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

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

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[quote=Anonymous]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]

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. 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 would also like to see how grades overall compare from last year to this year. If they are the same, then it is just individual kids struggling and and not a system wide issue. As to why kids aren’t getting As, at least in my child’s class they have to get 100% on each test to get an A.  In the past, when it was out of 100, small errors could be made and still receive an A or A-.  Now there can be no mistakes, even if you get the right answer, it must also be in correct format and reasoning.  That is a lot of pressure to be perfect on nearly every test. Since any mistake gets you a minimum of a B, and two will you get you a C.   My child also has had several As erased by Bs or Cs on subsequent tests for the same  skill.  [/quote]

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