Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW The Power of the I Teaching and Learning to Standards: Eliminating Zeros and Getting More Students to Complete Work at Higher Levels Jackie W. Jenkins Franklinton High School Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW High Expectations One of the major indicators of High Expectations is that students must be required to redo work to meet at least the basic, but preferably the proficient level of the standard. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW What is the Problem? Teachers report that the number one reason for student failure is not turning in these assignments. Research shows that most assignments and assessments teachers are currently giving students are at or below the basic level. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW What is the Problem? Teachers are trained to trust textbooks and text materials. Many assignments use textbook resources only. address learning at the very basic levels only. are designed prior to the unit assessment and do not mirror desired outcomes or state assessment criteria. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW Why Is there a Problem? Teachers believe they are setting high expectations by giving zeros to students who do not complete their work on time. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW What Are the Results of the Current Practice? Giving zeros or accepting work below standard isnt working. It fails to motivate students to make a greater effort. Dropout rates are increasing not decreasing. Teachers report that students not doing/completing work is the number one reason for failure in the middle and ninth grades. More students are entering ninth grade unprepared for challenging high school studies. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW What is the Power of I Empowering Teachers to Get More Students to Complete Rigorous Assignments Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW What is the Power of I Turning Current Negative Teacher Power of the Zero to Positive Teacher Power of the Incomplete Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW What is the Problem? Students learn in the early middle grades, they have an option not to turn in their assignments. More and more choose this option as it is one that requires little or no work or effort. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW Why Is there a Problem? Teachers believe their grading policies are appropriate for the content standards. that allowing completed homework assignments anytime after the assignment was due is ineffective because that learning set is over and no longer needed. that more students will cheat or copy work if they can turn it in after the due date. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW What Are the Results of the Current Practice? This policy is actually taking away from teachers efforts to get more students to complete work at high levels. Students have learned that if something is hard to do or takes too long, they simply dont have to do it at home or at school. They have learned to manipulate almost everyone. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW What Are the Results of the Current Practice? Students are sent two negative messages: If you dont get it done on the day it is due, you arent allowed to do it The assignment is not important enough to warrant hard work Most students are not learning what a good work ethic is or what it looks like in the classroom or the workforce. We are letting students off the hook for learning at grade-level standards. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW What Are the Results of the Current Practice? No matter if teachers work 3-4 hours per night developing engaging, real- world activities that measure students at the proficient level, if students can OPT NOT TO COMPLETE THE ASSIGNMENT and simply take a zero and go on to the next one, those students will not be ready for high school level or college level work. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW How Do We Fix the Problem? By redefining high expectations as meeting grade-level standards or above and having students meet the standards by completing work at higher levels. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW How Do We Fix the Problem? By training teachers to develop grade-level assignments or higher. By encouraging students to complete their work at higher levels. By providing extra help and time for those students who need it so that they can be successful. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW How Do We Fix the Problem? By defining that in standards- based education, Zeros Arent Possible! By requiring students to redo work to get it to at least minimum standards. By requiring students to attend extra help after school in order to complete their work. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW The Power of the I Getting More Students to Complete Work at Higher Levels Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW Is Giving Zeros, Fs and Ds Working? It doesnt work most of the time It works for students who are already A and B students If it doesnt change behavior, why do we continue this consequence? Why do we let students off the hook for not completing work at expected standards? What is the real effect of this policy? Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW The POWER of the I What can it do? When assignments arent ready, or they are incomplete or seriously below the standard and quality of expectation, teachers can use the POWER of the I= Give a grade of incomplete Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW Purpose of Implementation Stop letting students off the hook for learning. Hold students accountable for reaching the standards. Put the responsibility back on the student and parents. Increase the quality of all student work. Level the playing field for all students. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW What does the Power of I look like? 1a. Students no longer receive zeros when work isnt turned in; they dont have an option not to turn in work. Teachers have made this clear from the beginning of the year Teachers have other consequences for work not done, not done completely or not done satisfactorily Summary on P. 10 of planner Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW What does the Power of I look like? 1b. Teachers no longer assign grades below a C; students are required to redo/revise work to get it at least to the basic or C level. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW What does the Power of I look like? 2.Late work is just that late but it must be completed if teachers are to correctly determine if students know and understand the standards being taught and assessed. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW What does the Power of I look like? 3a. Students must be given extra help opportunities (required) to complete the work during the school day before or after school, (never during your class, ever) Saturday School, or whatever fits your schools possibilities. (This piece is completely up to schools to determine how this help can best be delivered.) Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW What does the Power of I look like? 3b. Students must be given extra help opportunities cont. Some schools require students to attend extra help prior to turning in any late or redo work. (contact Valerie Carrier, principal, Rivera Middle School, Dade County Florida) Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW What does the Power of I look like? 4. Consequences change for students not having work ready to turn in on time: Must contact students parents and solicit their assistance this must begin early and will have the greatest impact. Requires a parent conference at a pre- determined number of missed assignments or failed tests, etc. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW What does the Power of I look like? 4. Consequences change for students not having work ready to turn in on time: Require students to attend extra help after school an extra help setting to complete work (this takes some work, but many schools are having great success with this). Some schools require all students to attend extra help prior to turning in any late assignment or redo work. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW What does the Power of I look like? Some policies state that students are not allowed to participate in any extra- curricular activity (sports, band, chorus, clubs events and practices), if they are missing any assignments or have attempted to turn in poor quality work. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW What does the Power of I look like? 5.Students will receive an I on any assignment not turned in, and One or more Is will result in an I grade for any report period. a) Teachers must become more judicious about the kinds of assignments they give and assign a grade to. b) Which assignments are worth chasing down Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW What does the Power of I look like? 6. Tests may be excluded from the policy. Teachers may require all students who do not pass a major test to retake the test during extra help time until they make a passing grade. If so, the highest grade to be recorded in the grade book should be the lowest C grade. Caution: students may choose to not study and simply retake tests if they think they can get a higher A or B grade. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW What does the Power of I look like? 7.Students cannot receive an A (or a B in some schools) on any assignment that is late or turned in incomplete (some schools have instituted specific time periods) 8.Students never receive an F if an assignment is completed within the year or semester (determined by each school as appropriate). Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW What does the Power of I look like? 9. A few students will still fail no matter what you do. So.. Final report cards have asterisk or note reporting to parents that the F is a result of failure to complete work. The goal is to get all groups of students to meet course standards at an acceptable level. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW Strategies for Implementation Work with administrators/district technical support to determine how to record I grades. Be careful not give in to student/ parent requests for whats my average without the I? inquiries. Hold the I grade for as long as possible. See the handout for ideas, sample policies, sample letters. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW Strategies for Implementation Develop a phone call instruction card to use when making parent calls Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW Dont Give Up Change is hard, especially cultural changes that affect grades and grading. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW Dont Give Up Remember to keep your eye on the prize and know that not every student can/will be saved; most will. Southern Regional Education Board HSTW MMGW Student work is the most tangible artifact of the teaching craft. Kate Nolan Annenberg Institute for School Reform