The Handbook review took place under these special circumstances and we reiterate our commitment to the assessment philosophy we have embraced; Standards-Based Grading.
At Ashton School, the purpose of grading is to measure and analyze student progress, at specific times during the school year, based on evidence gathered through summative assessments and observation of student performance during each quarter. Ongoing formative assessment is used to observe student performance, provide feedback to the students and help them make adjustments in order to empower them with their own learning, motivate them to set new goals and ultimately meet curricular standards. It also enables teachers to make informed adjustments to instruction to help students meet the standards. Grades are also meant to inform parents and other institutions of student achievement and performance.
As we can see, the main purpose of evaluating our students is to be able to determine their progress regarding the mastery of the curriculum standards. To be able to achieve this, the Ashton School works with a standards-based grading system (SBG) that has been widely studied, tested and proven internationally as one of the best methods of evaluation.
Many people ask, what the difference is between a standards-based grading system vs. a traditional grading system.
One of the main differences is that SBG focuses on determining the level mastery (using a scale) of the standards and separating it from aspects such as conduct and responsibility to later report these independently. The fact that we moved to this system has been ideal in this distance learning environment where the focus is on proficiency or mastering of standards.
Let’s remember the meaning of the scale that we use at Ashton:
“1” indicates that students have little understanding of a concept, and therefore cannot demonstrate any mastery of it (Limited Evidence) As students learn and progress, they can demonstrate partial mastery, and score a “2″ (Progressing). Once they meet a target, they score a “3” (Proficient). The “4’s” are for students who exceed the learning target (Mastering).
If you are interested in learning more about SBG, the following are some authors that should be consulted: Guskey, Marzano, O’Connor, and Reeves.
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