Comments on: A Time For Reflection http://parkcityjournal.com/aparkcityteachersthoughtsfromthetrenches/2007/06/19/a-time-for-reflection/ Another Blogging Systems Community Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:56:31 +0000 http://www.bloggingsystems.com/?v=community-publisher-1.0 by: Carolyn Frankenburg http://parkcityjournal.com/aparkcityteachersthoughtsfromthetrenches/2007/06/19/a-time-for-reflection/#comment-6 Wed, 20 Jun 2007 17:50:01 +0000 http://parkcityjournal.com/aparkcityteachersthoughtsfromthetrenches/2007/06/19/a-time-for-reflection/#comment-6 I agree with so much of what has been said by both Mr Proffit and Ms Wadman. It is really hard for those of us raised on this system of performance evaluation to not consider the power of the highest mark. The most frustrating thing for my soon to be 8th grader is learning how to advocate for her accomplishments. If she is watching her grades, like she often is, she knows what needs attention. I never log on to look at her grades unless she is frustrated with something and can't articulate the issue. So we look it over together. It seems to be working but sometimes I think the Power School system encourages a certain micro managing of the day in and day out learining experience. One of the things I would love to see more of in the "Report Card" type of system is more commentary from the teachers as to the social and academic progress being made. The attitude markers of "H" and "S" and so forth don't offer much room to really get into the reasons why a student is under performing or extraordinary in other ways outside of the academic markers. I proudly comment that my child received an "H' in some of her classes and ask why and she really is not sure how one teacher decided to give her the "H" and another decided to give her the "S". It is confusing to the student because she doesn't know what the benchmark is and might wonder if it even matters. I tend not to interfere too much with her teachers' process unless there is a problem. But it does seem that in light of these very insightful comments both Greg and Libby have made, it might be a good idea to get a bit more involved even if things seem to be going smoothly. Next year , I think I will talk more with all of her teachers to check in on her progress even if it all "seems " to be going well. I agree with so much of what has been said by both Mr Proffit and Ms Wadman. It is really hard for those of us raised on this system of performance evaluation to not consider the power of the highest mark. The most frustrating thing for my soon to be 8th grader is learning how to advocate for her accomplishments. If she is watching her grades, like she often is, she knows what needs attention. I never log on to look at her grades unless she is frustrated with something and can’t articulate the issue. So we look it over together. It seems to be working but sometimes I think the Power School system encourages a certain micro managing of the day in and day out learining experience.

One of the things I would love to see more of in the “Report Card” type of system is more commentary from the teachers as to the social and academic progress being made. The attitude markers of “H” and “S” and so forth don’t offer much room to really get into the reasons why a student is under performing or extraordinary in other ways outside of the academic markers. I proudly comment that my child received an “H’ in some of her classes and ask why and she really is not sure how one teacher decided to give her the “H” and another decided to give her the “S”. It is confusing to the student because she doesn’t know what the benchmark is and might wonder if it even matters. I tend not to interfere too much with her teachers’ process unless there is a problem. But it does seem that in light of these very insightful comments both Greg and Libby have made, it might be a good idea to get a bit more involved even if things seem to be going smoothly. Next year , I think I will talk more with all of her teachers to check in on her progress even if it all “seems ” to be going well.

]]> by: B Bacon http://parkcityjournal.com/aparkcityteachersthoughtsfromthetrenches/2007/06/19/a-time-for-reflection/#comment-5 Wed, 20 Jun 2007 16:39:48 +0000 http://parkcityjournal.com/aparkcityteachersthoughtsfromthetrenches/2007/06/19/a-time-for-reflection/#comment-5 Libby- Another great article. Colby does not give grades, rather narrative assessments. We get constant pressure from some parents in the Upper School to give them.Yet another discussion. Betsy Bacon Libby- Another great article. Colby does not give grades, rather narrative assessments. We get constant pressure from some parents in the Upper School to give them.Yet another discussion. Betsy Bacon

]]> by: Greg Proffit http://parkcityjournal.com/aparkcityteachersthoughtsfromthetrenches/2007/06/19/a-time-for-reflection/#comment-4 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 19:11:00 +0000 http://parkcityjournal.com/aparkcityteachersthoughtsfromthetrenches/2007/06/19/a-time-for-reflection/#comment-4 It's unfortunate that the accepted public school grading system puts teachers and parents in this predicament. Letter grades fail to provide teachers an acceptable mechanism for reporting student progress against a determined standard. They leave students wondering just exactly why they have a certain grade. The grade may not be highly correlated with actual ability. And parents only perpetuate the system because it's how they were graded and we're all used to 'feedback by alphabet'. Fortunately there is an educational nswer on the horizon. Standards based grading and reporting: Grading that reports progress against a specific standard provides students with feedback about learning, and parents with an enhanced understanding of their child. For example if a simple 1st grade standard is: Spells multisyllabic words, and the provided indicators are "with great accuracy", "with occasional error", "with difficulty", or ...."can not" - the communication and understanding about student proficiency is now out in the light of day for all the involved parties. The standards based movement, and an accompanying reporting system, will benefit student learning. However the public education system - including the patrons that fund it and the parents that enroll kids in it - is still struggling with how to shift the culture from compliant seat time to demonstration of student understanding. TTWADI - That's The Way We've Always Done It - is a difficult change for students, teachers, and parents. It’s unfortunate that the accepted public school grading system puts teachers and parents in this predicament. Letter grades fail to provide teachers an acceptable mechanism for reporting student progress against a determined standard. They leave students wondering just exactly why they have a certain grade. The grade may not be highly correlated with actual ability. And parents only perpetuate the system because it’s how they were graded and we’re all used to ‘feedback by alphabet’.

Fortunately there is an educational nswer on the horizon. Standards based grading and reporting: Grading that reports progress against a specific standard provides students with feedback about learning, and parents with an enhanced understanding of their child. For example if a simple 1st grade standard is: Spells multisyllabic words, and the provided indicators are “with great accuracy”, “with occasional error”, “with difficulty”, or ….”can not” - the communication and understanding about student proficiency is now out in the light of day for all the involved parties.

The standards based movement, and an accompanying reporting system, will benefit student learning. However the public education system - including the patrons that fund it and the parents that enroll kids in it - is still struggling with how to shift the culture from compliant seat time to demonstration of student understanding. TTWADI - That’s The Way We’ve Always Done It - is a difficult change for students, teachers, and parents.

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