Curriculum and LearningCurriculum and Learning

Omaha Public Schools Omaha Public Schools

Learning is a developmental and complex process. In the progression of learning, grades should emphasize the most recent evidence/performance of the contents being taught.

Content standards define what a student should know and be able to do.

Standards-Based Grading is a process used by teachers to provide specific feedback to students and parents regarding student mastery of the district’s grade level standards.

To hold high expectations for all of our students.To hold high expectations for all of our students.

To help students better understand their own To help students better understand their own achievement, and to help everyone better achievement, and to help everyone better understand that accountability is a “must” for understand that accountability is a “must” for students and teachers.students and teachers.

To provide our teachers with additional training To provide our teachers with additional training and support in the area of Best Practices for and support in the area of Best Practices for grading, assessment, parent communication, grading, assessment, parent communication, and accountability for the grades our students and accountability for the grades our students earn.earn.

To align assessment results with grades that To align assessment results with grades that students earn.students earn.

To be transparent for our parents and To be transparent for our parents and our community in regards to student our community in regards to student achievement.achievement.

To ensure communication lines are kept To ensure communication lines are kept open between the school and open between the school and community.community.

To make sure we have documentation of To make sure we have documentation of our student’s progression.our student’s progression.

To have a consistent understanding of To have a consistent understanding of Best Practices for assessing students Best Practices for assessing students across all schools and teachers.across all schools and teachers.

Must meet four overarching Must meet four overarching criteria:criteria:

Consistent Consistent AccurateAccurate MeaningfulMeaningful Must support learningMust support learning

Observations Anecdotal notes Formal and informal

assessments Daily practice activities Projects

Communicate achievementCommunicate achievement Provide information to students Provide information to students

for self-evaluationfor self-evaluation Select, identify, or flexibly group Select, identify, or flexibly group

students for certain educational students for certain educational paths or programspaths or programs

Provide incentives to learnProvide incentives to learn Evaluate the effectiveness of Evaluate the effectiveness of

instructional programsinstructional programs

Grades are not motivators for all Grades are not motivators for all students. For students who get grades students. For students who get grades that are lower than they expect or think that are lower than they expect or think they deserve, these grades may act as they deserve, these grades may act as de-motivators.de-motivators.

Intrinsically motivated students are Intrinsically motivated students are

those who internally complete within those who internally complete within themselves for better grades.themselves for better grades.

Feel confident that the grades students get Feel confident that the grades students get in their classroom/school/district are in their classroom/school/district are consistent, accurate, and meaningful, and consistent, accurate, and meaningful, and that they support learning.that they support learning.

Feel confident that the grades they assign Feel confident that the grades they assign students accurately reflect the students accurately reflect the school’s/district’s published content school’s/district’s published content standards and desired learning outcomes?standards and desired learning outcomes?

There should be no There should be no surprises at report card surprises at report card

time!time!

Don’t include student behaviors Don’t include student behaviors (effort, participation, adherence to (effort, participation, adherence to class rules, etc.) in academic class rules, etc.) in academic grades; include only achievement.grades; include only achievement.

Behaviors and motivation are Behaviors and motivation are addressed through Effort or Work addressed through Effort or Work Habits.Habits.

Prepare students for upcoming instruction Provide practice and repetition of essential

skills previously taught Give students opportunities to apply or extend

learning Promote study skills, responsibility, and

accountability Promote development of independent learning

skills Afford students opportunities to self-evaluate

and progress

Ensure it is meaningful and tied to the learning objectives

Provide timely feedback Communicate expectations with parents Assign the appropriate amount based on

age/grade/learning ability Provide necessary resources and support for

each student to complete the task Monitor and hold students accountable for

assignments through interventions

Put forth his/her best effort Seek help from the teacher or other

available school resources when needed

Complete and turn in all assignments on time

Use feedback from homework for self-evaluation

The goal is mastery or proficiency. The goal is mastery or proficiency.

Students reach proficiency at different Students reach proficiency at different

times. It is important to know wheretimes. It is important to know where

each child is at academically and each child is at academically and reviserevise

our instruction to provide a variety ofour instruction to provide a variety of

learning opportunities for students.learning opportunities for students.

A format that explains the criteria and expectations for an assignment

Explains what must be met to achieve each level of proficiency

Worded in parent and student-friendly ways that explain what teachers are looking for when they judge the quality and deeper understanding of assignments

Accompanied by examples of products

Takes the mystery out of expectations Students never have to wonder what

the teacher wants or how the assignment will be graded.

Provide descriptive feedback that is specific, timely, and frequent

Consistency in scoring Improved teacher instruction

Daily Practice Formative Assessment/Ins

truction

Summative Assessment

Worth 15% •Daily short assignments provided for practice•Can be at instructional or on grade level

Worth 35%“We’ve practiced a skill for awhile but while practicing the skill I am constantly checking for understanding and I’m going to assess the student to see if they are understanding the concept or if I need to find a new way to teach the skill for better understanding.”

Worth 50%•Grade level material only•We’ve been working on this skill for some time. I’m going to assess all of my students on grade level standards to determine their level of proficiency (Advanced, Proficient, Progressing or Beginning).

Formative:Formative: Designed to help students improveDesigned to help students improve Occurs every day during instructionOccurs every day during instruction ““Checks for understanding”Checks for understanding”

Summative:Summative: ““Used to make statement of student Used to make statement of student

learning status at a point in time to learning status at a point in time to those outside of the classroom” those outside of the classroom” (Stiggins, et al., 2004, pg. 31)(Stiggins, et al., 2004, pg. 31)

Grade level standards onlyGrade level standards only

Importance of meeting each student at their instructional level and setting the goal for proficiency

Importance of exposing each student to grade level standards and to know where students are performing on grade level standards

Provide parents and teachers with an accurate picture of how the student is doing on grade level standards

Focuses on learning at the end of the learning cycle after the student has had multiple opportunities to practice what has been introduced.

Setting high expectations for our students

Goal of involving students in the grading/learning process

Reviewed the teacher survey to determine grading policies that meet their needs

Helping parents better understand grading goals and procedures

Grades K-4:Grades K-4:

Advanced-ADVAdvanced-ADV

Proficient-PRFProficient-PRF

Progressing-PRGProgressing-PRG

Beginning-BEGBeginning-BEG

Other Codes:Other Codes: * Needs additional * Needs additional practicepracticeNA Not AssessedNA Not Assessed

Life Skills/Work HabitsLife Skills/Work Habits::N or U - Has there been N or U - Has there been prior parent contact and is prior parent contact and is there a plan for success there a plan for success for the student?for the student?

At this point in time it is a building decision regarding requirements for K-2 teachers to use the Infinite Campus online grade book.

Understanding the importance of providing accurate information regarding each child’s academic progress, we will continue to research what is best and developmentally appropriate for our students.

We will make consistent determinations regarding the use of K-2 grade books across the district.

The timeline for this will be 2011-2012.

55 A A44 B B33 C C22 D D1 F (attempted the assignment but 1 F (attempted the assignment but

failed)failed)00 No evidence No evidence of work completionof work completion

Other Codes:Other Codes:* Needs additional practice* Needs additional practiceNA Not AssessedNA Not Assessed

Life Skills/Work Habits:Life Skills/Work Habits:N or U - Has there been prior parent contact and is there a plan for N or U - Has there been prior parent contact and is there a plan for success for the student?success for the student?

If the student can demonstrate deep understanding of a skill or standard then he/she can receive the grade of a 5 or 4.

Does the student have the depth of knowledge to take what he/she has learned and expand that knowledge to make life connections and apply what is learned to real life situations?

Any student can reach proficiency if provided the appropriate support and differentiation of instruction to meet his/her needs.

Ongoing formative assessment will help the student reach proficiency.

Grade books will be updated at a minimum of every other week for every subject area.

Parents can access their student’s grades through the Parent Portal.

Open parent-teacher communication is a must!

Keep in mind that our teachers’ primary responsibility is to teach the students during the day so provide an adequate amount of time for responses to parents.

Grade books may vary from teacher to teacher District guidelines include the following

suggestions:1. A minimum of two summative assessments per quarter per content area

2. A minimum of four formative assessment per quarter per content area

3. A minimum of six daily practice per quarter per content area.

*Quality of assignments over quantity** This is a minimum total of 12 assignments per 45

day quarter.

A plan should be in place to A plan should be in place to make sure student completes make sure student completes work: Students who do not work: Students who do not complete their work or do not complete their work or do not turn it in on time, might be turn it in on time, might be required to attend after-school required to attend after-school study sessions until the work study sessions until the work is completed to a satisfactory is completed to a satisfactory level. level.

The goals are:The goals are: Continue to provide information on Continue to provide information on

grading to all stakeholders.grading to all stakeholders. Increased communication regarding Increased communication regarding

student progress for parents and student progress for parents and studentsstudents

Consistency and accurate Consistency and accurate assessment of studentsassessment of students

Accountability for all!Accountability for all!