Learning

Standards-based grading communicates students' performance on specific learning targets, also known as standards, with the purpose of providing meaningful information on what a student is expected to know and able to do in each grade level.

“A standard combines content and the depth of thinking required by the student. Once we determine these objectives, grades should be based on those things.” (Dueck, 2023)

At FCAQ, we have established a framework, educational philosophy, curriculum, and learning standards that allow us to educate our students, collaborate with them in setting goals, and provide feedback on specific domains within each subject area.

Following best practices and reflecting on our grading and reporting processes, we now understand that the percentage-based grading system provided limited information to families on our students' academic proficiency. For this reason, we transitioned to standards-based grading, with the purpose of providing families with meaningful information regarding their child’s learning journey focused on each student’s strengths and ways each student can continue to grow.

Standards-based grading reports allows students, parents, and teachers to understand where each student is academically, providing the opportunity for all stakeholders to map specific intervention plans or enrichment opportunities. Students, parents, and teachers will also be involved in meaningful conversations that allow progress monitoring of students’ performance and growth, providing an accurate picture of their achievement.

“Grades become more reliable as we reduce the number of 'categories' or 'levels of performance'.  Grading systems with 100 levels do not provide reliability from teacher to teacher, or even from the same teacher.” (Dueck, 2023)

Standards-based grading at FCAQ also aligns with our standardized assessments like the NWEA MAP. By aligning grading and standards-based assessments, teachers are better able to triangulate and communicate students' progress and align instruction to maximize student achievement.

In traditional grading systems, students’ performance is averaged during each partial, and then provides a final average of their achievement throughout the school year. Sometimes, academic performance can be impacted by work habits and behaviors. Averages do not provide information about what a student has learned or not, nor growth, during each grading period.

A standards-based grading system shows students’ proficiency level of grade level standards by prioritizing the most recent level of performance, allowing students to demonstrate mastery of content by the end of the school year. Standards-based report cards separate behaviors and work habits from students’ academic performance to provide all stakeholders with a more accurate representation of student’s progress in both areas. In standards-based grading, each domain is reported per partial without having an average for the subject, partial, or school year.

“When we separate academic standing (products of our learning) from how we approach learning (process of learning), we bring  more validity to each of these measures. Finally, as a parent, I want to know the direction of my child's learning...their progress.' The key to a solid report separates these three 'Ps" (Dueck, 2023)

Standards-based grading is designed to promote student motivation by clearly communicating success criteria and by allowing students to be evaluated on their most recent mastery, promoting a positive attitude toward and growth focused mentality.

Your child’s performance level will be determined by several assessments and learning opportunities that teachers have documented during the partial. Teachers will report on proficiency levels instead of using numbers or percentages. Each proficiency level has been clearly defined in the “Academic Proficiency Scale” and can be found at the beginning of the report card.

The purpose of reinforcement activities is to provide opportunities for students to continue practicing concepts and content to be used as a source of feedback that guides teachers’ instruction, supporting both student and teachers' practices and clearly communicating to parents how they can support their child's learning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“'Levels of performance as seen in the FCAQ will better equip teachers to describe learning rather than simply ranking or measuring it.” (Dueck, 2023)

Each partial, teachers collect data about your child's progress in meeting grade level standards (what your child knows and is able to do). The FCAQ report card will help you monitor your child’s progress through each grading period (4 partials).

Our objective is to create a partnership between the school and each family to positively impact your child’s learning journey. At the end of each partial, you will have the opportunity to meet with your child’s teachers to have meaningful conversations with evidence of your child’s proficiency level in each content area.

Classroom teachers will report information per partial in each content area divided into specific domains. They will mark each domain with the proficiency level that shows your child’s progress during the partial, with the objective of reporting the proficiency level shown during the partial. Some domains will not be assessed during the first partials, but all domains will be assessed by the end of the school year. There will not be an average of each subject or the partial.

Example:

 

 

For special classes, teachers from each subject will report on two domains that showcase the learning objectives they have worked on throughout the partial. Again, the objective is for all stakeholders to have a clear understanding of what each student has demonstrated as their proficiency level in each domain per content area. No averages will be shown for the subject or partial.

Example: 

 

Discipline grades will be reported by subject. Each teacher will report the descriptor that shows each student’s assessed level during each partial. You can find the discipline rubric in the Student Handbook at www.fcaq.k12.ec

Each subject reports on the criteria in the rubric. Next school year, you will be able to see each criteria per subject as we continue to move to reporting specific information that allows all stakeholders to clearly identify where each student is at, and specific goals can be set to monitor progress and celebrate successes.

For Example:

You will receive an email with your child’s first partial report card. Also, you can access your child’s fall 23-24 MAP student progress report at the Parent Portal.

You can visit www.fcaq.k12.ec and click on “Learning” to access the “Primary Years Programme IB Guide,” where you will find important information regarding your child’s learning. We are currently working on translating to Spanish this important document.

Your child’s classroom teachers will share more information about learning targets and standards-based grading during PT Conferences on November 16th. You may also contact the Academic Coordinators or the Teaching and Learning PYP Department. 

 

 

We invite you to visit the Parent Portal to access the webinar "Why Standards-Based Learning Makes Sense: Five Things Parents Should Know in 2023" by Myron Dueck. In this webinar, Myron shares with us why moving to standards-based learning makes sense and answers several questions that some parents got to share during the online session.

We are excited to share with you all that Myron will visit our school in mid-January and that we will have a face-to-face parent workshop to continue to explore the importance of our transition to standards-based learning, grading, and reporting.

Also, in the Parent Portal, you can access the “Analyzing MAP Reports” webinar by David Weaver and María Elena Ruiz. In this recording, you will have the opportunity to learn how to explore and understand the MAP report to monitor your child’s academic progress. You can ask your child’s teachers for an additional meeting to continue to analyze this report and set specific goals and interventions for your child.

We will invite you to a webinar to go through this Parent Guide and answer any additional questions you might have after receiving your child’s report card.

Criteria-based grading means teachers assess student performance tasks that are based on pre-established learning objectives and criteria that have been shared with students when the task has been assigned. (Marie Vivas, October 2023)

Following best practices and reflecting on our grading and reporting, we realized that the percentage-based grading system did not provide meaningful information on our students' academic proficiency. Therefore, we have adopted a reporting system that is widely utilized by elite IB World Schools.

Scores should provide meaningful feedback to students, document their progress, and help teachers make decisions about what instruction a student needs next (Wormeli, 2006).

Criteria-based learning is effective because:

1. It provides a clear path to success.
2. Students have control over their learning.
3. Students are intrinsically motivated to reflect on their performance and put the effort necessary to reach a higher standard.
4. Learning becomes lasting and beyond the classroom.
5. Students are prepared for learning and assessment in the university.
6. Most competitive universities prefer this type of assessment.

As opposed to a traditional grading scale which gives an overall score, criteria-based assessment is a model that emphasizes growth and provides meaningful feedback on student progress towards meeting the learning objectives.

Criteria-based assessment holds students and teachers to a qualitative description of the level of student work.

In traditional assessment methods, academic skills are often misreported with behavioral and work habit dispositions. With this new model, these are reported separately. Assessment criteria are descriptors that inform the academic achievement of each student.

Teachers assess learning based on the 7 point IB achievement scale. The 7 point scale correlates to the IB prescribed levels of achievement.

Holistic grades will be determined and reported at mid year and at the end of the academic year. At the end of a period of learning, teachers determine student achievement levels. To determine this level, teachers must gather sufficient evidence from a range of learning experiences and assessments (IBO. From Principles to Practice. 2022) Teachers look at all the scores for each summative assessment and determine, through holistic judgment, a final level of achievement.

A holistic judgment decision is made based on the most recent, relevant and most representative scores but should not be lower than the average of the summative assessments, nor should the final score be higher than the highest score achieved. Formative assessments will be used as a second tier of evidence to inform holistic judgment. Teachers need to provide sufficient evidence to justify their holistic decision by providing a variety of types of summative assessments through each semester.

Not every assignment receives a grade. Teachers plan Learning Activities, Quick Tasks, and Warm-Ups as formative tasks that will provide students with feedback without grades on their performance.

Grade descriptors consist of characteristics of performance at each grade. The descriptors apply to groups of subjects but substantial similarity exists across sets of group grade descriptors. (IBO. Diploma Grade Descriptors. December 2017). These descriptors are the basis for teacher professional judgment on each task and on the student’s overall final grade at the end of each term and course.

 DP Grade Descriptors

As a general reference, the IB world average stands between 4 and 5. These grades are consistent amongst elite IB schools worldwide. Therefore, anything at or above this level is considered a strong level of achievement.

 

MYP Progress Report

 

MYP - End of Semester

 

DP

Parents will receive an email from DSIS with your child’s first partial progress report. It will also be available from Toddle, Progress Reports.

You can also access your child’s assessments and results through Toddle, Progress Summary throughout the semester.

You can visit www.fcaq.k12.ec, and access the Diploma Program or Middle Years Program information in the Learning tab.

Your child’s classroom teachers are able to provide more information about the subject components, assessment tasks and rubrics. You may also contact the Academic Coordinators or the Learning and Teaching MYP and DP Department.