MECME Faculty Grading Guide Purpose: To achieve a comprehensive approach to standards-based grading (SBG) |
We believe that grades must accurately describe a student’s progress and current level of achievement. Reporting on conduct and work habits such as character, effort, timeliness, and participation is just as important as reporting on academic achievement. Grades are for communication, not punishment. Students’ engagement and motivation are the keys to the grading process.
Why standards based grading?
What are the school-wide expectations for assessments?
How do we assign grades to academic standards?
Level 4- What does it mean to be “exemplary”?
Level 3 -What does “proficient” look like?
Level 2 - What does “approaching proficiency” really mean?
Level 1- When is it “non-proficient”?
How are Conduct and Work Habits “graded” separately?
Level 3- Consistently Meets Expectations (always able to reinforce CARES and follows routines)
Level 2- Inconsistently Meets Expectations (needs frequent reminders with CARES and/or procedures)
Level 1- Does Not Meet Expectations (needs constant redirection with CARES and/or structures)
How to determine progress toward standards?
To meet a standard, assessments must build on a body of evidence that provides information about student progress. Every component of a standard should be demonstrated at some point. It may not happen within the same assessment, it may happen over time. Teachers must be clear and deliberate in identifying learning targets within core subject areas that lead to meeting the rigor of a standard. Students must reliably demonstrate those targets when they are assessed.
How do you calculate an overall grade for a standard?
By gradually building toward meeting a standard throughout the quarter, demonstrating growth along the way, and finally meeting the target for the standard during the last opportunity for demonstration is acceptable. A comprehensive body of evidence is necessary for the teacher to accurately assess student progress. In order for it to be comprehensive, it must include quality assessments that ideally offer a student more than one method of demonstrating proficiency. Rarely should an assessment have an overall grade; rather the standards should be scored separately. As of now PowerTeacher Pro will not assign an overall grade for subject area on the WCPSS interim or report card. However, the program will calculate the last grade entered for a supporting standard to become part of the mean for the overall standard which will then be rolled up into the big idea/cluster/critical area within a subject.
How are comments used on report cards?
Comments should be constructive, insightful, and professional. They should be original to each student focusing on specific strengths and areas for improvement with suggestions at home. Comments must be posted for conduct and work habits if a student receives a level 1 or 2 in those areas. Comments in the report card must also serve as a communication regarding any specific intervention for students below grade level.
What is the role of homework? Is it ever “graded”?
Homework should be:
Reading at home is a daily expectation.
WCPSS average time for homework: K-2 = 20-30 minutes and 3-5 = 30-45 minutes
What are the expectations for missed work?
The following are school-wide expectations for missed work:
Extra Credit
Extra credit is not offered to students, as we believe a student’s performance on assessments should be accurately reflected in the overall grade. Students have multiple opportunities to demonstrate proficient or exemplary performance without the need for extra credit.
What are the identifying support structures or processes for students who do not meet or exceed the standard?
At MECME, we have a multi-tiered framework that is a systems approach to using data-driven problem-solving to maximize growth for ALL students. More detailed information is available on the MECME Intervention Matrix.