Standards Based FAQs
*Children and parents think it is impossible to earn a Level 4? Is it
possible to achieve a Level 4?
Yes it is. However, a level four indicates performance that is consistently
above and beyond the standard. Level 4 work shows application, connection,
and extension of the targeted goals. Sometimes, when teachers communicate
that a Level 4 is difficult to achieve, children understand
it to mean that it is an impossibility. We will work to dispel this myth.
Please help us by encouraging your children to aim for their best
performance.
*If a struggling student who tries his best earns a Level 2, isn’t it
discouraging to his motivation to learn?
Both verbal and written comments, and other motivational tools, will
continue to be used daily,
to encourage students in the classroom setting. Target areas needing
improvement to reach the
standards for Level 3, are indicated on the report cards for reaching those
goals.
*Do teachers have access to the next grade’s standards?
WakeCounty Standards are available on the intranet and internet.
*There seems to be inconsistencies on what is a Level 4. What is the school
and school district doing to standardize Level 4 work and designation?
There will always be a degree of subjectivity in all grading systems. Teams
of teachers are working diligently to standardize grading across the grade
levels and the school.
*Do interims still have to be given? They are not useful to some parents.
Interims are part of WakeCounty’s grading policy. We hope they are helpful
to parents whose student may not be meeting the standard and need extra
support, and reassure those parents whose children are meeting standards.
(Some parents wonder if they missed something in a book bag if
no interim comes home.)
*It is my understanding that this move was to more align report cards with
EOG results. Should I expect the grades on the report card to be a
predictor of the score that the child will receive on the EOG?
Standards Based Grading and the EOG’s are both measures of the N.C. Standard
Course of Study and both have rating systems of 1,2,3,4. However, since the
EOG measures approximately one third of the standards, and the report card
measures 100% over the course of the year, they may or may not be similar.
*If a child is being taught above grade level in any subject, by definition,
is that child required to get a 4 on his report card?
By definition, Level 4 work shows application, connection, and extension of
the targeted goals. While being instructed above grade level is not required
for achieving a level 4, children who are taught above grade level have
consistently shown mastery and application of the subject at his/her current
grade. It would be likely that this child would receive a 4. Achieving a 4
does not preclude a teacher from suggesting areas for improvement in the
comment section of the report card.
*What are WCPSS expectation/metrics for each school (e.g.., average)?
We have been given no expectations, except that we implement the new grading
program.
*What policies are in place to ensure consistency across schools?
Individual students’ skills scores are recorded on WCPSS system wide
expressive and receptive literacy cards and math profile cards. Those
scores are then recorded on report cards. There has been system wide
training to inform teachers of how to use these cards to arrive at
standards based grades. To a certain degree, grades have always been and
will always be somewhat subjective.
*What policies are in place to insure consistency within teachers?
Teachers plan together and are designing rubrics for major projects and
works. All teachers have received in house training and there is constant
dialogue within and between grade level teachers. We meet as grade level
chairs each month and discuss the philosophy and policies of Standards Based
grading.
*What mechanisms/algorithms will be used to convert grades throughout the
grading period into an overall grade?
Teacher use what is called a “best fit line” from the scores on the profile
cards to determine the appropriate level for the report card.
*What is the mitigation plan for dealing with students who are high
achieving, low achieving and average?
The new grading policy will not change the way children are designated as
gifted, or exceptional. Our current programs remain in place for the
students who qualify. Students qualify for the different programs based
mainly on nationally-normed or state-normed tests.
*If a child receives 2’s all year does that mean that the child will be
retained?
The decision to retain a child is never an easy one. A small number of
children are retained each year. If a child receives 2’s, it means his/her
work is not as yet meeting the grade level standard. If a child’s
reading/writing and sometimes math levels are not meeting the standard
for the entire school year, that child would be considered for retention.
*What have we heard from Tier 1 and Tier 2 schools who have experience
implementing standards based grading?
Staff members say: During the first quarter, they find teachers are more
conservative in their grading. The use of the 3* should designated growth
over time, longer than 9 weeks they would not like go back to the old
grading system if it were posed as an option.
*How does a parent know what the highest score attainable on each paper?
The general rule is:
If there is only a right or wrong answer for a problem or item, without the
option for extension or application, the highest score is usually a 3.
*When is a 3* used and who can use it?
A 3* will not be used on papers, and is used on report cards in academic
areas only (not by arts or “special area teachers”).
*I have been told to consider a rating of 3 as an “A”. In “No Child Left
Behind" the grading expectation is to have 95% of children at or above grade
level standards wouldn’t they all receive 3’s? Doesn’t this dilute the
significance of a 3? And make it more difficult for an “above grade level”
student to distinguish themselves?
Under the old grading system, a child who met grade level standards could
have received an “A”. A child working above grade level standards could have
also received an “A”. Even a child who was working below level, if they
were meeting the expectations set forth (below grade level standards) could
have also received an “A”. That is one reason why it was felt that the old
system did not accurately portray students’ achievement.
The 95% goal is a WakeCounty self-imposed goal and does not have a
connection to the “No Child Legislation”. The 95% goal refers to students’
scores on the EOG and EOC tests, not report card grades.
A score of 3 on the report card means a child is meeting the grade level
state standards. Level 4 work shows application, connection, and extension
of the targeted goals.
*Is this grading system used in middle schools and high schools?
At this time, the grading standards have not changed in middle schools or
high schools.
*Will teachers be publishing rubrics of exactly what constitutes a 3, 3* and
4 for the grading period?
In major academic areas (reading, writing and math) teachers refer to
students’ profile cards and establish the “best fit” line to “grade” (see
question 13.)
In Science, Social Studies and other areas, teachers establish rubrics for
individual projects and assignments. Some of those are shared with parents
and some are not. Should you have a question about how your child’s grade
was assigned, please contact your child’s teacher.
*How do the grades transfer once children reach middle school?
All Wake County Elementary Schools are now on the same grading system. This
should make it easier for middle schools to interpret report cards. Middle
School counselors and administrators have been given information on the new
standardized system. Elementary grades are one determining factor for
readiness for middle school, and can be used in placement decisions
for middle school classes.
*It appears that the new grading system lacks the subtleties of the old.
There is less opportunity to discern progress. Is this an attempt for the
county to mask overall system scoring deficiencies?
The comment section of the report card will offer more specific information
regarding a child’s progress, than ever before. The standards-based method
of grading is actually an effort to more accurately inform parents on the
achievement levels of their children. This system allows teachers to report
where students are, based on the standards for their grade levels.
*What is the difference between a 3 and a 3*?
The definition of a level 3 is “demonstrates proficiency of targeted grade
level standards”. The definition of a 3* is demonstrates proficiency of
targeted grade level standards with evidence of application (over time).
Please see the answer to question 15.
*Please give an example of what a 5th grade student would have to do to get
a 4 on any given subject.
If the “best fit” line on the measured objectives, in any given quarter is a
four, the child would receive a four on their report card. For example if
on the math profile card the child has scored a four on a majority of the
summative assessments, that child would receive a four on their report
card.
*How does the language “meets expectations and adequately met” describe my
child’s performance, without sounding detached aloof and totally
impersonal? I am unsatisfied with this new grading system. I would like to
know what the teachers think about it.
Since this is a standards based grading system, rather that growth model for
grading, the language represents how close the child comes to meeting the
expectations of the Standard Course of Study. That may sound less personal
to some.
The new grading system is policy. We understand from schools who have
piloted it, that staffs would not go back to the old system, if given the
choice. (See question #18.)
*How should I look at my child’s grades after the system of A-U has been
changed to 4-1? What should be an A, in the new grading system? Since 4’s
are supposed to be A’s then why are students not getting fours any more?
You cannot compare the two grading systems. As they say it is like
comparing “apples to oranges”.
A-D and U and the other indicators (above, below and on grade level), were
part of a “growth model”, used on the report cards reflecting your child’s
progress from beginning of the quarter to the end of the quarter.
“Standards based grading”, the new philosophy defines a standard, and asks
whether or not your child is meeting the standard. A score of 3 is defined
as meeting grade level standards or that your child has the necessary skills
for the next grade or quarter.
Again, a 4 is not an A, please refer to the description of a 4.
*Does Grade 1 have Standards Based Grading?
Yes. The new grading system is K-5. As you probably know, we do not send
report cards home the first quarter of first grade.
*I’m very concerned that this grading system does not reward a child from
one grading period to the next in making improvements (ex. Child could work
harder and still get a 3 whereas he can see an improvement from an 85% to 90%
% or A to B).
Since in elementary schools we do not use percentage or numerical grades,
any mark (A,B,C,D or Level 1,2,3,4) will have a range. With either grading
system it is possible that a students will make progress but still be in the
same range. Within Standards Based Grading, a student may move from Level 1
to 2 to 3 to 3* to 4, depending on their level of achievement.
Teacher comments may indicate new skills mastered.
