Measuring Growth, Not Just Grading Papers!

In a recent twitter conversation #sblchat, several tweets really hammered the point home:

A7 - With Standards-Based Learning, we choose not to grade the practice while we are learning. We grade only once we've got it! #sblchat

— Rik Rowe (@RoweRikW) May 12, 2016

A1 Purpose of grading is feedback on learning --- so SBG makes too much sense #sblchat

— Donald Gately Ed.D. (@donald_gately) May 12, 2016

A3: Ongoing timely, descriptive feedback which guides instruction #sblchat

— Jasper Fox Sr. (@jasperfoxsr) May 12, 2016

Grading is not the end result. It is merely a communication or reporting tool. Learning is the end result. And growth towards learning is what needs most critically to be measured and reported.

Measuring Growth is...

An idea for learning & grading.

• encouraging
• rewarding
• easy to automate and use technology
• evidence that effort works
• evidence that students are progressing toward goals
• evidence that teaching is or isn't work quickly enough to reach the goals in time
• data to use for reflection and professional learning
• easy to understand for parents
• measuring progress

Grading is...

• a sense of finality
• a dead-end street, it sits still
• complying with policy
• stating whether you did or didn't master it
• rewarding if you learned it quickly enough
• demotivating if you haven't learned it quickly enough
• tiring for teachers
• error-prone