Explains how to better evaluate professional development in order to ensure that it increases student learning, providing questions for accurate measurement of professional development and showing how to demonstrate results and accountability.
The definitive classic—updated for our times. After 50 years, Benjamin Bloom’s revolutionary work on mastery learning is more relevant than ever. One of the most widely researched and proven-effective education methodologies in existence, it provides a direct challenge to the traditional, deterministic, time-based approaches to teaching and learning that have perpetuated inequities for generations of children. Mastery learning is the progenitor of many of today’s most promising teaching methods, including competency-based learning, personalized instruction, and differentiated instruction. It helped to elevate the importance and use of formative assessment as a powerful instructional practice. This timely new edition of the foremost practical guide includes: Recent applications of the principles of mastery learning to distance, hybrid, and blended learning environments Updates including evidence from recent implementation efforts, the results of the most current research on mastery learning and its implications for practice Step-by-step guidance on implementation across grade levels and subject areas Supplemental, on-line chapters that unpack the development of effective formative assessments and connections between RTI and mastery learning Written by one of the most highly regarded scholar/practitioners in the field and the leading interpreter of Bloom’s work, this updated guidebook is essential reading for teachers, school leaders, professional learning communities, and anyone who believes that all students can learn well, achieve success, and become confident learners.
Let evidence and integrity guide your grading practice If you want to ask a polarizing question in education, ask someone their thoughts on grading. Few topics have elicited more interest or opinions, even though grading practices have remained relatively unchanged for years. But opinions are not evidence. The time has come to get it right with a fresh approach grounded in research and the principles of integrity. Grading With Integrity introduces a measured approach to grading reform based on honesty, transparency, accuracy, and equity with recommendations backed by clear and trustworthy evidence. Addressing the many "whys’’ involved, this thoughtfully organized book addresses central questions related to grading and reporting student learning, covering: An historical overview of grading and reporting practices A discussion of standards-based and competency-based grading Recommendations for reporting non academic learning goals separately from academic achievement, to accurately reflect students′ performance Suggestions for reporting growth and improvement, using specific assessments and other reporting tools An infallible argument for grading with integrity This book is a must-read for K-12 classroom teachers and administrators who are looking to implement better and more defensible grading and reporting policies and practices. Let evidence and integrity be your guide to enhancing students’ best interests and learning success.
The book combines research, critical issues, and creative solutions in a concise and easy-to-read manner. While there is little doubt that educators today face a myriad of critical issues, this book allows educators to believe that they can be agents of change for students and for the profession." —Sammie Novack, Vice Principal Curran Middle School Bakersfield, CA Implement standards-based grading practices that accurately and equitably report student achievement! Standards-based education poses a variety of challenges for grading and reporting practices, especially for ensuring that the grades assigned to students are honest, meaningful, and fair. Many traditional methods, such as limiting the number of high grades or defining "C" as "average," no longer work in a standards-based environment. This edited volume examines critical issues in standards-based grading and provides specific suggestions for improving grading policies and practices at the school and classroom levels. With contributions from prominent educators and researchers, this groundbreaking volume: Describes traditional school practices that inhibit the implementation of standards-based grading Addresses how teachers can assign fair and accurate grades to English language learners and students with special needs Examines legal issues that influence grading and reporting policies Discusses why report card grades and large-scale assessment scores may vary Fosters consistency in grading across states and districts Offers effective strategies for communicating with parents This solution-oriented book offers teachers, principals, and administrators practical strategies for implementing grading policies that benefit all students.
Improve grading practices with support from families Educators seeking to transform age-old grading practices face numerous challenges, particularly when it comes to gaining support from students’ families. This practical guide from a world-renowned expert on grading and assessment practices offers concrete strategies to turn parents and families into trusted partners in grading reform efforts. The book enables educators to anticipate, understand, and effectively address families′ concerns over grading reforms and build trust through authentic engagement. With clear and actionable strategies that educators can implement right away, the easily digestible chapters unpack the complexities of the change process, clarify the purpose of grading, and show how to enhance the use of computerized grading programs. Other features include: Strategies to ease opposition to grading reform from parents and families Insights into how to improve report cards Guidance on how to effectively communicate student performance with parents and families A must-have resource for educators navigating the challenging journey of grading reform, Engaging Parents and Families in Grading Reform is a comprehensive guide to grading reform that emphasizes family engagement to ensure success.
Grading is one of the most hotly debated topics in education, and grading practices themselves are largely based on tradition, instinct, or personal history or philosophy. But to be effective, grading policies and practices must be based on trustworthy research evidence. Enter this book: a review of 100-plus years of grading research that presents the broadest and most comprehensive summary of research on grading and reporting available to date, with clear takeaways for learning and teaching. Edited by Thomas R. Guskey and Susan M. Brookhart, this indispensable guide features thoughtful, thorough dives into the research from a distinguished team of scholars, geared to a broad range of stakeholders, including teachers, school leaders, policymakers, and researchers. Each chapter addresses a different area of grading research and describes how the major findings in that area might be leveraged to improve grading policy and practice. Ultimately, Guskey and Brookhart identify four themes emerging from the research that can guide these efforts: - Start with clear learning goals, - Focus on the feedback function of grades, - Limit the number of grade categories, and - Provide multiple grades that reflect product, process, and progress criteria. By distilling the vast body of research evidence into meaningful, actionable findings and strategies, this book is the jump-start all stakeholders need to build a better understanding of what works—and where to go from here.
Create and sustain a learning environment where students thrive and stakeholders are accurately informed of student progress. Clarify the purpose of grades, craft a vision statement aligned with this purpose, and discover research-based strategies to implement effective grading and reporting practices. Identify policies and practices that render grading inaccurate, and understand the role grades play in students’ future success and opportunities.
Few individuals in the history of education have had greater impact on educational policy and practice than Benjamin S. Bloom. During a career that spanned over five decades, his research and writing guided the development of innumerable educational programs and provided powerful insights into the untapped potential of educators to help all students learn well. Benjamin S. Bloom spent most of his professional life at the University of Chicago, where he held the Charles H. Swift Distinguished Service endowed chair. At this university, he founded and chaired the program in Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistical Analysis (or MESA), authored or co-authored 17 books, and wrote numerous journal articles. He served as the president of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), a member of the National Academy of Education, and a founding member of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). Also the recipient of several awards, perhaps his greatest accomplishment was the profound influence he had on his students and professional colleagues. Much of his time was spent in one-to-one interactions with them, which have become known as "Bloom Stories" and have gained legendary status. Many of the "Bloom Stories" are humorous and show his amazing quick wit. Others recall the kindness and encouragement, and subtle wisdom he showed in helping students and colleagues overcome obstacles or setbacks. No matter what the topic, Benjamin Bloom's stories are touching remembrances that offer special insight into his uniqueness as a preeminent scholar, colleague, mentor, and friend. This book is a collection of these stories, with brief reviews of some of Bloom's major professional contributions.
This book will be useful in a wide range of instructional methods classes for elementary, middle school, and high school educators. In addition, because of the detailed descriptions of the formative assessment process, it would also be useful in classes focusing on educational measurement and assessment"--
Let evidence and integrity guide your grading practice If you want to ask a polarizing question in education, ask someone their thoughts on grading. Few topics have elicited more interest or opinions, even though grading practices have remained relatively unchanged for years. But opinions are not evidence. The time has come to get it right with a fresh approach grounded in research and the principles of integrity. Grading With Integrity introduces a measured approach to grading reform based on honesty, transparency, accuracy, and equity with recommendations backed by clear and trustworthy evidence. Addressing the many "whys’’ involved, this thoughtfully organized book addresses central questions related to grading and reporting student learning, covering: An historical overview of grading and reporting practices A discussion of standards-based and competency-based grading Recommendations for reporting non academic learning goals separately from academic achievement, to accurately reflect students′ performance Suggestions for reporting growth and improvement, using specific assessments and other reporting tools An infallible argument for grading with integrity This book is a must-read for K-12 classroom teachers and administrators who are looking to implement better and more defensible grading and reporting policies and practices. Let evidence and integrity be your guide to enhancing students’ best interests and learning success.
Explains how to better evaluate professional development in order to ensure that it increases student learning, providing questions for accurate measurement of professional development and showing how to demonstrate results and accountability.
Improve grading practices with support from families Educators seeking to transform age-old grading practices face numerous challenges, particularly when it comes to gaining support from students’ families. This practical guide from a world-renowned expert on grading and assessment practices offers concrete strategies to turn parents and families into trusted partners in grading reform efforts. The book enables educators to anticipate, understand, and effectively address families′ concerns over grading reforms and build trust through authentic engagement. With clear and actionable strategies that educators can implement right away, the easily digestible chapters unpack the complexities of the change process, clarify the purpose of grading, and show how to enhance the use of computerized grading programs. Other features include: Strategies to ease opposition to grading reform from parents and families Insights into how to improve report cards Guidance on how to effectively communicate student performance with parents and families A must-have resource for educators navigating the challenging journey of grading reform, Engaging Parents and Families in Grading Reform is a comprehensive guide to grading reform that emphasizes family engagement to ensure success.
This book explains how teachers can serve as facilitators as students lead their parents through discussion of their work. The 9 chapters are: (1) "Philosophy and Purpose of Student-Led Conferences" (relevance, responsibility, and reporting to parents); (2) "Roles and Responsibilities of Participants" (teacher, student, parent, administrator, office staff, and support teacher role); (3) "Designing Formats for Student-Led Conferences" (individual or student-involved conferences, simultaneous conferences with multiple families, and presentation or showcase conferences); (4) "Preparing Students to Lead Conferences" (e.g., portfolios, making time for reflection, role-playing, and preparing students); (5) "Preparing Parents and Colleagues for Student-Led Conferences" (communicating the concept, preparing parents, and introducing the concept to colleagues); (6) "Organizing for Student-Led Conferences: It's All in the Details" (e.g., scheduling, arranging facilities, and encouraging parent participation); (7) "Anticipating and Handling Unique Solutions" (e.g., parents who cannot attend, potentially abusive parents, and students with special needs); (8) "Evaluating Student-Led Conferences" (e.g., gathering comments from parents, students, and colleagues); and (9) "The Role of Student-Led Conferences in Authentic Assessment and Reporting." Student conference resources are included. (Contains 20 references.) (SM)
Grading is one of the most hotly debated topics in education, and grading practices themselves are largely based on tradition, instinct, or personal history or philosophy. But to be effective, grading policies and practices must be based on trustworthy research evidence. Enter this book: a review of 100-plus years of grading research that presents the broadest and most comprehensive summary of research on grading and reporting available to date, with clear takeaways for learning and teaching. Edited by Thomas R. Guskey and Susan M. Brookhart, this indispensable guide features thoughtful, thorough dives into the research from a distinguished team of scholars, geared to a broad range of stakeholders, including teachers, school leaders, policymakers, and researchers. Each chapter addresses a different area of grading research and describes how the major findings in that area might be leveraged to improve grading policy and practice. Ultimately, Guskey and Brookhart identify four themes emerging from the research that can guide these efforts: - Start with clear learning goals, - Focus on the feedback function of grades, - Limit the number of grade categories, and - Provide multiple grades that reflect product, process, and progress criteria. By distilling the vast body of research evidence into meaningful, actionable findings and strategies, this book is the jump-start all stakeholders need to build a better understanding of what works—and where to go from here.
A powerful model for helping struggling students succeed How can you ensure that you are grading your exceptional students fairly? Teachers receive very little guidance for grading students with disabilities, English learners, and those receiving services through a response-to-intervention (RTI) process. This practitioner-friendly book provides an effective framework for assigning grades that are accurate, meaningful, and legally defensible. The authors’ easy-to-follow, five-step standards-based inclusive grading model helps teachers: Determine appropriate expectations for each student Understand the differences between accommodations and modifications Grade based on modified expectations Communicate the meaning of grades to students and their families
Providing a clear framework, this volume helps school leaders align assessment and reporting practices with standards-based education and develop more detailed reports of children's learning and progress.
Teachers, parents, students, administrators, and community members all agree that we need better grading and reporting systems. Often, these systems are inadequate because they are part of a tradition that can go unexamined and unquestioned for years. Here is the first serious look at the issue, written to provide all those involved — especially teachers — with a coherent and thoughtful framework. Guskey and Bailey offer four pillars of successful grading and reporting systems: Communication is the primary goal of grading and reporting Grading and reporting are integral parts of the instructional process Good reporting is based on good evidence Creating change in grading and reporting requires creating a multi-faceted reporting system Written to help readers develop a deeper and more reflective understanding of the various aspects of the subject, Thomas Guskey and Jane Bailey′s work brings organization and clarity to a murky and disagreement-filled topic. Here is a practical and essential guide for teachers, administrators or anyone concerned with understanding and implementing best practices in grading and reporting systems.
Implement standards-based grading practices that accurately and equitably report student achievement! Standards-based education poses a variety of challenges for grading and reporting practices. This edited volume examines critical issues in standards-based grading and provides specific suggestions for improving policies and practices at the school and classroom levels. The chapters: Describe traditional school practices that inhibit the implementation of standards-based grading Address how teachers can assign fair and accurate grades to English language learners and students with special needs Examine legal issues related to grading Discuss why report card grades and large-scale assessment scores may vary Offer communication strategies with parents
The clearest guide yet to preparing today's students to succeed in a rapidly changing and increasingly complex world. Information societies—and life in general—require a host of skills beyond those found in the traditional school curriculum. Yet nearly a quarter of the way through the 21st century, educators are still looking for clarity on what these skills are and a comprehensive, whole-school model that explains how to teach and develop them; how to observe and assess them; and how to report learning progress to students, parents, and families. That wait is over. In Life Skills for All Learners, authors Antarina S. F. Amir and Thomas R. Guskey, collaborating with a team of practitioner colleagues at HighScope Indonesia Institute, share a comprehensive, classroom-tested framework for teaching, assessing, and reporting eight of education's new essential skills: * Meta-Level Reflection * Expert Thinking * Creativity and Innovation * Adaptability and Agility * Audience-Centered Communication * Synergistic Collaboration * Empathetic Social Skills * Ethical Leadership Packed with targeted learning activities, grade- and subject-inclusive examples, and skill-specific rubrics mapping a continuum of deliberate development from the earliest elementary years through high school graduation, this resource provides teachers, school leaders, and curriculum developers with the practical advice and inspirational guidance they need to set up all students for lasting success.
Implement evidence-based feedback practices that move learners forward Feedback is essential to successful instruction and improved student performance, but learners often dread and dismiss feedback and its effectiveness can vary. Thus, sharing intentions, clarifying success criteria, knowing what type of feedback to provide and when, and activating students as owners of their learning are essential feedback functions. Instructional Feedback presents a comprehensive summary of the most recent research on instructional feedback and describes its successful implementation. With a focus on evidence-based approaches adapted to specific contexts, the authors use common classroom situations to demystify feedback and place it within a broad instructional context, along with definitions, characteristics, and precautions about its effect on students’ emotions and behaviors. Inside you’ll find: Coverage of all grades and concentrations, including math, language arts, music, art, and science Peer feedback, self-assessment, and subject-specific nuances Student and teacher examples of feedback and suggestions for improvement Engaging and concise, Instructional Feedback discusses why feedback is so powerful, how it is promising, and what it looks like in practice.
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