Going it alone is possible, but challenging. I know from experience.
Change requires compromise and consistency for optimal retention.
When of an entire school community: teachers, students and parents, there needs to be unity in the story being told for maximum impact.
And so the birth of our new school assessing policy has come to life.
When I was asked to write a 鈥済rading鈥� policy this summer, I thought my principal wanted a page or two discussing ; I had no idea she wanted an entire fleshed out handbook on how to use standards instead of traditional grading.
Above, you see the table of contents for what will become our 鈥渘on-grading鈥� policy. I鈥檝e been working hard to make it as simple and clear as possible, chock full of tutorial videos and support resources.
Given the way folks responded to the work I was doing this year, I have no illusions about the willingness of the staff to change their grading ways. The way a person 鈥溾�� is usually deeply ingrained within them, almost like dogma imprinted in childhood. They鈥檝e worn these comfy clothes for so long that the idea of breaking in a new idea isn鈥檛 favorable.
So like with students, it鈥檚 time to start questioning where these beliefs come from and see how well they serve them and their students. Conversations will need to happen, but if the overall policy is going to work, we are going to need to take a few bold steps...
Here is what I鈥檓 hoping:
- That the current online gradebook program we use will no longer be available as is. I鈥檓 going to ask my principal to shut off the traditional book only allowing for the standards based choice to eliminate some of the choice and show the seriousness of the switch
- Provide initial professional development with resources to discuss why the shift is necessary and essential
- Provide a forum for teachers to discuss their concerns and fears and then help them realize they will be supporterd
- Provide on-going support in how to provide excellent student feedback while teaching students to do the same for each other
- Offer an easy way to collect data this way and have on-going professional learning with all teachers to help them transition more easily
- If we can get a guest speaker who isn鈥檛 me who already does this, that may be helpful, but I don鈥檛 that it will happen.
- I鈥檇 love to get one of my former students to speak to the teachers about what they gained from this experience.
- Perhaps I鈥檒l collect quotes and ideas from folks who have made the move to share with them during the learning session
- Have opportunities to show them how to use the online gradebook as it exists now and show them how to teach kids to read it and de-emphasize the 鈥済rade鈥� aspect of learning and shift to self-awareness and metacognition.
As a school if we are to grow in this way, we must do it together and this can鈥檛 just be dropped on them or anyone.
If you have transitioned away from traditional grades at your school, how did you do it? What advice do you have? What do you think the biggest challenges will be? Please share