The document discusses principles for effective grading and reporting of student progress. It emphasizes that grading should provide clarity, reflect growth over time, and recognize performance above expectations. Grades should be based on specific skills and content rather than comparisons to peers. The reporting system uses ratings of "still emerging," "meeting," and "exceeding" expectations rather than numbers. Family conferences involve students sharing work with families to discuss strengths and challenges. The goal is a holistic understanding of the student's learning experience.

1. Making Progress
Moving Forward with the Progress Report

2. A Few Reminders . . .
adapted from Thomas R. Guskey
Grading and Reporting are not
essential to the instructional/
learning process.
Teachers can teach without grades and reports.
Students can and do learn without grades.

3. A Few Reminders . . .
Checking and feedback
are essential.
Checking and feedback are diagnostic.
- The teacher is an advocate.
Grading is evaluative.
- The teacher is a judge

4. A Few Reminders . . .
No one method of grading and
reporting serves all purposes
well.
Recognize growth and progress.
Identify areas of strength and challenge.
Help chart path for continued learning.
Provide a "snapshot" of the student's growth.

5. A Few Reminders . . .
Method follows Purpose
Multiple purposes require a ...
Multi-faceted
Comprehensive
Reporting system

6. A Few Reminders . . .
The progress report is but one
way of communicating with
you about your child's
progress.
Formal/informal notes, student work, Family
Conferences, portfolios, exhibitions,
conversations, weekly emails, homework . . .

7. A Few Reminders . . .
Grading and reporting
progress always involves
some degree of subjectivity.

8. A Few Reminders . . .
Reporting is more subjective
the more detailed and
analytical it is.
More detailed and analytic
reports are better
learning tools.

9. 5 Myths about Grading
Grades should provide the
basis for differentiating
students
Select talent
or develop talent?

10. 5 Myths about Grading
Grade distributions should
resemble a normal bell-
shaped curve
Random events
or a purposeful and
intentional act?

11. 5 Myths about Grading
Grades should be based on
students' standing among
classmates
Peer-driven and competitive or
criterion-based (rigorous,
challenging, and transparent)?

12. 5 Myths about Grading
Poor grades prompt students
to try harder.
Where's the motivation?
Risk aversion and
gaming the system

13. 5 Myths about Grading
Students should receive one
grade for each subject or
course
A confounded "hodgepodge grade"
• Final projects, papers, and tests count for 50%
• Quizzes and Homework count for 20%
• Classwork and Conduct count for 30%
Product/Process/Progress

14. Our Guiding Principles
• CLARITY
(for teachers, students and families)
• Grounded in what is actually ASSESSED
(skills and content)
• Reflects an orientation to GROWTH
(not all will move at the same pace)
• Commitment to ensuring that ALL
STUDENTS meet expectations
• Recognizes performance that EXCEEDS
EXPECTATIONS

15. Year-Long Skills/Content
• We will report progress on the following scale
Still Emerging, Meeting, Exceeding.
• We will no longer use the number scale 1-4.
• We will continue to use the shared items across
all subjects for classwork, homework and
conduct.
• If there is an "Area of Concern" the teacher will
report directly to families to discuss plans.
• Unless there is additional communcation from
the teacher a rating of "Still Emerging" should
be seen as consistent with expected growth.

16. Year-Long Skills/Content

17. Quarter Content & Skills
• These are the drivers of the report.
• They reflect what was assessed/worked on
during the quarter.
• They are worded to reflect the actual skill/
content that was addressed.
• Will not be reported on the 1-4 scale, but
rather as "Still Emerging" or "Meets Grade
Level Expectations."
• Those skills that "Exceed Expectations" will be
reported separately on the report.

18. Quarter Content & Skills

19. Quarter Content & Skills

20. Quarter Content & Skills
• Students and teachers will continue to work on
skills that are "Still Emerging" until work "Meets
Expectations"
• In some cases, this will happen within the
regular flow of the curriculum.
• In some cases, the student may need to
continue to work on the skill outside of the
curriculum (i.e., IWP).
• In either case, the teachers will continue to
monitor and assess performance in this area
until the expectation is met.

21. Quarter Content & Skills

22. Quarter Content & Skills

23. The Progress Report
Other elements:
• Each quarter contains a curriculum statement that
provides a narrative account of work completed
during the quarter.
• The second and third quarters provide a teacher
comment on student progress.
• The fourth quarter includes a comment by the
student on her/his progress.
• The fourth quarter also contains a comment from
the student's advisor.

24. On Grading

25. Questionable Practices
• Averaging to obtain a course grade
• Across-the-board averaging on all
assignments
• Giving zeros for work missed or work turned
in late
• Giving partial credit for corrections
• Giving "extra" credit unrelated to class
objectives
• Taking credit away from students for
behavioral infractions

26. Alternatives
• Give priority to the most recent
evidence
• Give priority to the most
comprehensive evidence
• Give priority to evidence related
to the most important learning
goals and expectations

27. Family Conferences
Goal: To arrive at a holistic
understanding of the
student’s learning
experience.
The conferences will address, in a general sense,
the student’s work to date in all of her/his classes.

28. Family Conferences
• Advisors will help students prepare
• Students are active participants
• Students share specific work samples
and address specific areas of strength
and challenge.
• The conference will run about 30-40
minutes.
• The student's agenda for the
conference
comes first.

29. Family Conferences
• o"Areas of Concern"
Subject area teachers will contact you prior to the conferences
o You can alway contact the advisor and/or teacher
• Contact the advisor if there are any particular issues
that you would like to discuss.
• Subject area teachers will also be available for brief
5-10-minute meetings on conference days
• If there is a specific issue/question that comes up in a
conference, the advisor may encourage you to reach
out to the teacher in question who can best respond to
the issue.