More skills based grading at madison hs

[Anonymous]

So because of skills based grading my child’s English teacher at Madison has entered 3 total assessment grades for the last 3 quarters. That’s all- only 3. First quarter she entered 3, and then 2nd and 3rd quarters there were no new grades. How did she do it? Simple, she just had a bunch of “not for grading” practices in the gradebook. She’s assigned assessments that count - she just hasn’t been keeping up with grading. I don’t know why the admin lets this happen - either they aren’t checking, or don’t want to cause issues for an otherwise good teacher. It’s just so odd that kids don't know where they stand until the last month of school since this is a rolling gradebook. This is all because of SBG

[Anonymous]

Somehow my kid's English teacher at Madison is able to put in SIS far more than 3 grades per quarter. Are you sure the situation you have is "all because of SBG?"

[Anonymous]

Well it is using SBG to cover up her failure to grade assessments. So yes it is an SBG problem. And I’m not saying every teacher but this is how it can be used to show grading when there is none.

[Anonymous]

We have a teacher that hardly ever gives assessments (1 per quarter) but will enter multiple grades because she says she is assessing 3-4 skills per assessment.

[Anonymous]

She also has tons of grades for practice assessments in SIS but has never given them back to students.

[Anonymous]

Are any changes being made to Madison for next year? I hate how now there are several grades because of "skills". Sorry, it's still just one test given on one day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are any changes being made to Madison for next year? I hate how now there are several grades because of "skills". Sorry, it's still just one test given on one day.

I agree; I hate that one test on one day can result in 3-4 different grades because it assesses multiple skills. It lets teachers reach the “required “ number of grades while providing fewer assessment opportunities. One off day when a student doesn’t feel well or misunderstands a question can impact half a semester’s worth of grading or more.

DC had an English teacher last year who blamed delayed grading on SBG. Supposedly it took her more than the expected 10 days to return an assignment because of the need to evaluate each skill and provide feedback. Yet after 3+ weeks when the work was finally returned, there was still NO individual feedback. It was generalized to the entire class and everyone got the same comments whether they actually applied or not.

[Anonymous]

Yeah this English teacher has an assessment with 4 skills from February which she has not graded - my child may be in for a surprise when she finally starts grading since the first 3 quarters were based on 3 skills total. There is clearly no oversight of SBG at Madison

[Anonymous]

SBG and a 100 point grading scale coming to a school near year for 24-25 school year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well it is using SBG to cover up her failure to grade assessments. So yes it is an SBG problem. And I’m not saying every teacher but this is how it can be used to show grading when there is none.

It has ALWAYS been the case that some teachers don't put in grades in a timely manner. That happened before SBG. It also happens in college. My older kid has finals the coming week. In one class there are 10-12 grade-able assignments/tests/projects/labs, but only THREE grades have been entered! So, kids are going into finals with a grade that looks like a 95%, but who really knows, because another 7+ labs/grades haven't even been entered. Some of the kids went to the Dept. chairperson and she said "there's nothing I can do about it."

So... it happens. Some teachers just aren't very effective in grading work.

[Anonymous]

I think it’s less obvious with SBG because of all the fake practice grades. This is not my first child in high school and I’ve never seen 3 grades total for 3 quarters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s less obvious with SBG because of all the fake practice grades. This is not my first child in high school and I’ve never seen 3 grades total for 3 quarters.

At the very least Madison needs to adhere to the minimum number of assignments and stop pretending that grading one assignment by 4 sections somehow meets the assignment guidelines for FCPS. Talk about checked out classes. I think the guidelines were 4 graded assignments a quarter. This is not overkill for teachers. Give me a break that they are overworked grading 2 assignments a month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well it is using SBG to cover up her failure to grade assessments. So yes it is an SBG problem. And I’m not saying every teacher but this is how it can be used to show grading when there is none.

Ms. Gee?

[Anonymous]

15:09. Your argument is a non sequitur. Leave college out of it. High school is not college. Of course there are things high schools can do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:15:09. Your argument is a non sequitur. Leave college out of it. High school is not college. Of course there are things high schools can do.

Wait! I thought part of your arguments for why SBG is soooo bad is that it isn't like what kids will experience in college! But, now when I mention that failure to grade assignments happens both in HS and in college, you are telling me to stop talking about college. Hmmm.

The point still stands that SBG really has nothing to do with a particular teacher only grading three assignments/quarter. My kid's teachers at Madison seem to be capable of grading more than 3 assignments per quarter. Maybe it's the teacher that's the problem.