study, Team planning meetings, PLC meetings
Delivery Timeframe
Assessment and Grading, June 19 - 20, 2014
Or view videotaped workshop by August 31, 2014 or August 31, 2015
40 contact hours for total PLU
Pre- and Post-Activities
Post-reflection: All participants will complete Reflection Tool 3 times during the school year; all will
participate in the book study
Post-Plan of Action: Each school will create a plan of next steps to implement the learning on creating a
standards-based approach to assessments and grading
Post-Follow-up sessions/review: All participants will meet in leadership teams, PLCs, and vertical teams to
plan, implement, and troubleshoot standards-based approach to assessments and grading
Other post-activity: Share outcomes with Superintendent and Dir of Instruction in May 2015 or May 2016.
Evaluation Methods
METHODS OF EVALUATION
Post-plan of action
Post-reflection
Post-follow-up sessions
Implementation Log
This professional study will be evaluated using Guskey's five levels of professional development evaluation
at checkpoints throughout the year with reflections at monthly Administrative Team meetings with the
Superintendent and the Director of Instruction.
Participants at each school and central office will complete reflection guides, develop and complete an
Implementation Log detailing the professional learning sessions, follow-up discussions, book study
discussions, action planning, PLC discussions, and implementation steps pursued by the school faculty as led
by the school administrators and teachers with instructional leadership certification. The action plan will be
included in each school's Continuous Improvement Plan.
Teachers with instructional leadership certification will be expected to serve as leaders alongside school and
central office administrators in the efforts to plan and begin to implement standards-based assessments and
grading in the school.
Each school's leadership team will share outcomes with the superintendent at the May, 2015, administrative
team meeting.
Activities
#1 Standards-Based Mastery, Assessment, and Grading by Rick Wormeli
This session will provide an overview of the principles involved in teaching to mastery, assessing for
mastery, and reporting mastery learning. Participants will discuss what mastery looks like for the College
and Career Ready standards for math, English language arts, and all other content areas, and how
traditional grading does not reflect what students have learned. Participants will discuss how assessments
could and should look different based on mastery, and how reporting the learning would look different as
well. Participants will discuss homework and its role in mastery learning.
The session will be videotaped for viewing and discussion for anyone who was not able to attend in June.
#2 Standards-Based Mastery, Assessment, and Grading Reflection and Planning
After the Wormeli session, participants will debrief their learning and develop an action plan and timeline for
turning around this learning to the rest of the school faculty. Teachers with instructional leadership
certification will work with school administrators to lead the school faculty in this work. The action plan and
timeline will be expected to begin in August, 2014, to correspond with the opening of the school year. The
action plan steps will be documented in each school's Continuous Improvement Plan and on the
Implementation Log so that administrators may tailor the implementation to the needs of each school
faculty.
School administrators and teachers with instructional leadership certification will collaborate to develop an
action plan and timeline for building capacity in the entire school faculty to understand standards-based
mastery, assessment, and grading, and to begin implementing a standards-based approach in all content
areas. Teachers will work in PLC groups to discuss and plan for beginning to implement standards-based
assessment and grading in their classrooms.
Components of the plan will include ways to include students and parents of the shift to a standards-based
approach.
ALIGNMENT OF ACTIVITY TO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
#3 Standards-Based Approach Book Study
This activity involves a whole-faculty book study on Answers to Essential Questions on Standards,
Assessment, Grading & Reporting by Thomas Guskey and Lee Ann Jung, as a follow-up to the learning
from the Wormeli session, reflections, and action planning.
School administrators and teachers with instructional leadership certification will lead the book study in their
schools and respond to questions to guide their thinking. Central office administrators will read the book and
discuss guiding questions in monthly administrative team meetings. Ideas from the discussions will be used
to aid the implementation of the standards-based approach.
Reflections will be completed in September, December and March. Implementation will be documented on
the Implementation Log.
#4 Standards-Based Approach Periodic Reflection and Monitoring
Reflection and monitoring of the implementation will be conducted at monthly administrative team meetings
with the superintendent and director of instruction. School and central office administrators will be expected
to discuss their learning and implementation activities in a collaborative PLC. Successes, challenges, and
next steps will be shared, and collaborative solutions will be developed. School and central office
administrators will utilize coaching techniques to assist each other with implementation.
Teachers with instructional leadership certification will be expected to complete periodic reflections and
discuss their learning and implementation with school administrators in school leadership team meetings.
Implementation activities will be documented on the Implementation Log.
#5 Year One Assessment and Next Steps Planning
This activity involves each school's leadership team sharing the implementation outcomes with the entire
administrative team of school and central office administrators. Administrators will utilize coaching
techniques to assist each other in troubleshooting next steps.
A survey will be administered to faculty and students to determine impact on classroom practices and
learning.
Feedback from the surveys will be used to inform the direction and adjustments to the implementation for
year 2 as well as for additional professional learning opportunities.
Implementation of this activity will be documented on the Implementation Log.