"Grading" Personalized Learning

In May, a group of high school teachers from another district came to observe our class. While they appreciated how our class was conducted, they kept coming back to the question, how do we grade the learners? This blog will outline how we assess learners’ proficiencies and report scores, in a personalized learning environment, within a traditional reporting system.  

Fortunately, our school district has already taken steps towards bridging the personalized learning approach and reporting out. Departments are unpacking the standards and identifying power standards. The power standards are the learning targets. The content becomes the vehicle to reach those standards. Thus providing a nice framework for us to plan out a curriculum map for our course.
To begin, we design formative and summative assignments around power standards for each unit (related blogs 3 pillars, the how and they why, why we stopped giving reading quizzes, learning vs doing).  

The formative work(daily learning targets or assignments) serves as daily FEEDBACK in order to determine if/when one is ready for a summative assessment. While the summative assignments or assessments serves as VERIFICATION that the standard is met. In the end we are measuring proficiency, not compliance or behavior. The marking or grade is reflective of a learner’s current proficiency (what they know and can do). The amount of time they take to reach the standard due to where they are at, doesn't count against them in an arbitrary, unfair way. As the learners strive to reach standards, they are deeply involved in the process. In turn, they take ownership, build confidence, and become more motivated.

Research shows that the likelihood of success is measured by past successes. Failure and success are not episodes, they are trajectories. Performance is shaped by what happened the last time, so our goal is to set up learners with winning streaks (Schimmer, “Grading from the Inside Out” 2016). We do this by offering different pathways in the formative work so that all learners gain confidence before they approach a summative assessment. Having multiple opportunities to get feedback and learn from mistakes, engages the learners and ensures one is learning vs doing. Research also shows using grades to punish or reward decreases motivation and damages the process of learning (Moss 2013).

Assessments can feel overwhelming to teachers. Many teachers assign a point value to every single task/assignment. Through personalization we have learned that everything one does in the learning process DOES NOT need to be marked or scored. The formative work is the practice, where learners can take risks, experiment, even fail. Formative work supports learning, and is the avenue to provide feedback. Then learners know what the next steps are to prepare for a summative. Currently, we do not use a standards based reporting system, so we do give credit and points for formative work, but it is only 10% of a learner’s grade and very few formative assignments are worth points.
        This practice makes learners more aware of their “LEARNING” vs their point accumulation. In many current reporting systems, parents and learners become grade obsessed and lose sight of the learning. The results show learners seeking what will get them the most points. Many individuals attempt to complete work only for the external motivation of points rather than thinking about their learning. Again, learners don’t need a grade or score on formative work, more importantly it is used for them to gauge their understandings and plan for the next step. Eventually, leaners stop asking "how can I get an A?" and begin asking questions like, "how can I craft a more powerful thesis?" or "what can I do to be a stronger critical reader?"

Additionally, we do not take off late points or deduct credit, ever.  Doing this would be assessing one's compliance vs proficiency. We teach accountability by incorporating internally motivating strategies. Learners assess their mindsets, they reflect and they learner reflections and they set goals. When these types of punitive deductions are calculated into a final grade, the grade does not accurately reflect a learner’s proficiencies.  

For example, if a learner turns in an assignment that is beyond the suggested completion parameters, we ask them to answer the following questions:
1.) Why are you off pace in your learning?  
2.) What steps are you taking to get back on pace?   
3.)  How can I support you in getting back on pace?                                                            
We incorporate building on skills that help lead to success in any environment. Skills such as responsibility, work ethic and organization. All of these interactions and feedback are not a part of a learner’s final grade, but are an integral part of the learning process. At the end of the day, we believe in giving learners full credit for what they know, regardless of how long it took them to show it. This created an environment that was focused on learning and growth, vs points and grades.   

All summative assessments verify meeting standards. If a learner does not meet the standards, they have a chance to reassess (attempt the summative again which for our course usually involves, revising their essay/writing or project). Learners who do not meet standards are given an “I” (incomplete) or an "IP" (in progress) until they can demonstrate meeting the standard. This ensures learning for all and sets a high expectation that a standard must genuinely be met. 

Being that we do not have a standards based reporting system, we use rubrics to generate a score/grade to put into our gradebook. We were part of a committee for the Edina school system that created a scoring rubric for each power standard for English Classes, at our district level. This allows for consistency and alignment between teachers and also allows for learners to have a clear understanding of what is expected of them.  

For each summative we create a rubric that includes key parts with language specific to the standards we are addressing.  For example, learners write a persuasive essay on a character after reading Lord of the Flies or Of Mice and Men. We created a rubric for the essay that identifies the standards they need to meet when composing the essay. We copied parts of the district standards rubric that pertained to character analysis, writing arguments and providing evidence. In preparation all formative work was in regards to analyzing the characters in their chosen novels.  

Learners used the rubrics in the drafting process to make sure they understood what would be assessed. We looked at how a learner did against the rubric and generated a grade to put into the gradebook. This is how we broke it down:
If a learner "exceeded the standards" in two or more areas and "met" all other standards she earned an “A”.
If a learner "exceeded one standard" and "met" the rest she earned a “B”.
If a learner "met all the standards" she earned a “C”.    
If a learner was "below/approaching the standard" she needed to continue working toward "meeting" the standard.                                                                                                                       Of course reporting will vary some. There is still room for subjectivity depending on teacher discretion. There is no perfect system but we found this way the best way for us to fit standard based grading into a percentage/letter grading system. Identifying the standards and having a rubric provides clarity to individuals. In turn they can partake in creating individual pathways to meet the standards. For the persuasive essay learners read different books, but were still assessed on the same standards.   

     Here is another example of a rubric from our Shakespeare Unit...   

Every step of the way the learners are involved in the process.  It begins with them setting goals for meeting the standards and knowing exactly what is expected of them.  Rubrics are shared with learners so they reflect on their proficiencies and determine where to go. At times they also help draft summative rubrics.  One instance where individuals draft their own rubric in our course is with a choice writing piece. Once a learner chooses a choice piece to write, they craft a rubric that outlines the requirements they will meet. Each learner rubric is unique to their chosen writing genre.  

Having learners create the rubric has many benefits. First, they are given choices on what they want to focus on as a writer. Second, they investigate what is essential and appropriate for their choice of writing genre.  Third, they are aware of the expectations and are more motivated to meet the learning targets. As teachers, we conference with the learners to help guide them in drafting rubrics. We make sure they are challenging themselves and are accurate in comprehending and meeting the learning targets.

 Regardless of how the rubric was created, learners always reflect and self-score before we offer our "final" assessment. In the end, learners are given a grade based on how proficiency. Because personalized learning focuses on proficiency over letter grades/points, individuals are immersed in a culture that promotes learning.

          Recently a fellow colleague asked, "How do you know a kid is ready for 10th grade?" The response was: "We don't think in those terms anymore. We ask, what skills and competencies does this learner now have, as they approach another school year?" 

Final thoughts to consider:

~How much of grading reflects the speed of learning?

~How much a learner knows and how hard they worked are two different things.

~Punitive grading is more of an issue of inaccuracy vs accountability.

~How can one set up winning streaks for learners to give them confidence and motivation?

Highly recommended resource:

-Grading from the Inside Out,Bringing Accuracy to Student Grading, by Tom Schimmer