Keeping Learning at the Center of What We Do at NMS
Last week, we had our monthly meeting of our Nichols Middle School Council; it was very productive, and in it, much of the discussion surrounded the idea of "Standards-Based Grading."
Here inside the walls of NMS, we call discussions such as the one we had as a "Professional Learning Community" discussion (PLC). We talked about education and what we specifically are doing to help our students learn better at NMS. We engage in these conversations on a daily basis here. We are always looking at our curriculum, instruction, and assessment and what we could be doing better.
At all times with these discussions, our number one goal is better learning for our students.
In PLCs, people's beliefs and philosophies are going to be tested. But again if in the end, we have student learning at the center of what we are trying to achieve then we can all walk away happy.
At the School Council Meeting, Standards-Based Grading was the main discussion point. Parents have questions about it. This is very common. It is a change. Change is difficult.
This post is going to be flooded with Resources on Standards-Based Grading (SBG). I want you first to know that you do not need to go out and study them, but I would love for everyone at some point to check them out and let them help you come up with more questions that we can continue to search together for answers.
I don't have all of the answers; I don't. I don't even think I do, but I do believe I can help in finding answers.
First, I would love for you to watch this very quick video on "SBG Overview." It is very quick and gives an excellent overview.
Second, I would love for you to check out this article. It was just in the newspaper on November 4, so this is something that many schools and school districts are dealing with across the county:
My favorite lines from the article are:
"'We're trying to eliminate the concept of the kid who does school very well because the work ethic is there, but when it comes time to demonstrate learning, they don't do as well,'said Michael Berrie, District 116 director of teaching and learning. 'We're trying to provide an accurate reflection of what students know and are able to do.'"
A second video is: "What is Standard-Based Grading?" This too explains the whole idea of it very well in a quick video. https://youtu.be/k3dyJAkYsew
It, too, has an awesome line which I believe expresses why we are moving in the direction of utilizing SBG more. At about the 1 minute mark, the narrator says:
"The focus [with traditional grading] may be on the assessment or grade rather than the learning."
Another is a blog post, which I read recently, "Imagining a No-Grades Classroom." It is here: http://www.ethicalela.com/
It, too, has many links within the post to videos and other sites which also speak about SBG with the moniker, "Teachers Throwing Out Grades."
This is a real thing that is going on across the country, and the world for that matter. This is not just a middle school thing or a Nichols Middle School thing; this is happening everywhere -- in elementaries, high schools, and even colleges. Check the post out.
Another article is: "Seven Reasons for Standards-Based Grading." This again says it in one line for me: "Reason 1: Grades Should Have Meaning."
This says it all for me. Here is the link to the article: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/oct08/vol66/num02/Seven_Reasons_for_Standards-Based_Grading.aspx
Then just a couple of other videos.
The first of many from one of my favorite educational researchers/speakers, Rick Wormeli: https://youtu.be/h-QF9Q4gxVM
He is the MAN, in my opinion. This particular one is one of his shortest videos on SBG. To the right, you will see a list of other videos, many by him, which could be 30+ minutes or longer of presentations he has made on SBG. He is well-versed in understanding what SBG is and what it should be, and why we should be doing it.
Another is in a TED Talk by a high school science teacher in Montana. I love his straight-forward nature to talking about it.
Here it is: https://youtu.be/bn_sCLoQNVs
And lastly for now in this group of resources is from the book we studied as a faculty. I know you all have heard me say that we as a Nichols faculty read this book as a book study last year and we continue to study it this year, "Leaders of Their Own Learning" (LOTOL). Here is a short video that we have links to from the book on the chapter about SBG: http://bcove.me/m2u0hu08
Here in this video there are teachers, administrators, and students talking about SBG. It is very good.
We as a school are, again, only in the "piloting" stage of utilizing Standards-Based Grading. We have a little more than 20 teachers experimenting with it. We are going to run into some kinks here and there, but if you read some of these resources and check out some of these videos, you will see why we are engaging in such an endeavor, what our purpose is.
It is for our kids. It is for their learning. It is for their success. That's it. That's why. No hidden agenda.
So, please check out some these resources and let me know what you think.
Our next meeting of the Nichols Middle School Council will be in the afternoon again on Wednesday, December 16, at 3 PM, in the Media Center, but then in January, we will have another evening meeting, on Wednesday, January 27, at 7 PM.
Thank you so much for letting me be a part of your child's education.
Have an awesome Thanksgiving.
