Jean Richardson . District Math Specialist K-8, Mayfield City Schools
Allison Golem. 8th Grade Math Teacher, Mayfield Middle School
Felecia Evans. Assistant Principal, Mayfield Middle School
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Mayfield Middle School Mayfield Heights, Ohio • Gates Mills • Highland Heights • Mayfield Heights • Mayfield Village
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2012-13 – 829 Students
Asian 4.7%
African American 13.8%
Hispanic < 1%
Multi-racial 4.5%
White 75.9%
Students with Disabilities 14.6%
Economically Disadvantaged 25.7%
Limited English Proficient 4%
6th Grade Achievement Assessment Reading: 86.9% Mathematics: 86.9%
7th Grade Achievement Assessment Reading: 89.2% Mathematics: 85.6%
8th Grade Achievement Assessment Reading: 93.4% Mathematics: 89.3%
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We believe that successful schools for young adolescents provide assessment and evaluation systems that promote quality learning. We will demonstrate how we have transformed our assessment and reporting policy for mathematics to de-emphasize the accumulation of points and emphasize individual progress and efficacy.
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How do we change a grading system that has been established for over 50 years?
How do we change beliefs? How do we change practices? How do we make it sustainable?
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“For changes to occur in the way middle school teachers view assessments, a change in the overall culture of the school is necessary so that new methods of assessment become a part of teachers’ belief systems, rather than merely a new innovation.”
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The school and its teachers must come to view themselves as a learning community.
There must be proactive leadership at the district and building level.
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Teachers must have access to ongoing, meaningful, and relevant professional development.
Teachers must have time for collaboration.
Professional Learning Communities
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A proven professional development model to increase teacher effectiveness and improve student achievement
Based on teaching the standards to the proficient or above level of understanding
Teaching materials, assessments, sequence, emphasis, decided upon collectively through collaboration
Jeff, seventh grader, has a 230 RIT Score on the MAP Assessment (above grade level) and has consistently passed the OAA but receives F’s on his report card every quarter.
Sally, sixth grader, is recommended for Math Advantage class after receiving a basic score on the OAA. Her mother is surprised considering she’s always received A’s in math in elementary school.
Annie, sixth grader, is identified as gifted in math yet she lacks confidence and does not believe she is good at math.
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Teachers at the same grade level give different assessments and use different grading policies.
An “A” looks different depending on which elementary school you attended in grade 5. This is confusing for 6th grade teachers when the students come to learn math at the Middle School.
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One teacher counts homework completion toward the final grade but another teacher at the same grade level in the same school does not.
A student receives a “C” in a 4th grade geometry unit but neither the student nor the parent know what specific part of the geometry content is not understood by the child.
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has a history of low achievement test scores.
A learning disability or a teaching disability?
Robert J. Marzano
Teachers started a movement to improve instruction, assessment and reporting using a standards-based approach.
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2010-11 School Year Sixteen middle and high school staff members received in-depth training on 9 instructional design questions.
2011-12 School Year Sixteen additional middle and high school staff members received training on 9 instructional design questions.
Action Research 2010-2013 These 32 teachers implemented The Art and Science of Teaching principles in their classrooms.
2009-10 School Year High School PLCs begin discussion of grading practice
2010-13 School Years High School PLCs develop learning targets, aligned assessments, and achievement levels.
Middle School PLCs in Math and Language Arts develop learning targets, assessments and achievement scales.
Focused
Instruction
2009-10 School Year
5th Grade District-wide Math PLC established to address OAA scores
2010-11 School Year
4th through 7th Grade District-wide Math PLCs established
2011-12 School Year
4th through 7th grade standards-based assessment and reporting pilot
2012-13 School Year
K-5 Building PLCs established
K-3 Elementary Math PLCs develop achievement scales & learning targets
K-5 LA PLCs begin to develop learning targets, scales and assessments
2013-14 School Year
Elementary and Middle School Science and Social Studies, and Special
Areas begin to develop learning targets, scales and assessments
2011-12 School Year A district-wide Assessment and Reporting Committee convened to coordinate the initiatives taking place at elementary (grades 4-5), middle and high school.
A district-wide survey was conducted to determine teacher readiness for a move to standards-based assessment and reporting
Committee created a Mission Statement and Principles
2012-13 School Year Ongoing work of district-wide Assessment and Reporting Committee
What SBG looks like at Mayfield Middle School Structure & Terminology Levels of Understanding Achievement Scales Learning Targets Assessment Online Gradebook The Report Card Life Skills
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Domains are the broad categories within the content area. For example, in Math, the domains are Number and Quantity, Operations and Algebra, Geometry, and Measurement, Data, Statistics and Probability.
Measurement topics are groups of standard statements that are related within a domain. Assessments are developed at the measurement topic level.
Teachers must connect assessments to specific learning targets and make students aware of the connection before the assessment is given (what standards?).
Clarification:
“I can” statements in student-friendly terms must be communicated verbally, in writing and visually (posted) prior to the lesson
Written assessments must include an “I can” statement to clarify the learning target
Achievement scales are built for each measurement topic, these are used to build assessments.
Teachers can use the achievement scale to communicate a students’ level of understanding.
Students can use the achievement scale to determine what they need to grow to the next level.
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The student is meeting grade level expectations.
I can determine the rate of change and initial value of a function from a description of a relationship or from two values. (8.F.4)
The student demonstrates understanding of the simpler details that support the grade-level expectations.
I can determine the function that models the situation given the rate of change. (8.F.4)
The student demonstrates partial understanding of the simpler details that support the grade level expectations with teacher help.
I can recall and/or recognize specific vocabulary such as decrease, function, graph, increase, initial, linear, nonlinear, and rate of change.
The student is meeting grade level expectations.
I can determine the rate of change and initial value of a function from a description of a relationship or from two values. (8.F.4)
The student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications of the learning goal(s) that go beyond what was taught.
I can calculate and interpret average rate of change of a function in a real world situation. (HS.IF.6)
Five purposes of homework/classwork • Practice • Interaction • Application • Extension • Exploration • Preparation
Homework/classwork is formative
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Scores must be based on the student’s level of understanding of the learning target.
Clarification:
Students are evaluated based on their level of understanding of each learning target
Formative: Checkpoints are for learning: are assessed as proficient or not proficient (P or NP)… this information directs future intervention or enrichment
Summative assessments are a summary of learning: are evaluated using levels of understanding (0 through 4)
Summative: Summative assessment is conducted at the end of a unit of instruction or at a logical point within a measurement topic.
Summative assessments determine the student’s level of understanding of an I Can Statement.
On summative assessments, students score from level 0 to level 4.
Teachers may also assign a level midway between, namely 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5
Students should have more than one chance to show what they know and are able to do.
Clarification:
If a student does not reach proficiency (P) on a checkpoint, he/she will have a chance at a second trial after intervention… this second trial may be oral or through observation.
If a student does not reach proficiency (level 3) on a summative assessment, the teacher may allow a retake.
Grade book is designed to support SBG
Domains and Measurement Topics are imbedded for every subject
Summative assessments are linked (by the teacher) to MTs
MTs are organized into Domains
Domains are reported quarterly on report card
Students and parents can see progress at the MT level in real time in PIV
Student assignment reports are used to provide more detailed information to parents and students.
Traditional report cards provide information at a set point in time, usually at the end of a quarter year – this is aggregate information.
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Student behaviors and attitudes toward learning (life skills) must be assessed separately from achievement of the standard.
Clarification:
The student’s level of understanding is based on summative data only and must not be affected by Life Skills
Behavior, Working in Groups, Work Completion, and Participation are life skills assessed on a scale from 1 - 3 with 3 being the highest
I can compare properties of two functions represented in different ways. (8.F.2)
I can describe qualitatively the functional relationship between two quantities by analyzing a graph. (8.F.5)
I can determine the rate of change and initial value of a function from a description of a relationship or from two values. (8.F.4)
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I can use the equation of a linear model to solve problems in
the context of bivariate measurement data, interpreting the
slope and intercept. (8.SP.3)
I can interpret patters of association by displaying
frequencies and relative frequencies in a two-way table;
describe associations between variables. (8.SP.4)
I can derive the equation for a line given two distinct points. (8.EE.5)
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y mx b
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Level 3
I can represent relationships in tables and graphs and make predictions based on the relationships.
describe the relationships in terms of the variables
accurately collect data in a table and represent in a graph
accurately make predictions
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Level 2
I can represent relationships in tables and graphs and make predictions based on the relationships.
collect data in a table
accurately graph data from a table
I can make sense of problems and persevere
in solving them.
I can reason abstractly and quantitatively.
I can construct viable arguments and critique
the reasoning of others.
I can model with mathematics.
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I can use appropriate tools strategically.
I can attend to precision.
I can look for and make use of structure.
I can look for and express regularity in repeated
reasoning.
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Summative and formative assessments
Include mathematical practices as well as content standards
Interdisciplinary
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We don’t get docked points on every little mistake. It’s great!
I used to focus on details and try not to make silly mistakes, now on tests I feel more comfortable knowing that the level of understanding is my grade and not points.
I like getting another chance if I mess up on checkpoints.
I like it because it never says F or “zero out of twenty” or something
I think it is great because you don’t get told just what you do wrong.
The teacher will help me when I am confused before the test
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It’s easier to see the decimal and level of understanding rather than a letter grade where I don’t know where I fall in the letter grade.
Before I felt stuck and no one cared what I knew and now the teacher cares and knows when I am confused.
It is much better to just grade tests, the teacher can see my thinking and what I understand
I like it because instead of grades, I see what I understand instead of kids getting points for extra assignments and I do not have time to do big extra credit projects at home.
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If you want an A you have to be advanced.
I do not like how hard it is to get an A.
I do not like how only the kids that are advanced get the higher grades.
I don’t like not having extra credit and chances to bump up my grade.
The only thing I don’t like is that it is challenging to get an A because you have to answer level 4 questions.
It’s unfair… because kids who got As in the past have a harder time getting As now. It could disappoint their parents since they used to get As.
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Homework should not count because often the grade is higher because the student did the homework, not because they understand the math.
If my child is at a level 3 and proficient, I am satisfied that he gets the concepts and I let him know that. What I say affects my child’s attitude about his progress and achievement. I encourage him to reach for level four.
I do like that the student has to look back at the test to see what they got wrong, figure out what they did wrong, and correct it. Students who do this will excel.
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I like the approach: teach, checkpoint, formative assessments, summative assessment – it’s great!
I was happy to hear feedback from teachers that now they get to know exactly where a student needs help and that their relationships seem to get closer/better.
I am a high school math teacher and am seeing many of the issues that you discussed regarding students not remembering concepts and the lack of basic math skills necessary to do higher levels of math. I do appreciate your efforts to make changes at lower levels to increase retention of skills for future math courses.
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I think this system has the potential to give the children real confidence. Our children need to know how to think in order to make good decisions, in more areas than school.
If the grades don’t matter, don’t report them. Leave it as a number with the kids knowing 4’s are the goal. I do believe the grades don’t matter!
I believe it is a good thing that results are being recognized; effort is important of course, but ultimately what a student knows is important. If students get the same results, they should have the same grade.
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How will you assess the success of this program?
Can’t there be a consistent scale to score test to avoid “judgment” calls?
More materials from school to keep track of teaching content and better help the student, such as test copy, online homework, practice questions, syllabus, etc.
I don’t see much homework that gives the student a chance to practice some more.
What were the kids who pass the checkpoint on the first try doing while the rest are relearning?
Are students provided instruction or given exposure to Level 4 questions in class by their teacher?
Please provide a definitive answer with regard to the teacher’s ability to look back at a student’s body of work in determining a grade.
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Jean Richardson, District Math Specialist (K-8) [email protected]
Allison Golem, Eighth Grade Math Teacher [email protected] Felecia Evans, Assistant Principal, Mayfield Middle School [email protected]