Grade Like You Mean It 2: Organizing the grade book

Thanks to many great conversations through Facebook feeds and personal messages, I have had time to reflect and think about the organization process of transitioning my grading style. I had it worked out in my head, but nothing formally written down; a crucial step in goal setting. So this is my post about what this change means for me as a classroom Spanish teacher.

Setting-up my grade book

Paper copy

My paper copy of my grade book won't change much. Yes, I still keep a paper copy because my trust in our online grade book has yet to be established (I did randomly lose an entire quarter of grades for two classes last year, win 1 for the paper back-up). My paper copy makes it easy for me to look at a student's behavior patterns (magically sick every time a project is due, never retakes a vocabulary quiz, etc.). I can also see if there are a lot of pink highlights in one assignment, I need to stop, reteach, and reassess. It is also easy to pick-up and go to IEP or intervention team meetings. This is also where my love for color coordination comes in. (I will post a picture of my book from last year)

I use high lighters and written symbols to track things like absences (A in corner, highlighted in blue), missing assignments (highlighted in yellow, also circled if due to an absence), failed assignments (highlighted in pink; if they retake I write the new score in pen over the old score and highlight), behavior concerns (bx in corner in pen), and days I contacted parents (p in corner). Sounds like a lot, but it just works for me.

Online grade book

With the online grade book, we have very limited features and it vaguely resembles Windows cerca 1990's. We can't add commentary to an assignment (e.g. "0 points due to cheating/absence/not-submitted) and there is no highlighting or otherwise linking assignments together. The teacher side is also less organized looking than parent/student side.

Categories
May teachers set up their grading categories by type of assignment: quizzes, projects, homework, participation, etc. Other options are by unit which is very helpful if you use a textbook: Unit 1, Gustar Unit, Realidades 2.6, etc. The standards-based school I was at used skill sets: Culture, Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking.

Proficiency-based: I am using the proficiency guidelines set-up by IWLA (discussed in previous post here). Therefore my grade book will use the three modes of communication as my grading categories: Interpersonal Communication, Interpretive Communication, and Persentational Communication.

Weights
The math department uses weights with their categories to calculate final course grades: 60% Tests and Quizzes, 40% Homework. When I was at the standards-based school, all five of our categories were weighted equally at 20% each (reasoning that all skills are equally important to language learning). Pros: This can keep "fluff" points from skewing final grades (e.g. homework, participation). Students have to preform well on their summative assessments if it is a project or test. Cons: The weights may not reflect what happens in the learning process. I taught 6 sections of Spanish 1 at the high school level when all five of our categories were worth 20% each. The problem I ran into, that the Spanish 4 teacher did not have, was that may Spanish 1 students weren't speaking as much so they had less grades entered into that category (we could only enter summative assessments for grades). The first quarter of the year, three grades made-up their entire Speaking category while the other categories had 10 assignments each. That meant that three assignment grades made up 20% of their final quarter grade. Not fair.

Points
For the last few years I have used total points for my grading system, no weights to any category. I still used categories to keep my grade book organized, but none were "valued" more than the others. Pros: Their grade reflects their overall work and mastery of the language in a very raw form. This also makes it easier for me to keep a consistent grade book between all four levels of Spanish. Cons: Grades can become easily diluted by "fluff" grades. If you give 5 points a week for participation and 5 points for every homework assignment; you can be giving out anywhere from 10-20 points a week in "effort" points. By the end of a quarter, that's 90-180 points. That is now worth more than the four 25 point vocabulary quizzes you gave and possibly worth more than your unit test.



Proficiency-based: I am going to continue to use points. I am very careful about what I take the time to grade versus look-over and use for my feedback. I want their grades to clearly reflect their mastery of Spanish, not how many papers they can hand-in on time.

They have 100 points worth of vocabulary quizzes per quarter. They typically have a mid-term and quarter test at 100 points each. Homework and participation points never total more than 40 points per quarter. Their comprehension quizzes from class stories etc. are about 10 points each and I don't use the grade for every quiz in the grade book. They normally have one smaller project about 50-100 points each quarter and a bigger project about 100-150 points at the semester.

I give homework points based on completion, and homework and participation points are very few, maybe up to 5 points at a time. (I also have a different idea about what homework looks like in my TPRS/CI classroom.) These points are never daily, maybe weekly. This gives enough "padding" to their grades to allow for a bad test day. *My Spanish 3 and 4 classes don't have homework or participation points.

Assembled grade book

I anticipate all three categories to be close to even by the end of each quarter. Spanish 2-4 should be just about 33% each. I think Spanish 1 will have a Presentational Communication category closer to 25-30% of their final quarter grades to allow for their comfort levels and their development in the language. Also remember that Presentational Communication looks very different at Spanish 1 versus Spanish 4 per the "I can statements".

My grading categories are in bold. The scores underneath each category are exactly what I type in the "assignment description" box in our online system. The points are in parenthesis and go in the "points possible" box in our online system. If you are standards-based using a 1-4 or 1-5 etc. scale, this is where your scores go.

I hope to include a picture soon (whenever the online system is up and running), but here is essentially what my grade book will look like after the introductory unit in Spanish 1.

Interpersonal: (totaling 29 points)
      HW- greeting dialogue arrangement (2pts)
      P- polite exchange game (2pts)
      Q- Greeting questions (10pts)
      Pjt- Hanging out with the new kid (15pts)

Interpretive: (totaling 24 points)
      HW- comprehension questions reading story Miguel (2pts)
      P- Active involvement class story Dracula (2pts)
      Q- listening comprehension quiz Sara (5pts)
      Pjt- Hanging out with the new kid (15pts)

Presentational: (totaling 22 points)
      P- skit practice howtnk (2pts)
      Q- grocery store checkout line responses (10pts)
      Pjt- Hanging out with the new kid (10pts)

You can see for this unit- the final project was 40 points, quizzes were 25 points, and homework/participation are 10 points. As the year goes on, they receive less possible participation points, in the beginning it helps them be accountable for being involved in class. 

The "Hanging out with the new kid" is a skit that each small group prepares using basic introductions and simple phrases. They record these and I grade them privately; following up with each group about their grade. It was only one assignment but it hits on all three categories based on the assignment requirements.

I also labeled the stories by character name so I can find which story it is for absentee students

Grade Like You Mean It: Implementing Proficiency Based Grading

I am pretty lucky in my small school district; I have no set grading categories or requirements outside of the standard 10% grading scale (90-100% is an A). I have been in larger districts with set grading policies, even down to the structure of the grade book. I have worked with standards based grading (which I like... more later on that), weighted grading and grading by points. This post will document why I am changing my grade book and what it will look like as a TPRS/CI teacher.

Identifying and Defining "Proficiency"

For new teachers, ACTFL is the "governing body" of world language teaching. ACTFL does not actually govern, but supports us like the government is supposed to. They provide an array of resources, and the most applicable part to our job as classroom teachers; standards.

Here in Iowa, we have no standards on a state level for world languages. All school districts are required to offer four consecutive years of one world language for high school credit. Great for job security, but lacking in the support and funding that other subjects receive (there is good and bad to all of it). However, we have a great local language association (IWLA) that is working to promote not only unity among world language teachers, but also on language standards and the seal of biliteracy.

The standards adopted by the IWLA are based on the ACTFL standards but paired down and easier to apply in the classroom without being over whelmed (in my opinion). These are teacher-friendly and student-friendly with handy "I can" statements.

Purpose Behind Change

I am on the standards-based grading train; grades should communicate mastery of skill and competency.

Previously, my grade book  was point-based. It naturally weighted quizzes and tests higher. However, if I had a few lazy kids that missed multiple 5 point assignments but mastered the skills on the test, sometimes they had a D and couldn't continue on to the next semester of Spanish. I also looked at the grade book from the student view and it was all a list; no clear focus on what the struggle points were. That limited student self-reflection on their progress in class.

At a previous district, they weighted the 5 C's (ACTFL) equally at 20% of the final grade. That didn't work well in lower levels because they may only have a few oral exercises and that could seriously impact their grade; even if they were really mastering reading and listening as many TPRS classrooms look like in the first year.

I want my students to see their grades, and know it represents their progress in Spanish language. I want them to know where their strengths are and what they can work on.

My New Grade Book

This year I will break my grade book up into three sections based on the IWLA standards: Interpersonal Communication, Interpretive Communication, and Presentational Communication.

I am going to still operate in a points system that varies based on the level. Caution: When using a points-based system, you have to be careful to not "dilute" their grades with fluff and practice. If their grade is mostly made up of mini formative assessments (homework, in-class assignments, participation), then their grades can't communicate master of content, only how must "doing" they did. Yes, turning things in on time, following directions, and being engaged are life skills, but at 13 should failure to do homework really sink their grades if they are consistently hitting high marks on summative assessments? That is a personal question you have to balance for yourself or do what the district tells you to.

Student/Parent View

I learned this last year that the student/parent view of the online grade book doesn't look too different from the teacher side. I will be dividing my grades by the three categories above. Within each category, I will label the grade by type (homework, participation, quiz, project, or test) and then give points earned.

Assigning Points

My homework used to be 5 points, all or nothing. This year it will be 2 points; done and one time 2, done and late 1, not submitted 0. This will not significantly impact their grades, but will show them and their parents if they are completing all the available learning opportunities; which sometimes clarifies why they are not progressing in class. I should clarify that "homework" is typically in-class work they may need to finish outside of class if they did not finish. We have block scheduling and a "seminar" study period, so I am okay with students needing to continue or put finishing touches on work outside of class. I very rarely ever assign content to be completed outside of class; 1) they cheat, 2) I don't want them to form bad habits if doing something incorrectly, and 3) they cheat.  I do give choice work at a rate of 2 per quarter and 25 points each. This helps cushion their grade a bit and demonstrates clear connections between class and the real world.

Participation really only shows up when they start to disengage. Usually 1 or 5 points. They receive credit for staying in Spanish during centers, or really going for it during Muevete Miercoles, or answering enthusiastically during coral responses.

Quizzes are around 25 points in my class. They take the 100 Most Commonly Used Spanish words 25 words at a time. They can study for this outside of class and I have seen that it has helped when reading novels; they fill in the "little" words quickly. Reading quizzes are about 10 points each and frequent in the beginning so I can catch kids that are falling behind quickly (and adjust my pace).

Tests are typically around worth 100 points and normally have 105 points possible. I expect them to make mistakes at this point so it gives them wiggle room without fear of "retribution". I don't know why, but their scores go up compared to classes without the extra 5 points but still the same test.

Projects are long-term and normally between 150-200 points. This includes check point scores. I give a 10% deduction from credit earned, per day, for late projects.

Clear Communication is in the Label

Clearly labeling the type of assignment and what the assignment is will help you with absentees and over vigilant parents. Labeling "Quiz: class story 1" is not helpful. Labeling "Quiz: In-class Victoria gustar" is very helpful. You know the student missed the story the class developed about Victoria that focused on the "gustar" structures. You know what Johnny needs to work on to build that skill or make-up the 10 point comprehension quiz.

I also put large assignments in ahead of time, no point value until later. This lets parents and students know that they need to be working. "Novella Title: Final Project in 2 weeks" is a great space label.