Friday, July 10, 2009

Feedback and Grading

Back in March, on this blog, we discussed Formative Assessment, what it means and ideas of how to use it in your classrooms. At the 2009 Annual Conference, Debra Pickering will be presenting, “Providing Feedback through Classroom Formative Assessment and Grading Practices: A Commitment to Students.” Her keynote presentation is based on the work of Robert Marzano on classroom assessment and grading.

Is your grading scale based on formative assessment? Are you continually evaluating students? Feedback is the number one clue teachers have as to whether or not a student understands. If a student does not understand a particular idea, how can they build on it? Once the teacher has moved on to the bigger idea, how is the student who didn’t understand the basic concept able to catch up with the rest of the class? The student may feel they are standing on the first step of the twenty story building.

How long has it been since you last looked at and maybe tweaked your grading system? Sometimes grading systems measure the knowledge the student has on a particular subject, but does not measure the student growth of knowledge and skill over the semester. Marzano suggests a scale of 0-4. The score a student would get is based on what was taught (if they understand the concept) and if they can apply the concept (going beyond the basic concept). Are you using the grading scale of 0-100%? If a student doesn’t turn in their homework but can elaborate on the concept and really understands what is being taught, should they receive a zero?

Come hear Dr. Debra Pickering’s keynote presentation on “Providing Feedback through Classroom Formative Assessment and Grading Practices: A Commitment to Students.” On Monday, October 26, 2009 at the 2009 Texas ASCD Annual Conference in Frisco, Texas.

Please feel free to answer the questions below:
1. What type of grading scale are you using in your class/school/district?
2. Do you believe this is the best way to assess your students?

Upcoming Texas ASCD events:

July 14th & 15th, 2009
Curriculum Leadership Academy
Second Session of Three
Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD (Dallas Metroplex area)

July 14th & 15th, 2009
Maximizing Student Success
Tim Westerberg
Austin, TX

July 27th & 28th, 2009
Jumping Hurdles & Raising the Bar Toward Achieving Excellence in Science
Gloria Chatelain and Courtney Williams
Greenville ISD

August 10th - 12th, 2009
Traditional Block Scheduling
Dr. J. Allen Queen
Eagle Pass ISD
CLOSED - DISTRICT EXCLUSIVE TRAINING

September 1st & 2nd, 2009
Reading Strategies for Secondary Math Tutorials and TAKS Retesting
Beatrice Moore Luchin
Palo Duro High School, Amarillo ISD
CLOSED - SCHOOL EXCLUSIVE TRAINING

September 16th & 17th, 2009
Five Keys to Reading Success
Tim Rasinkski
Northside ISD

September 22nd & 23rd, 2009
Boot Camp for Curriculum Administrators
John Crain
Hays CISD

September 28th, 2009
Reading Strategies for Secondary Math Tutorials and TAKS Retesting
Beatrice Moore Luchin
Palo Duro High School, Amarillo ISD
CLOSED - SCHOOL EXCLUSIVE TRAINING

October 1st & 2nd, 2009
Mapping Active Literacy
Heidi Hayes Jacobs
Cypress-Fairbanks ISD

October 25th - 27th, 2009
Texas ASCD Annual Conference
Embassy Suites - Frisco (Dallas Metroplex area)

October 27th & 28th, 2009
Curriculum Leadership Academy
Third Session of Three
Embassy Suites - Frisco (Dallas Metroplex area)

November 11th & 12th, 2009
Maximizing Student Success
Tim Westerberg
El Paso, TX

November 13th, 2009
Jumping Hurdles & Raising the Bar Toward Achieving Excellence in Science
Gloria Chatelain and Courtney Williams
El Paso, TX

November 18th & 19th, 2009
New Essential Curriculum for 21st Century Learners
Heidi Hayes Jacobs
Frisco ISD

December 8-9, 2009
Boot Camp for Curriculum Administrators
John Crain
Allen ISD

February 17-18, 2010
Connecting Content and Kids: Understanding By Design and Differentiated Instruction
Jay McTighe
TBD