Power Grading & Assessment is a program for standards-based grading for world-language programs.

1. Power Grading &
Assessment
A different kind of professional development.™
by the Standards
Scott Benedict
2012 scott@teachforjune.com
copyright © 2012 teachforjune.com teachforjune.com

2. Presentation Available
slideshare.net/teachforjune

3. Presentation Goals
An overview of standards-
based grading and
assessment strategies.

4. The issue we face today in
American world-language
classrooms is that our
students’ ability does not
match their achievement.

5. One-Semester-of-Spanish
Spanish Love Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngRq82c8Baw

6. If we continue to do
things the same way,
we’ll continue to get the
same results.

7. INSANITY

8. We must make the
change...

9. and the change is...

10. NOW!

11. Power Grading and Assessment:
A standards-based approach to making
grades meaningful.

12. What do grades
mean?

13. Current Systems

14. A random number
between 0 and 100

15. Number right
vs
number wrong

16. Assignments given
vs
assignments turned-in

17. A ranking among
fellow learners

18. The only thing grades
should mean

19. An accurate
measurement
of achievement

20. Achievement is the
demonstration of
knowledge and skill
components of the
standards.

21. There can be
no value judgements
placed on a grade outside
of achievement.

22. Should be focused on the
idea of mastery.

23. “Students have mastered content
when they demonstrate a thorough
understanding as evidenced by
doing something substantive with the
content beyond merely echoing it”
—Rick Wormeli

24. Q&A

25. Ken
O’Connor’s
8 Guidelines for
Standards-based
Grading

26. 1.
Relate grading
procedures to
learning goals.

27. Learning goals are
basis for grade
determination and
reporting.

28. Aligned with Bloom’s or
another taxonomy

29. Suggested
second-language
learning goals

30. Culture
10%

31. Listening
15%

32. Reading
15%

33. Speaking
30%

34. Writing
30%

35. Assessment methods
are subset of main grading
categories
(learning goals).

36. Q&A

37. Use criterion-referenced
performance standards
as reference points.
2.

38. Meaning of grades
should come from clear
descriptions of
performance standards

39. Grade is only obtained
by meeting the goal—
NO CURVING

40. Q&A

41. Limit the valued
3.
attributes in grades
to individual
achievement.

42. Grades should be
based on achievement.

43. Effort, participation, attitude,
and other behaviors should
be reported separately and
not included in student’s
academic (letter) grade.

44. Grades should be
based on
individual
achievement.

45. Q&A

46. Sample student
performance—
do not include all
scores in grade.
4.

47. Do not include
formative assessments
in grades.

48. Provide feedback on
formative performance
using words, rubrics, or
checklists, not grades.

49. Formative assessments are
frequent, small assessments
that assess only one thing.

50. Formative assessments
assess along the path
of learning.

51. The point of formative
assessments is to give
feedback for improvement.

52. Analytic rubrics fit best
with formative assessments.

53. Analytic rubrics analyze
the components of a
skill individually so that
specific feedback can
be given.

54. Text

55. Include evidence
primarily from a
variety of summative
assessments in grades.

56. Summative assessments
are infrequent, big
assessments that assess
multiple things at once.

57. Summative assessments
assess students at the
end of a learning period.

58. Holistic rubrics fit best
with summative assessments.

59. Holistic rubrics analyze
the skill as a whole while
still providing generalized
feedback.

61. Not always practical
in a school setting.

62. Modification
Don’t include homework
in the calculation of grades.

63. Q&A

64. Grade in pencil—
keep records so
they can be
updated easily.
5.

65. Use most consistent
level of achievement.

66. Apply special consideration
for the more recent
acheivement evidence.

67. Provide several
assessment
opportunities.

68. Vary assessments
in both method
and number.

69. Q&A

70. Crunch numbers carefully—
if at all.
6.

71. Avoid using the mean
(averaging).

72. The mean is mean
to students.

73. The mean is the math
term for averaging.

74. Traditional averaging
distorts grades.

75. Consider using the median,
mode, or power law of
learning to crunch the
numbers.

76. The median is the middle
number when a set of
numbers is ordered from
highest to lowest.

77. The mode is the most
frequent number that
appears in a set of
numbers.

78. The power law of learning
takes into account learning
over time.

79. Points are created
equal.

80. Weight components
to acheive intent in final
grades.

81. Weights alone
are not the answer.

82. Use Bloom’s Taxonomy
as a guide.

83. Think “body of evidence”
and use
professional judgement.

84. As the professional, you
need to determine,
not just calculate, grades.

85. The Big Picture
“Not everything that can be
counted counts, and not
everything that counts can
be counted.”
—Albert Einstein

86. Standards-based
grading scale

87. A
Advanced

88. B
Proficient

89. C
Intermediate

90. D
Novice

91. F
Beginner

92. Grading needs to be
a measurement of
ability over time.

93. Grades can’t start and
stop at arbitrary check
points, but must be
analyzed over time along
a continuum.

94. Q&A

95. Use quality assessment(s)
and properly recorded
evidence of achievement.
7.

96. Meet the standard
for accurate assessment.

97. Accurate assessments
have clear targets.

98. Accurate assessments
have a clear purpose.

99. The goal of assessments
is not to give a grade, but
to provide feedback.

100. To students—
so they can take action
and adjust their learning.

101. To teachers—
so they can take action
and adjust their teaching.

102. To parents—
so they are made aware
of their child’s progress.

103. To administration—
so they can take action
to improve school-wide
learning.

104. Accurate assessments
have a sound design.

105. Must be well-written.

106. Be sure to include
Higher-Order Thinking Skills.

107. Choose 1
per assessment.

108. Use power words
as descriptors.

109. Use appropriate
target-method
match.

110. Listening and Reading
Assessments

111. Traditional
Listening/Reading
Assessment

112. Students listen or read
a prompt in the target
language and answer
questions in English.

113. PROS

114. Easy to grade

115. Accurate depiction of
what a student knows

116. Shows what a student
understands in the
target language.

117. CONS

118. Often answers can be
predicted without
demonstrating
understanding.

119. Difficult and time-consuming
to create effectively

120. Suggestion:
Include at least 30%
inference questions

121. Examples

122. Example of Traditional
Listening/Reading Assessment

123. Visual
Listening/Reading
Assessment

124. Students match a
picture with listening
or reading prompt in
target language.

125. PROS

126. Easy to grade.

127. Shows what a student
understands in the
target language

128. Works across the
language barrier

129. Great for visual and
pre-literate learners

130. CONS

131. Pictures can be confusing

132. Suggestion:
Use pictures that are
familiar to the students.

133. Examples

134. Example of Visual
Listening/Reading Assessment

135. Example of Visual
Listening/Reading Assessment

136. Creative
Listening/Reading
Assessment

137. Students draw
what they hear or
read.

138. PROS

139. Easy to grade

140. Demonstrates student’s
true understanding of
target language

141. Great for creative, visual
and pre-literate learners

142. CONS

143. Students may be
apprehensive about
drawing skills.

144. Suggestion:
Keep pictures simple
and promote use of stick
figures.

145. Examples

146. Example of Creative
Listening/Reading Assessment

147. Writing Assessments

148. Traditional Writing
Assessment

149. Students write on
a topic.

150. PROS

151. Directed writing

152. Demonstrates student’s
ability to apply and
synthesize in the target
language

153. CONS

154. Very (read too) structured

155. Often very formulaic

156. Too polished and
not spontaneous

157. Suggestion:
Use elementary-style
flip books to increase
variety and creativity
in topics.

158. Examples

159. Example of Traditional Writing Assessment

160. Timed-Writing
Assessment

161. Students write within
a specific time frame.

162. PROS

163. Spontaneous writing

164. Shows truly what has
been acquired in the
target language

165. Increases fluency
(rate at which words flow)

166. CONS

167. They can be stressful
to students especially
in the beginning

168. Students often write the
same thing time after time

169. Suggestion:
Start with 10 minutes and
decrease the time by 30
seconds as class average
reaches 100 words.

170. Examples

171. Example of Timed Writing Assessment

172. Creative Writing
Assessment

173. Students write story
from pictures they draw.

174. PROS

175. Spontaneous writing

176. Shows truly what has
been acquired in the
target language

177. Allows creativity to flow

178. CONS

179. Students try to write
beyound their capabilities
or vocabulary

180. Suggestion:
Remind them to keep it
simple and to stick to
vocabulary they already
know.

181. Examples

182. Example of Creative Writing Assessment

183. Speaking Assessments

184. Dialogue Speaking
Assessment

185. Students interact
in a dialogue.

186. PROS

187. Structured

188. Easy to grade

189. May give
lower-performing
students needed
scaffolding

190. CONS

191. Structured

192. Doesn’t promote
spantaneity

193. Encourages memorized
phrases and speech

194. Suggestion:
Switch up the dialogue
roles often and throw in
on topic but open-ended
questions to move away
from memorization.

195. Examples

196. Example of Dialogue Speaking Assessment

197. Picture-sequence
Speaking
Assessment

198. Students tell story from
picture sequence.

199. PROS

200. Relies less on memorized
phrases and speech

201. Shows what a student is
able to do with the
language

202. Alllows flexibilitiy
and creativity

203. CONS

204. Story sequence may
not always be clear

205. May inadvertently
introduce unknown
vocabulary

206. Suggestion:
Suggest to students to
describe the characters
and places as well as
tell the action.

207. Examples

208. Example of Picture-Sequence
Speaking Assessment

209. Small-group
Speaking
Assessment

210. Students tell one
frame of a group-drawn
story.

211. PROS

212. Allows for a lot
of creativity

213. Promotes
teamwork

214. Individuals are
assessed on own skill,
not that of group

215. CONS

216. Many students don’t
like group work

217. Students can get off
task quickly if not
reigned in

218. Not all students
may participate equally

219. Suggestion:
Assign individual roles
within the groups and
set clear time limits for
each part of the activity.

220. Examples

221. Example of Small-Group
Speaking Assessment

222. Whole-class
Speaking
Assessment

223. Individual students tell
one frame of story: both
students and frame selected
randomly.

224. PROS

225. Encourages spontaneous
speech

226. Can assess a large
number of students
in little time

227. CONS

228. Need to have many
picture sequences
on hand

229. Students may help
each other if not
watched closely

230. Suggestion:
Have students draw picture
sequences to add to
your collection

231. Examples

232. Example of Whole-Class
Speaking Assessment

233. Spontaneous-skit
Speaking
Assessment

234. Students draw out of
a hat scenarios to
act out.

235. PROS

236. Little chance of
memorized speech

237. Encourages creativity

238. Can be very entertaining

239. CONS

240. Students may find
it stressful in the beginning

241. Need to keep
students on a short
leash

242. Suggestion:
Practice a few times before
you actually assess students.
Give them 10 possible scenarios
a couple of weeks ahead of
time to practice and reduce
stress.

243. Examples

244. Example of Spontaneous-Class
Speaking Assessment

245. Use appropriate
sampling

246. Must have at least 3
assessments for each
learning goal.
speaking quiz 1
speaking speaking quiz 2
speaking test

247. Avoid bias and
distortion

248. Rubrics are a great tool to
set expectations and
measure achievement
against those expectations

249. Listening/Reading
Comprehension
Beginner Novice Intermediate Proficient Advanced
Student is unable to Student is rarely able Student is able to Student is able to
understand spoken/ to understand Student is understand spoken / understand spoken /
written language spoken /written sometimes able to written language written language
appropriate to their language appropriate understand spoken / appropriate to their appropriate to their
level. Little to no to their level, though written language level consistently, but level consistently and
knowledge of some knowledge of appropriate to their is unable to infer is able to infer
vocabulary items is vocabulary items is level. meaning not meaning not
evident. evident. explicitly stated. explicitly stated.

250. Speaking

251. Writing

252. Record and maintain
evidence of achievement

253. This can be in the form
of portfolios, conferences,
tracking sheets, etc.

254. Q&A

255. Discuss and involve
students in
assessment &
grades throughout
learning process.
8.

256. Students must understand
how their grades will be
determined

257. Involve students in the
assessment and grading
process.

258. Q&A

259. A different kind of professional development.™
✓ workshops
✓ webinars
✓ webinars on demand™
✓ webverstiy™
✓ coaching
✓ consulting
Scott Benedict
scott@teachforjune.com
copyright © 2012 teachforjune.com teachforjune.com