Are You Considering Standards Based Report Cards? by Marcia Torgrude, Learning Specialist

1. Are You Considering Standards Based Report Cards? by Marcia Torgrude, Learning Specialist mtorgrude@tie.net

10. What are Standards Based Report Cards? • Assesses student performance against a specific and observable grade set of skills; • Measures each student against the identified grade level; “end of year” standard • Does not measure how the student performs compared to the other students. • Allows teachers to identify standards “not yet attempted” based on instructional pace.

11. Standards-based System Essential components of a standards-based system: • Content Standards – describes what a student should know, understand, and be able to do at a given grade level. • Standards-Based Curriculum – ensures that instruction targets the standards. • Assessments – measures learning and the extent to which a student has met the standards. • Reporting Tool – allows a teacher to communicate accurately a student’s progress towards meeting standards at critical junctures throughout the school year. California DOE

12. Suggested Resource

13. SBRC – Process Overview

14. …in developing standards-based report cards [it] is [important] to clarify what we mean by standards and why they should be used as a basis for reporting on student learning. Guskey, 2010 Guskey 13

15. …are goals of teaching and learning. …describe what we want students to know, understand and be able to do. …specify the knowledge, skills, abilities, and dispositions that students will gain through learning. Standards… Guskey 13

16. Hinder Change / Reasons For Change Guskey 2-5

17. …break down each subject area into specific elements of learning which gives parents a better description of their child’s achievement and progress ...identify the specific learning goals within the curriculum so that appropriate rigor can be ensured …communicate more detailed information about students learning progress with regard to those goals to bring about higher levels of success. …avoid a “hodgepodge” grade the includes achievement, attitude, effort and behavior by reporting on nonacademic factors separately. Standards-based Report Cards Guskey 6-7

18. Development Level - 1. Purpose • Read Introduction and the section labeled #1 • Reminder…focus on the “purpose” of developing a SBRC as you are reading. Guskey 21-22, Chapter 3, Pg. 25

19. Responses tend to fall into 6 categories – rank order in terms of importance and share with your neighbor. To communicate information about students’ achievement to parents and others. To provide information to students for self-evaluation. To select, identify, or group students for certain educational paths or programs. To provide incentives for students to learn. To evaluate the effectiveness of instructional programs. To provide evidence of students’ lack of effort or inappropriate responsibility. Development Levels - 1. Purpose Guskey 26-27

20. Development Levels - 1. Purpose • Your purpose statement will be written on the report card. • Every development step from this point on will build on your purpose statement. • Refer to your purpose statement to resolve debates or arguments that may arise. • Check that your purpose aligns with your district/school mission statement. Guskey 32

21. Development Levels - 2. Developing reporting standards/descriptors

22. 2. Reporting Standards/Descriptors

23. …are goals of teaching and learning …describe what we want students to know and be able to do … communicate the knowledge, skills, abilities, and dispositions that students will gain through learning The clearer we make our instructional goals, the easier they are to judge and assess. 2. Reporting Standards Guskey 22 and Chapter 4, Pg. 41

24. 2. Reporting Standards http://doe.sd.gov/ http://doe.sd.gov/contentstandards/documents/PerFinanceSt.pdf

25. Miller, 1956 (7) and Cowan, 2000 (4) estimated the capacity of most individuals’ working memory for new information to be only 4-7 “chunks” of information. Using 4-6 reporting standards/descriptors facilitates memory and helps parents and students maintain a clearer focus on improvement efforts. Using 4-6 reporting standards/descriptors significantly lessens the reporting burden for teachers. 2. Reporting Standards Guskey 42-43

26. 2. Reporting Standards Differences in Curriculum & Reporting Standards Guskey 43

27. 2. Reporting Standards Challenges • Moving from curriculum standards to reporting standards/descriptors. • Including enough detail but not so much as to distract from the focus and communication to parents and students. • Separating product goals from processgoals. Guskey 43-50

28. Product goals – academic learning outcomes, what students should know and be able to do at a particular point in time. Process goals– classroom behaviors - reflect not just the final results but also how students got there. Responsibility, effort, study skills, work habits, homework completion & quality, attendance, etc. Progress goals– how much students gain from their learning experiences. How much improvement has been made over a period of time. 2. Reporting Standards Guskey 50-52

29. Development Level 3 – Addressing Essential Steps • Essential/Crucial Questions 2-5 & 7

30. Level 3 - Essential Question #3 • SD Example(School B) • Different report card for each grade level. Grade 1 Grade 4

31. Essential Question #7 Process Goals – Examples • Attendance • Work habits • Homework completion • Punctuality of assignments • Class participation • Cooperation/collaboration • Listening • Behavior/social skills • Effort Guskey 112

32. Essential Question #7 School A – Process Goals – Learning Behaviors

33. Development Level 4 – Establishing Performance Indicators

34. Level 4 - Essential Question #9 How will the levels be labeled? 4 = Exceptional; 3-Proficient; 2-Progressing; 1=Beginning/Approaching 4=Advanced; 3=Proficient; 2=Basic; 1=Below Basic 4=Exceeds expectations; 3=developing appropriately; 2=developing slowly; 1=developing too slowly and needs to improve (arrow) Progressing; (*) Exceeds; (–) Below expectations, (NA) Not Assessed or Not Addressed Guskey 120-124 (chart 121)

35. Essential Question #9 Guskey 120-124 (chart 121)

36. Development Level 5 – Developing the Reporting Form

37. 5. - Reporting Forms • High School Example • High School Guide

38. 5. - Reporting Forms • High School Example • High School Guide

39. Development Level 6 – Pilot Testing and Revision

40. Keep notes during the year and periodically monitor the process with your team so revisions can be made at the end of the year. 6. Pilot Testing

41. Why are we focused on SBRC?

42. Standards-based Report Card Process Guide • http://doe.sd.gov/octe/SBRC.aspx