Standards Based Grading in the
World Language Classroom
Part 1 - Why Standards Based
Grading?
Central States Conference on the Teaching of
Foreign Languages
March 20, 2014
http://eurekaworldlanguage.wikispaces.com/home
Tell your name, where and what you
teach, and describe how you feel about
Standards Based Learning/Grading in 5
words or less.
Who are we and why are we here?
• Julie Weitzel, Lafayette High
School, Spanish I and II
• Denise Pahl, Eureka High
School, Spanish III and IV
• Kim Lackey, Eureka High
School, Spanish III and IV
What are the Standards?
World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages
Formative Assessment
about the Standards:
http://tinyurl.com/kc9
vczm
What do teachers count in students’
grades?
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Homework
Quizzes
Portfolios
Participation
Extra Credit
Speaking Assessments
Writing Assessments
Reading Assessments
Listening Assessments
Projects
Chapter Tests
What do you think should count in
students’ grades?
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Homework
Quizzes
Portfolios
Participation
Extra Credit
Speaking Assessments
Writing Assessments
Reading Assessments
Listening Assessments
Projects
Chapter Tests
Different Mindsets About the Purposes of Grades
Student grades
are meant to
rank students.
Student grades
communicate what
students know and
are able to do.
Student grades can be
used to control/punish
student behavior.
Maybe all of
the above?
What should count in a grade?
A grade should reflect what a
student knows and is able to do.
– Assessments of students’ ability to
communicate in the language.
– Assessments of cultural and linguistic
knowledge.
What shouldn’t count in a grade?
• Extra Credit
• Participation
• Homework or practice for completion
points
• Anything that uses grades as a
punishment (cheating, late work)
• Anything that doesn’t clearly
communicate what kids know and are
able to do.
But if I don’t count it or count off for it...
My kids just don’t
do homework if it’s
not for a grade.
They don’t respect
deadlines and consistently
turn work in late!
They’re not working up
to their potential!
They need to
learn to be more
responsible!
Agh!
Someone
cheated!
Extra credit?
Engaging students and encouraging
participation
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Technology for formative
assessment (clickers, Socrative,
Conjuguemos/Quizlet)
Stamping student sheets for
participation in small group
conversations
Exit tickets
Differentiated instruction and student
choice
Games and Competition - Around
the world, Head of the class, Row
Races
How do we encourage students to
complete homework?
• Include formative assessment with
feedback in your teaching.
• Make sure students can see clear
connections between formative and
summative work.
• Feedback for formative assessments
can be reported as inactive
assignments.
• Reward students with stickers,
stamps, candy, etc.
How do we handle cheating?
Which consequence
would be most effective?
● A zero on the
assessment?
● Write-up, meeting with
principal, parent phone
call, and detentions?
Late / Missing work?
● Due date vs. the drop dead date
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Incentives for turning in by due date
Drop dead date for teacher sanity
● Preventing Late Work
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Student reminders (Remind 101)
Parent communication (e-mail, Teacher
Messenger, newsletter)
Fewer at home projects and more in-class
assessments
● Assign a detention and have the student
complete their work during that time.
Other ideas for Interventions:
Intervention #1 - Student Conference
What’s
going on?
Is
everything
OK?
I’m worried
about you.
Let’s figure
this out!
How can I
help you?
Let’s make
a plan!
Intervention #2 - Parent Contact
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Email
Phone call
Group emails / Teacher
Messenger to parents of
students who
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Get below proficient on an
assessment
Didn’t complete their
homework
Turned in an assignment late
Are missing work that needs
to be made up
Intervention #3 - Disciplinary action
Mandatory Academic Tutoring
Session / Academic Detention
Retakes / Reasssessment / Redos
Our policy:
REASSESSMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Students who have not shown proficiency will be re-assessed with the
exception of listening and reading assessments.
Students will be required to complete supplemental review work before being
allowed to re-take a quiz.
Although retaking a quiz may be an option, students should prepare for all
assessments and give their best effort when assessments are originally given.
Reassessments are primarily for those students who have not yet demonstrated
proficiency.
The new grade on the re-take will replace the old grade even if it is lower than
the original score because the new score represents the most recent evidence of
what the student knows and is able to do.
When graded assessments are returned to students, students who have not yet
demonstrated proficiency will receive feedback providing a plan for
reassessment. Students will commit to taking ownership of their learning by
following the reassessment plan as well as committing to a date and time outside of
class for reassessment.
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Why?
Practice Quiz
Assessment
Reassessment
Make-up Work and Delayed
Assessments
Our policy:
MAKE-UP WORK AND DELAYED ASSESSMENTS
Students who miss an assessment due to absence will be asked to
commit to a date and time outside of class to make-up the assessment.
In extreme cases, students may receive permission from their teacher to
postpone taking an assessment. Students will commit to a date and
time outside of class to take the assessment. A parent e-mail may be
sent to explain the agreement.
Students who do not complete their assessment in a timely manner will be
assigned an academic detention.
Scores for assessments that are not taken on the scheduled date will be
entered into Infinite Campus as an M which counts as a “0”. After the
assessment is completed and graded, this score will be changed and full
credit will be given.
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Why?
How can we manage retakes? How do we
manage our time and use it efficiently?
● D
„ esigned for students who do not demonstrate
proficiency (not prepared to move forward in their
learning), but OK for anyone to re-take.
● Generally done before or after school
○ Academic Lab situation - department / school
responsibility for all students
○ One day per unit - Make-up/Retake day in class
● Students who abuse the privilege of retakes can be
banned from retaking assessments.
But... will kids be ready for college if
they get to retake quizzes and don’t
have to do their homework?
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Current system often advances
students who are not ready and holds
back kids who could be excelling.
The best way to prepare students for
college is by rewarding achievement
and teaching them what quality looks
like.
More and more colleges are realizing
the limitations of traditional grading
systems and making changes.
Student Reactions to Standards-Based Learning & Assessment and Reassessment
How should we set up our gradebook?
Online Gradebook categories? Weighting?
Options:
• Types of assessments/assignments (Quizzes,
Tests, Homework)
• The Four Skills (Listening, Reading, Writing,
Speaking)
• The Standards (Presentational, Interpretive,
and Interpersonal Communication +
Linguistic and Cultural Competence)
How we set up our Online Gradebook
Our Infinite Campus Categories:
25% Linguistic and Cultural Competence
25% Presentational Communication
25% Interpretive Communication
25% Interpersonal Communication
0% - Inactive category/assignments for
Formative Work (Homework, Participation,
Practice Quizzes)
How we set up our Online Gradebook
25% Linguistic and Cultural Competence
• Vocab Quizzes
• Grammar Quizzes
• Cultural Competency Evaluations
• Pronunciation Assessments
• Lifelong Learning Projects
How we set up our Online Gradebook
25% Presentational Communication
• Writing
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Essays / Paragraphs responding to a prompt
Integrated vocabulary and grammar quizzes (split
the grade, part for Linguistic Competence, part
for Presentational Communication)
• Speaking
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Small group presentations
Whole class presentations
Video narration
Voicemails - speaking for an audience of one
How we set up our Online Gradebook
25% Interpretive Communication
• Listening / Viewing
• Reading
Questions - Reflect Common Core State
Standards and AP Language and Culture
expectations
How we set up our Online Gradebook
25% Interpersonal Communication
• Speaking
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Small group (3-5 students)
Speaking in pairs / with teacher
Lots of formative work!
Prompts = Conversation Starters
• Writing
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Google Docs, Today’s Meet
Simulate an online chat / texting situation
Letter writing / responding to correspondence
What will be your take-away
from this morning? Who
will you share this with?
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Review of the World-Readiness Standards for Learning
Languages
What should count in a grade / What should grades
reflect?
Strategies for participation, homework, cheating, late
work, low-quality work
Managing Reassessments
Gradebook categories that support Standards Based
Learning / Grading