Staff Standards-Based Grading Resources

PRINCIPLE ONE: ACCURATE GRADING PRACTICES

Our grading uses calculations that are mathematically sound, easy to understand, and correctly describe a student’s level of academic performance on priority standards.

Grade Scale for Assessing Standards

Schools report student academic proficiency on a standard by using a 0-4 grading scale to provide accurate and transparent information. Student proficiency is determined by evaluating a student’s knowledge of standards against proficiency scales and rubrics to ensure grades are accurate and fair across grade levels and content areas. 

Students with accommodations on an IEP, 504, or language plan are expected to meet grade level standards with the accommodations outlined on their plan. Utilizing accommodations allows students to independently access grade level content and does not result in lower expectations or alter the grading system. For more information, see “Grading with Accommodations and Modifications” under Principle Two. 

Grade Scale for Course Grades

Course grades will be calculated by averaging the most recent score for each assessed standard in that course. Credit and grade points will be earned based on the following stipulations (NOTE: “credit” applies to high school students only and grade points/GPA apply to secondary students only):

• A course grade of 2 or higher and will earn credit and the grade points shown below: 

• A course grade may show that a student is halfway between two proficiency levels. This occurs if the average of the standards’ scores mathematically calculates to at least half way between the two proficiency levels. For credit-earning grades, the student will earn the grade points shown below:

• A Course Grade of 1.5 and below will not earn credit. For these non credit-earning grades, a student will earn grade points equivalent to the course grade:

Other Grades

• No Grade (NG) may be used for students who have been enrolled for 10 days or fewer prior to a marking period. This does not negatively or positively impact a student’s GPA.

• An Incomplete (I) is given only when a student’s work is not finished because of illness or other excused absence at the end of a marking period. A student is given a minimum of one day for each absence or up to ten days to complete make-up work. A teacher may allow more time as needed. 

• Pass (P) and Fail (F) may be used in rare circumstances when there are not clear standards for achievement or proficiency and/or if a student is participating in a grade level course but working on individualized goals for Extended Outcomes. In these situations, teachers will provide written, objective criteria for granting a passing grade. Criteria will be clearly communicated by the teacher to students and parents at the beginning of the course.

PRINCIPLE TWO: GRADES BASED ON ACADEMIC PROFICIENCY

Grades reflect proficiency of standards as measured by varied assessments and a body of evidence. Homework, behaviors, and essential skills can be recorded in the gradebook to monitor progress and provide feedback, but should not be used to penalize a student’s grade.

Standards-Based Learning

ECSD grading practices are one component of a district-supported, standards-based learning system including curriculum, assessment, instruction, and reporting. This standards-based learning system ensures grades based on academic proficiency. 

“The simple idea of standards-based learning is to ensure transparency in all elements of the teaching and learning process: curriculum, instruction, assessment, and reporting.” – Thomas Guskey 

Curriculum

“Design[ing] a guaranteed and viable curriculum” is a foundational part of an effective Standards-Based Learning system (Marzano 2014). ECSD district curriculum teams create and share curricular frameworks for all content areas using Colorado Academic Standards when available. In addition, curriculum teams pilot and adopt aligned curriculum resources to support teaching and learning. Curriculum development includes:

• Unpacking & prioritizing of standards (skills and concepts) using curricular frameworks

• Examining proficiency scales aligned to standards

• Identifying Big Ideas & Essential Questions 

• Creating learning progressions and identifying long term and short term learning targets

Assessment

Assessment practices provide learners with an opportunity to set goals, receive feedback, and reflect on their learning process. Assessments should be designed intentionally to be used alongside students to promote self-assessment and a partnership in learning.  

Assessment Evidence: Assessment evidence informs students’ proficiency levels as well as provides necessary data to improve learning and instruction. It can be used summatively to demonstrate proficiency or formatively to provide feedback and adjust instruction, depending on where the student is in their learning process. Evidence collected during the learning process, including homework, should not be used to lower a student’s final grade.  

Continuum of Assessment: Design varied and effective assessments to collect evidence of learning and provide opportunities for students to demonstrate learning over time including (but not limited to): informal checks for understanding, observation and dialogue, quizzes and tests, academic prompts, and performance tasks/projects.  

• Student Self-Assessment: Assessment practices should be used to engage and empower students by offering opportunities for voice, choice, self-assessment, and self-reporting (Dueck 2022). Teacher-designed assessments and rubrics should include self-assessment opportunities. When possible, teachers will include students to generate ideas for how they want to demonstrate understanding of the content. 

• Obtrusive vs. Unobtrusive: Obtrusive assessment is formal in nature and is characterized by interrupting the learning process, making students fully aware of the assessment (examples: tests, quizzes, projects, in-class assignments, demonstrations). Unobtrusive assessment occurs in informal ways and may happen during class activities (examples: teacher-student conferences, journal entries, student notebooks, and inside-outside circles). Both can be utilized as evidence to inform proficiency.

Scoring Assessments: Utilize proficiency scales/rubrics aligned to assessments with a set of standards-based criteria and identify levels of performance. Collaborate with colleagues to improve inter-rater reliability.

Instruction

Instructional planning is grounded in best practices described by the Danielson Framework for Teaching and the Understanding By Design process.

• Design instruction using a backwards planning process and curriculum frameworks.

• Share long- and short-term learning targets, assessments, and proficiency scales with students throughout instruction.

• Provide opportunities for student self-assessment and goal setting.

• Obtain feedback from teachers and peers to improve performance.

• Allow for opportunities to revise work based on feedback.

• Differentiation is available for all students. (Link to more info for staff members)
  • Teachers differentiate instruction through content, process, product, and affect/environment according to the student’s readiness, interests, and learner profile using scaffolds as instructional strategies.
  • Scaffolds do not lower the academic rigor, but are temporary adjustments made to the instructional environment in order for students to access content and demonstrate their abilities. 

Homework

The purpose of homework is to support classroom learning through practice, pre-learning, processing, and/or checking for understanding. It is a venue to provide ungraded feedback. By not grading homework, we avoid  the practice of penalizing students on their practice and possible mistakes during the learning process. 

Essential Skills

Non-academic skills (also known as essential skills) such as effort, attendance, participation, punctuality, and ability to meet deadlines should not be included when determining a student’s academic performance grade in content area courses. Grades for Essential Skills should be separate from academic grades. See more information in Principle Five: Build Essential Skills.

Grading with Accommodations and Modifications

English Language Learners and students with individual education plans have plans in place to support them in accessing grade level content. Learning plans (IEPs, 504s, ELD, etc.) include strategies, accommodations, and/or modifications to help students access grade level content. “Assigning a failing grade to a student who has not met course or grade-level requirements because of a disability or language is inherently unfair” (Jung and Guskey, 2010). For more information on instruction and assessment for English Language Learners, staff members can click here. For Exceptional students, staff members can click here (Coming Soon).

Accommodations

Accommodations are specific differentiation methods, strategies, scaffolds, or environment supports for students with disabilities, acquiring English, or with other specific academic needs that are documented in either an IEP, ELL Language Plan, 504, or other plan. Accommodations change how instruction is presented, where instruction takes place, how students are assessed, the timing or scheduling of instruction, and the presentation of assessments. Accommodations do not change the level of proficiency expected.

Students with an IEP, ELL Language Plan, 504, or other plan who receive accommodations are still expected to achieve the same levels of proficiency on grade level expectations as students without accommodations. Accommodations simply allow students to demonstrate their learning in the ways that work best for them based on their specific need and how it impacts their ability to learn or demonstrate understanding. They do not result in lower or higher expectations and do not require a different grading system. 

Examples of Students with Accommodations

Modifications

Modifications are significant and permanent changes to the curriculum, assessment, and a students’ learning expectations. Modifications are only made for students whose IEPs specify they require a modified curriculum. Examples include administering a lower grade level assessment, reducing the amount of content to be mastered, or reducing the difficulty and complexity of the standards. When modifications are made for students, their grades show progress towards their modified prioritized standards using a modified proficiency scale. 

Rarely and on a case-by-case basis should an ELL have a temporarily modified curriculum due to extenuating circumstances. 

Examples of Students with Modifications

Assessing Gifted and Advanced Students

ECSD recognizes the unique academic needs of Advanced Learners, such as those identified as Gifted/Talented (GT), or high achieving. Teachers should develop guidelines and parameters for meeting these needs through the curriculum and instruction these students receive. These needs may be met through enrichment activities or through an advanced course of study. 

Enrichment opportunities may include but are not limited to:

• Long-term projects/project-based learning
• Compacted curriculum
• Extended written work
• More challenging reading materials
• Independent study and/or student-directed assignments
• Assignments requiring the use of specific technology
• Community based projects
• More complex/challenging 

Assignments should be differentiated and students should be given a choice when appropriate. For example, a student might demonstrate their level of understanding by writing a screenplay about a topic of study rather than the standard assigned essay given to the rest of the class. 

Students in advanced classes should expect a more rigorous and self-directed curriculum with high levels of expectation for quality work, but should not be expected to merely do extra work or spend excessive amounts of time on homework. As with all students, the assigned activities should be meaningful and directly related to standards and course outcomes. 

Advanced learners, students in advanced courses, and students identified as GT will be graded using the grading policy and rubrics against the state standards and/or the district provided curriculum with appropriate differentiation per their individual learning needs. 

Grading in AP and DE Classes

• Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment courses are assessed in accordance with the ECSD Principles of Grading.
• Colorado Mountain College Dual Enrollment (CMC DE) Courses will continue to report out grades to ECSD through PowerSchool and to CMC in Canvas. DE courses should adhere to ECSD’s Principles of Grading, which have been vetted with CMC administration.

Grading in Support and Intervention Classes

Grades are based on skills that will support students in reaching proficiency in content classes outlined in CDE’s Essential Skills. Additionally, growth will be monitored and reported in the students’ targeted areas of need. Proficiency of content area standards do not impact students’ final grades in order to not penalize students for being below grade-level proficiency. 

Academic Honesty

ECSD requires all students to demonstrate academic honesty so teachers have an accurate record of student learning. Academic dishonesty, cheating, or plagiarism involves any attempt by a student to substitute the work of another as their own. Teachers have a responsibility to educate students on what academic dishonesty is and how to avoid it so unintentional acts can be minimized. 

A teacher who has evidence that an act of academic dishonesty has occurred shall, after speaking with the student and parent, take one of the following actions:

• The student will re-do the assignment/test for full credit

• The student will do an alternative assignment/test for full credit

PRINCIPLE THREE: A CULTURE OF REVISION

The way we grade motivates students to achieve academic success, supports a growth mindset, and gives students opportunities for redemption. By fostering a culture of revision, grades inspire a growth mindset, where achievement is not fixed, but rather a process of learning through consistent recalibration of perceived ability. When a student demonstrates higher proficiency, the original grade is replaced by the new grade. A culture of revision requires a shift away from a traditional system of grading to a classroom culture where all students continuously learn and grow.

Revision is a natural part of the learning process, and it is expected that students engage in revision to further their learning. Students will be encouraged to improve their understanding of content standards within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the student and teacher. This new demonstration of learning will take place at an agreed upon time and date between the student and teacher. Upon demonstration of improved learning, only the new score will factor into the final course grade (the two scores will not be averaged). The student and teacher may agree upon an alternative means of assessment to demonstrate improved understanding and will only re-assess the specific content standards that the student has not yet mastered.

In order to demonstrate readiness for a retake or revision, it is best practice for one or more of the following activities to be completed. These activities may be determined by the teacher, but should support the learning and not be punitive in nature:

• Complete any missing formative assignments
• Use of Learning Trackers
• Provide evidence of further studying (notes, flashcards, study guides, etc.)
• Complete test corrections
• Attend study sessions
• Other as determined by the teacher

PRINCIPLE FOUR: TIMELY AND ACTIONABLE FEEDBACK WITH TRANSPARENT REPORTING

The way we grade is transparent and understandable so that every student knows their progress towards mastering all standards. Timely and actionable feedback is provided on all learning tasks to support the learning process. Students are active collaborators in their own learning, partnering with teachers to ensure understanding of academic standards in a way that is transparent and responsive. 

Priority Standards

All ECSD courses have priority standards articulated in the curriculum frameworks. Curriculum teams utilize a five-step process to determine priority standards:

1. Endurance – Knowledge and skills that will last beyond a class period or course
2. Leverage – Knowledge and skills that cross over into many domains of learning
3. Readiness – Knowledge and skills important to subsequent content or courses
4. Teacher Expertise – Knowledge of content area and ability to identify more and less important content
5. Assessment – Student opportunity to learn content that will be assessed

Proficiency Scales

Proficiency scales articulate learning progressions for priority standards. They describe how students’ understanding of a topic develops over time. ECSD curriculum teams communicate prioritized standards and proficiency scales in the curriculum frameworks in order to provide consistent expectations across the district. Staff members can access proficiency scale resources from ECSD curriculum teams here. 

Proficiency Scale Template

Student-Friendly Proficiency Scale

Transparent Reporting: Standards-Based Gradebooks

Gradebooks communicate important and valid information for students, families, counselors, coaches, and future teachers. Grades represent student proficiency at the end of the learning period and honor principles of a growth mindset. Grades in a standards-based gradebook reflect a body of evidence that represents a student’s path toward proficiency for each course standard. All teachers maintain an electronic gradebook to communicate student proficiency levels toward the grade level standards taught and assessed during the grading period. Teachers update the gradebook in a timely manner to provide feedback to students and their families. 

Technical Overview

In the standards-based gradebook, standards are organized in levels. Teachers only assess students on the most granular level (most specific skills/knowledge), which may be referred to as the “evidence outcomes” or “assessed standards.” Teachers report student proficiency on these standards by creating assignments and attaching one or more standards to the assignments. When entering scores, teachers enter a student’s proficiency level for each standard attached to an assignment rather than provide an overall grade for the assignment.

Over the duration of a grading period, a particular standard may be assessed multiple times. The gradebook will utilize the most recent score on a standard in its overall calculation for the course grade. With a culture of revision as a pillar of standards-based grading, the most recent score for a given standard should represent a student’s current level of proficiency. Teachers maintain the ability to override a standard score, dependent upon their body of evidence.  

Course grades will be calculated by averaging the most recent score for each assessed standard in that course. The scores for assessed standards will also average together and “roll-up” to calculate scores for the higher level standards. Here is a Visual Representation of Gradebook Calculations for staff members.

PowerTeacher Pro SBG Instructional Guides for Educators

• Create an Assignment with Standards Attached

• Enter Standard(s) Scores for an Assignment

• Standards Scoresheet View (All Students)  /  Standards Progress View (All Students)

• Standards Scoresheet View (Individual Student)  /  Standards Progress View (Individual Student)

• Video Guides for SBG Gradebook

Accessing Information in the Gradebook (Parents/Guardians/Students)

Students and parents/guardians may view standards scores and course grades through the PowerSchool website and/or mobile app. There are two different views to access information online: 

• Traditional View (Eng/Spa): See overall course grades, assignments in each course, and standards scores linked to each assignment.
• Standards View (Eng/Spa): See overall course grades and most recent standards scores for all assessed standards in each course.
• Mobile View (Eng/Spa): See assignments and standards scores in separate views.

PRINCIPLE FIVE: BUILD ESSENTIAL SKILLS

Our grading practices distinguish and connect the means for learning effectively (the “essential skills,” the practice, the mistakes) from its ends: academic success. Students are active collaborators in their own learning, partnering with teachers to ensure understanding of learning standards in a way that is transparent and responsive. 

K-12 Essential Skill Standards

Intentional teaching of and feedback on essential skills supports student learning at all grade levels. Based on CDE’s Essential Skills, we connect the following “soft skills” to student academic performance through specific feedback based on proficiency scales.

1. Communicator – Communicates experiences, ideas, information, and feelings effectively through verbal and non-verbal language, media, art, and data, as well as listening to others’ experiences, ideas, and feelings. Communicators use literacy, numeracy, and computational thinking skills to interpret and create new understanding from spoken language and writing, and from a wide variety of visual representations and media.
   • Media Literacy
   • Digital Literacy
   • Data Literacy
   • Interpersonal communication
2. Problem Solver – Generates, evaluates, and implements solutions to problems. A capable decision-maker can identify alternatives, think computationally, and weigh trade-offs to make well-reasoned decisions and solutions individually or in collaboration with others.
   • Critical Thinking and Analysis
   • Collaboration and Teamwork
   • Creativity and Innovation
   • Adaptability and Flexibility
3. Community Member – Demonstrates concern for the welfare of others, for cultural resources, and for the natural world. Community members are respectful and inclusive, consider multiple perspectives, and honor others regardless of differences.
   • Civic Engagement
   • Global and Cultural Awareness
   • Social Awareness
4. ​​Empowered Individual – Empowered to make a difference by understanding strengths and limitations, acting on curiosity, taking leadership roles, demonstrating respect and responsibility, taking informed risks, and persisting in the face of challenges.
   • Self Awareness
   • Self Management
   • Perseverance and Resilience
   • Self Advocacy and Initiative
   • Career Awareness