Parents Guide to Standards Based Grading and Secondary Standards Based Grading

The parent’s guide to standards based grading is insightful and helpful to those that want to be involved with their child’s learning but have either preconceived notions about standard based grading or don’t understand the system and need a good beginning point. And because this is local to the Spokane Public Schools, it is good to know that there is a consistent system within the many schools here. It did discuss in Section Six about the impact of zeros on a student’s grade. By taking zeros out of an equation, it brings up the overall average of a student’s grade and boosts their confidence knowing they’re averaging okay. However, this replaces the average grade with the most current trend and achievement of the student’s ability. Yes, I think this is beneficial but it is also important to know past assignments and subjects that the student had struggled with. By taking out that assignment completely, it gives a student an almost false sense of confidence as their grades do not correctly portray their efforts.

Moving on to assessment and evaluating student’s learning, many good points were brought up with the standardized testing dilemma. With Language Arts, it is difficult to have standardized tests because this instills the “correct answer” thinking with students when this subject is far from it. English and literature is a very complex subject with many different interpretations for a “correct answer,” making testing the ability of the students difficult. By asking open ended questions and discussions that open student’s frame of thinking, this is what will benefit them in thinking out complex situations later on in life. Because there are so many different interpretations, it is important as a teacher to try to keep the thought process of the students on track though and a rubric can be helpful with this. It keeps a broad overview of what is expected while allowing freedom and creativity to still be present in the classroom.