My last (and favorite) part of the Teacher of the Year essay (I hope my colleagues enjoy it): • Describe how you have implemented more rigourous (not edited) standards for English Language Arts, Math and Literacy in your classroom this past year. • Describe the changes in your practice and student outcomes. I first want to go on record as saying the word “rigor” has no place in education. There is nothing positive about that word, nothing that inspires a student to learn or grow, nothing that inspires the enjoyment of school or education, nothing that will lead a student to Self Actualization. It is a nasty word and I believe it should be removed from our educational vocabulary. I have spent several years researching behavioral sciences, motivation, and educational psychology. My research led me to the books Ahead of the Curve, Drive, and Mindsets. The three books were independent of one another but their themes and content all led me to question my practices in the classroom when it came to assessment. For three years I had continued to adapt my grading and assessment practices until I finalized it last year. I call it Mastery Grading. It is a system based in mastery learning, but places the emphasis on classroom infrastructure and student grades. If accountability in the education system is to return where it belongs (in the classroom), teachers must ensure that the assessment systems used on students are valid, accurate, and aggressive. A student’s grade should reflect only one thing: their level of mastery over the curriculum demonstrated in a valid and accurate way that reflects learning, thinking, and growth. As a math teacher, I have worked with far too many students that have had “good grades in their last math classes”, but still do not know or understand fundamentals of recognizing operations, working with fractions, or simple math facts. How then, could they possibly have had “good grades?” Two years ago I worked with a 16 year old 9th grade student that had trouble recalling which number came after 39 while counting by ones. How could she have possibly passed any math class beyond first grade? That experience made me question everything I did. I decided to no longer reward students simply for “effort.” They must demonstrate mastery in order to earn their grade. Considering Mastery Grading brings up a few questions: How does a student demonstrate mastery of the curriculum or content area? What does demonstration look like? How do we know if it’s valid? Should it be time-bound? The answers to these questions may vary depending on the subject matter as well as the teacher. I believe teachers must use their professional judgment, rely on collaboration, and make sure that logic and fairness dictates the implementation of their grading systems based on how they answer these questions. As a math teacher, I am still struggling with various methods students can use to demonstrate mastery over factoring trinomials that isn’t a typical test. Can a student make a video, write a song, or act out a play on factoring trinomials? I’m sure it is possible, but will the video, song, or play demonstrate valid mastery over the process of factoring? I don’t know, but the answer to this question would come from collaboration with my colleagues. We would ensure that the medium for the demonstrated mastery is a valid one. For me, I continue to use traditional style tests and quizzes. However, I have adjusted my tests and quizzes to be more transparent, more open, and more just. For each test, I outline 4 levels of mastery, including scales that outline which specific skills must be mastered to achieve that level. Each level is determined by a point total from the test and that point total may or may not fit the traditional percentages attached to letter grades. A level 4 in Mastery earns a student the grade of A, a level 3 a B, a level 2 a C, a level 1 a D, and an F for anything under level 1 mastery. Each test is worth 100 points and I enter the scores like so: a perfect score: 100 points, a Level 4: 95 points, a Level 3: 85 points, a Level 2: 75 points, a Level 1: 65 points, and anything under a Level 1 will receive the raw score. Aside from the total score on the test, each individual question has a score and grading system with it. Some questions may only be worth 1 point (if it’s a simple right/wrong question) or 8 points. Higher point questions have a breakdown of how the points are scored. For example, a multi-step linear inequality may be worth 4 points: 2 points for the correct steps in solving for a specific variable, 1 point for the correct graph of the solution set, and 1 point for the correct Interval Notation for the solution set. Each question will have a transparent breakdown of the points. I use this scoring method for frequent quizzes as well. Let’s talk about homework. If a student turns in homework (in my case, a page full of math problems from the textbook), does that demonstrate mastery over curriculum? In my opinion, it does not. If I grade homework for correctness, not only does the homework change from practice to assessment, the assessment would be invalid if students have access to the correct answers in the back of the book or access to one another’s work. If I grade the homework for completion, how does a page of work that is not checked demonstrate mastery over factoring trinomials? If I grade a student’s notebook, how does that notebook demonstrate mastery over graphing linear functions? I have come to the conclusion that homework does not demonstrate mastery in my content area, therefore I no longer enter it for a grade. Do I assign it? Yes. Do I go over it? Yes. Do I enter it for a grade? No. I know what you are thinking: if it’s not graded, the students won’t do it. In comparing grades and student behaviors over the previous 3 years, I have found the number of students per class that attempt or complete assignments has either remained the same or, in some cases, increased. To implement Mastery Grading, I had to invest time in an effective infrastructure to overcome barriers of the school day and classroom schedules. I use technology and develop resources that fully allow a student to achieve at their own pace. I use Edmodo, Khan Academy, record my own video notes, develop and share practice tests and answer keys, and continually encourage students and parents to utilize these resources. If a student is missing prior mastery needed for current knowledge, I can direct them to these resources and allow them future opportunities to demonstrate mastery so I can change their grade. Last year, I worked out a system with our Registrar where I submitted over 200 Grade Change requests for students who were able to demonstrate mastery on their own pace. Students who were used to failing math classes or earning D’s for grades were able to finish the year with C’s, B’s, and in a few cases A’s. This grading system allows me the freedom to do what I do best: coach students in life. I am free to shift my role from Curriculum Delivery Service and Curriculum Specialist to Life Coach and Behavior Specialist. I am able to interact with students in a more direct and one-on-one manner. I can assess life skills and work ethic and responsibility without having grades for these things. Coaching students about the value of academic behaviors like completing assignments, keeping a notebook, working hard, and asking questions puts the student in complete control over their mastery of the content. I am there to coach each individual student on how they use these behaviors to best achieve demonstration of mastery. Mastery Grading has changed the reward source of good habits from external (getting graded for it) to internal (knowing these behaviors result in mastery). The students who had good math grades for the first time in their lives were able to translate their work ethics to other classes. This year, several of my former students are proud to tell me of their good grades in their math classes. They have internalized the importance of completing assignments, staying organized, and asking questions. Over this past summer, I did extended research into assessment and educational psychology and read that more frequent quizzes may lead to higher retention on tests. So, this year I have implemented one- or two-question quizzes given two or three times per week. Students are able to use their notes and assignments on quizzes so they can get the needed practice on problems. If they don’t score well on quizzes, they know exactly where their errors are, and can do remediation work on Khan Academy to earn back those missing points. Through this more dedicated practice, they will be able to perform better on the tests without using their notes, thus demonstrating their mastery over the curriculum and earning an accurate grade.
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 20:46:15 +0000
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