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Proficiency Based Grading
The following description of Proficiency based grading is from the PPS website. For more details of scoring and the rationales for scoring please refer to "Grading"
Proficiency Based Grading: Supporting student success
Proficiency Descriptors in Synergy:
Final Mark
Rationale
HP
Student consistently hits the learning target with a high level of mastery.
PR
Student consistently hits the learning target.
CP
Most of the time proficient or nearly proficient. Student may show some inconsistencies with hitting the target.
DP
Student does not hit the target regularly.
Portland Public Schools is taking initial steps to implement a grading system that clearly communicates what students know and can do in order to best help them succeed.
The goal: Give students, teachers and parents an accurate picture of a student’s progress in mastering the Oregon State Standards (which include the Common Core State Standards in Math and Language Arts) so that teachers can provide the specific supports or acceleration each student needs.
Proficiency-based grading, which communicates progress toward mastery of standards, supports our equity goals and promotes student achievement. PPS already has proficiency efforts established and underway.
Moving toward sound grading practices
Traditionally, a student's grade may have reflected a combination of test scores, attendance, homework completion, extra credit, behavior and other factors. Methods used to determine the grade vary by teacher and subject, and ultimately, the grade may or may not reflect the extent to which a student has mastered the academic content.The proficiency-based approach makes clear what students know and are able to do by measuring academic progress separately from non-academic factors.
Toward an equitable education
Proficiency-based grading is intended to encourage looking at students as individuals and honoring a range of learning styles and ways of demonstrating what students know.
“Traditional grading practices have promoted the idea of uniformity. The way we are fair is we expect all students do to the same thing in the same amount of time in the same way. We need to move… to the idea that fairness is not uniformity. Fairness is equity of opportunity.”
– Ken O’Connor, “The last frontier: Tackling the grading dilemma”
Grading for Compacted Math Year One & Compacted Math Year Two
There are two categories for assignments:
1. Formative: This includes homework and certain class assignments. These assignments do not count towards students' final score. These assignments are the opportunity to practice, and gain mastery of, new skills and content prior to being assessed on them. Students wishing to revise assessments must have credit for 60% or higher of assigned formative work, so formative work can be thought of as students' ticket to revision as well. Formative assignments are scored with symbols (+,v, /, --, NE).
+
Thorough. On time & complete. Corrected.
v
On time & complete.
/
Partially complete or late
–
Minimal. Does not count towards revision.
NE
No Evidence. Assignment not done or not turned in.
2. Summative: This includes tests, work samples and specific class assignments. Summative assessments are scored on a proficiency scale. Assessments with a score of Close to Proficient (CP) or Developing Proficiency (DP) can be revised once for a score of Proficient (PR). I recommend students get extra help prior to revising.
Students’ quarterly grade:
Final Mark
Rationale
HP
Student consistently hits the learning target with a high level of mastery.
PR
Student consistently hits the learning target.
CP
Most of the time proficient or nearly proficient. Student may show some inconsistencies with hitting the target.
DP
Student does not hit the target regularly.