Four 7th grade teachers in our middle school and four 8th grade teachers are using standards based grading for the first time this school year. And now that we have our first nine week grading period completed and well on our way through the second one, it was time to reflect.
All eight teachers met for their first formal meeting since school began to discuss what was working, what wasn't and what our next steps should be.
What's Working:
- Greater student ownership of learning
- Students know where their learning gaps are and what to do about them
- Student engagement has increased
- Student completion of assignments has greatly improved
What Isn't:
- Lack of parent awareness and understanding of standards based grading
- Misconception of process by colleagues and parents
- Difficulties in shifting the grading paradigm
- Adequate time to prepare assessments to ensure congruency to the standards
Next steps:
- Find ways to increase parent involvement in the process. Even though we have sent home letters had two parent meetings, very few parents have attended the meetings so there are still some misconceptions to address.
- Continue to share out the process with our colleagues.
- Give ourselves permission to fail, we are not perfect.
But the BIGGEST benefit I have seen is the shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset for students AND teachers. I am in a supporting role and not in the trenches as our teachers are, but the conversations I am having with students are incredible.
Take Sally ( I have changed the name to protect the innocent) for instance. She is an 8th grader and in her previous two years at our building, I have had many conversations with her about........no, not grades...drama. She has always had social issues including bullying, gender identity, and other typical middle school girl drama. These topics have dominated our conversations, but this year has been different. This school year our conversations have been about what she has learned and whether she is mastering the standards. For the first time in her middle school career she has demonstrated mastery of math standards and was sent to the office to tell me all about it! It brought tears to my eyes...literally. She is just one of many success stories that I have witnessed this year.
I wasn't expecting it, but I sure was happy to know students, like Sally, may finally be out of the rut of a fixed mindset shifting to a growth mindset. And the best part, she is dragging the rest of us along for the ride.
Take Sally ( I have changed the name to protect the innocent) for instance. She is an 8th grader and in her previous two years at our building, I have had many conversations with her about........no, not grades...drama. She has always had social issues including bullying, gender identity, and other typical middle school girl drama. These topics have dominated our conversations, but this year has been different. This school year our conversations have been about what she has learned and whether she is mastering the standards. For the first time in her middle school career she has demonstrated mastery of math standards and was sent to the office to tell me all about it! It brought tears to my eyes...literally. She is just one of many success stories that I have witnessed this year.
I wasn't expecting it, but I sure was happy to know students, like Sally, may finally be out of the rut of a fixed mindset shifting to a growth mindset. And the best part, she is dragging the rest of us along for the ride.
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