Reply to Madison H.S. Parents - Principal Survey and Skills-Based Grading

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Initial studies show that the achievement gap is reduced which is quite remarkable, so less As and less Fs and more Bs, Cs, and Ds. Some school districts in fact no longer use grades at all and instead grade with language describing the level of mastery attained.

And how many kids were in these studies? Was there an objective way of evaluating the achievement gap other than the grade they received using skills-based grading? I know that my child tells me that class is less interesting and no one does the work anymore, specifically when it comes to something the kids were supposed to be prepared to discuss, but no one bothered since it doesn't count. Kids regularly show up to honors and AP classes and fail the quizzes because they don't count. Part of the problem with skills-based grading is that it teaches kids that they don't have to do the work.

I'd like to see SOL scores and compare that to before and after skills-based grading.

[/quote]
Like most equity efforts, this is just a method to dedicate more of the teachers time and grading leniency to failing students and leave self sufficient students to fend for themselves while also removing rewards for their self sufficiency. Equity is always about replacing poor parenting and ignoring everyone else.[/quote]

I also feel this is all due to the great school ratings but maybe that’s off. If you have a special needs student or a low income student, why wouldn’t you care more about how that area of great schools ranks compared to the state and national average more than how it compares to other students in the school?[/quote]

I think it's also a way for principals to close the achievement gap so that all students have equal outcomes. Easier to just get rid of Fs without actually having to do the work of teaching the kids making Fs. Have less kids making As to close the gap. A way to make administration look like they are doing an amazing job with equity.[/quote]

Why are your kids NOT making A's on the assessments?  Are you saying that is the teacher's fault?

As for kids not getting F's -- that happens when they actually show what they know on the assessments.

The assessments aren't "high stakes" -- kids get multiple chances to show what they know.  In math, for instance, there are multiple practice assignments, and the a final skills assessement in Skill X.  Then a later "cumulative assessment" covering skills X, Y, and Z.  So, multiple opportunities to show and be graded on skill X (as well as skill Y, and skill Z).  That benefits not just the poor kids/lower performers who might have gotten an F on Skill X in the past, but it should also benefit the quick-to-learn kids who show "mastery" the first time they are assessed on Skill X.  [/quote]

[b]But the multiple practice assignments don’t count. I would say the majority of the kids don’t do the work when it doesn’t count. [/b]It’s really almost impossible to have a conversation to define SBG because it’s so confusing. Everyone on this thread has it a little wrong and a little right. Then every class is doing it differently. For some classes this does end up being high stakes. For ex. Math all the skills are getting replaced then for English, assessments aren’t getting replaced at all. Everything worked fine before SBG. This is just stupid.

What I want to know: what were the grades on quizzes before SBG and what are the grades now when they don’t count. Also what were the grades overall last year compared to the grades at the end of this year.  And while we are at it, a student survey to determine if SBG has an impact on a student’s mental health.[/quote]

I agree that humans in general are lazy (or optimistically "efficient").  But, somehow, the policies or teaching practices of some teachers in math and science DO get the kids to do the practice work or actively work on the concepts IN class.  Because, I'm sure my kid would do as little as possible... and yet he's really, truly learning hard concepts in both math and science classes.  You can't just zone out for several weeks and then get an "A" on the stoichiometry assessment in chemistry.

I don't think it matters what the grades on assignments or quizzes that don't count are now vs. last year.  The REAL question, if you believe that SBG has been detrimental to student learning, -- the REAL question is whether achievement on tests (standardized like AP or SOL, or tests on specific units, or final grades) are any different than previous years when SBG was not used.  That is the real question.  The question is whether kids end up understanding the same material or developing the same skills over the course of the year.

I don't know what the answer is on that --- probably Madison doesn't know yet either.  If there is a difference, that would be a legitimate reason to make adjustments.  I guess that's where I differ from some.  As far as I can tell, my kid is still learning a lot and doing well, so I can't point to SBG as a problem.    [/quote]

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