New state graduation requirements compel students to demonstrate mastery of the essential skills in reading, math and writing through their academic performance based on the state standards.
Typically, we look at grades as a primary indicator of that mastery. Therefore, the District has revised Board Policy IK: Student Achievement to ensure our grading practices result in grades that are an accurate and reliable indication of student knowledge and skills.
Two important elements of grades that accurately reflect knowledge and skills are: 1) They are generated from grading scales that are balanced; and 2) They do not include non-academic measures or formative (practice or skill-building) scores—these are reported separately.
This is not an indictment of how grades have typically been formulated and issued for years, but traditional grading practices have included both academic achievement and behavioral information. A 'traditional' grading scale is comprised of scores using a 100-point scale:
90-100 = A
80-89 = B
70-79 = C
60-69 = D
59 and below = F
In this scale, there are 59 ways to get an F and only 10 ways to get an A. This scale also averages in the zeros for missing or incomplete work; averages in points earned from doing extra credit that may not be related to the learning standard, and/or homework that is merely given for practice; and averages in points lost or gained for behavior—tardies, compliance, etc.—it becomes clear that the grade says far more about the student that how much they’ve learned and whether they have mastered the essential skills in reading, math and writing.
Of course, we are concerned about the whole child and behavioral issues do matter—they simply need to be reported separately. The purpose of the revised Board Policy IK: Student Achivement is to signal the extent to which the student has grasped the essential learning standards being taught in each class.
Policy IK and What it Means
The school board adopted changes to Policy IK after a public process in the spring of 2010. It has three components the District is in the middle of implementing.
The District will:
- Distribute to parents/guardians and students, at the beginning of each class/course, information on class/course expectations, Oregon State and District curriculum standards/learning goals, and performance criteria.
- Report student performance in two ways, separately:
- Individual academic achievement based on a variety of assessment methods that are aligned with Oregon State and District curriculum standards/learning goals, and are summative in nature.
- Evaluations of student behaviors and other nonacademic factors that may influence academic achievement.
- Ensure that academic achievement grade calculations are accurate and consistent throughout the District, and that these grades provide meaningful information supportive of student achievement.
Balanced Grading Scales - The First Step
The first phase of implementation for the revised policy is to ensure all teachers are using balanced grading scales. This change will ensure that academic achievement is accurate and consistent throughout the district. A balanced grading scale is one where there are an equal number of points in each grading category: A, B, C, D, F.
Traditional grading scales have 10-point increments between grades A through D, but 60 points between D and F. This gives F grades a disproportionately negative effect on the overall grade, which, in turn, has three notable adverse side effects: 1) Just a few F grades can make it impossible to pass a course; 2) There is a disincentive for students to continue learning and trying in a course when there is no possible way they will pass; and 3) If an F has been given because an assignment is missing, it is not an accurate reflection of what a student knows and can do—there is no evidence from which to base that decision.
Upcoming Changes
This year, our staff will be working on the implementation plan for the next elements of Policy IK. Specifically, we will be developing a way to report student achievement and academic behaviors separately in a way that is useful and understandable.