I was invited to share our district’s standards-based grading journey with the national superintendents’ professional organization, AASA. A brief summary: In Solon, Iowa, teachers’ gradebooks describe students’ current levels of learning without the customary array of A’s and C’s or numerical grades. The small district is at the forefront of a new assessment movement in
(Note to readers: This is part three in a series of columns written about Iowa ASCD’s current focus on supporting curriculum leadership across the state.) In the last column, I proposed curriculum leads consider getting their feet wet and engaging teachers in a collaborative process to understand the nexus between standards, instruction and assessment in
[Note to readers: This column was printed in a November 2017 edition of Iowa ASCD’s The Source e-newsletter.] What does it mean to be a leader of curriculum, instruction, and assessment? Not too long ago, I challenged readers to join Iowa ASCD this school year by digging deeper into what it means to be a curriculum lead. According
Are you thinking about making the shift to standards-based grading in your building or district? Based upon hundreds of phone calls, consultations, workshops and emails, here’s a list of five pitfalls I have observed that school leaders should avoid. Use exceeds as a descriptor in the grade book at the secondary level. Nothing frustrates Sally
A new peer-reviewed article I co-authored is now available in your local academic database! Peters, R., Kruse, J., Buckmiller, T., & Townsley, M. (2017). “It’s just not fair!” Making sense of secondary students’ resistance to a standards-based grading initiative. American Secondary Education, 45(3), 9-28.
As a result of a top 10 standards-based grading books list published not too long ago, a reader of this blog made me aware of The School Leader’s Guide to Grading by Ken O’Connor. So, I bought a used copy on Amazon and read it during a summer airplane trip, halfway across the country. I cannot
A teacher from a school in Iowa recently contacted me with an inquiry, Is there any research indicating students going through a standards based grading system show improved standardized test scores or college readiness compared to students that go through a traditional grading school? Context: What we know about educational research This is an excellent question that
Nearly three years ago, I started a doctorate in education program at the University of West Georgia. Today, I am happy to share all coursework and dissertation requirements are finished and as a result, I recently walked across the stage! (Dissertation chair, Matt Varga, and me before commencement) Although participating in the ceremony is optional,
I wrote the column below for Iowa ASCD’s “The Source,” an e-newsletter for state ASCD affiliate members. — So, you want to become a curriculum lead? Around this time of the year, I usually receive an email or two from a teacher who is interested in transitioning to a more defined curriculum role. Whether it’s
I was recently invited to write a brief article for School Administrator, an AASA (The School Superintendents’ Association) publication. “Three Lessons for Schools Shifting Their Grading” was embedded within a feature article about standards-based grading, (a well written one, I might add) by Ken O’Connor. The full article is available via the AASA digital magazine link