Standards Based Grading

We are more than halfway through the first year of Standards Based Grading at CRMS. A positive outcome of this change has been that students and teachers have a far better understanding of student learning than ever before. Because tests are designed to measure basic, proficient, or advanced understanding, students get feedback on exactly where they are. In a traditional system, a student may score a 100% on a test this is based solely on recall, a very low level of understanding. In a standards based system, that would represent a "2". However, in this system, the test wouldn't have stopped there. This grading system requires teachers to include a variety of levels of understanding on an assessment, from basic to advanced. I recognize that this can be difficult for parents and students who may be comforted by a traditional system's glossed over A, of which there were many. A standards-based system provides a much more authentic look at learning. We are hoping that PowerSchool improves their standards based reporting tool so that it is more intuitive and provides parents and students better information about individual assignments.

Honor Roll

A small group of passionate fifth grade parents attended the presentation about grading and Honor Roll last Thursday night. We had a great discussion about the meaning of scores on the new report card and whether Honor Roll fits this new paradigm. Although the temptation is there to translate number scores to letter grades, it is a mistake. They simply mean different things. A grade of a B on a report card presumably means that a student did better than average in that class. But does it really? How much of that grade is due to simply completing homework, whether accurate or not? How much is it a reflection of one low quiz in an otherwise stellar quarter? Is a “B” really above average if the average grade is an A- (as it was at CRMS for Q1)? Are we all well above average? There are so many variables behind traditional grades, that it is nearly impossible to truly interpret how much actual learning has taken place. After a fantastic discussion, there was consensus at the meeting that Honor Roll doesn’t make sense with standards-based reporting. It is like an oxymoron. Standards-based grading is as close as we can get to objective classroom reporting about student learning. The goal is to support student learning and mastery, and do whatever it takes to help students achieve it. Kids learn most things at different rates. We don’t want kids (or parents) fretful that they didn’t make honor roll because they hadn’t mastered their spelling words, yet were four grades ahead in reading. We reward students in so many ways at CRMS, from the Wall of Greatness to sportsmanship to achievement on standardized tests. As it is, anywhere from 65 – 80% of our student body makes the traditional honor roll. At some point, its intended purpose is diminished. When you combine the developmental level (and variation thereof!) of our student body with our new grading system, it just doesn’t make sense to continue with Honor Roll. For that reason, we will discontinue having an Honor Roll with standards-based report cards.

Arts Alive

At this month's board meeting, the Camden and Rockport communities and public schools were formally presented with the award as an Imagination Intensive Arts Community. This was quite an honor, and it was well deserved. Arts are alive and well in our local schools and community. It is a part of our heritage, and is actively sustained by the community, both those who have lived here for years and those who have recently arrived. At the middle school, arts are also thriving. We have an excellent art program that is a regular part of our curriculum- all students participate in an art class each year. In addition, we have a Gifted and Talented Art program that focuses on a different theme at each grade level (color, movement, drama). A local volunteer organization, Youth Arts, also supports a variety of art projects that are integrated into the regular curriculum, whether it be math, language arts, or music. For instance, this year, Youth Arts supported a project with our chorus program to record a holiday CD. Students learned about sound recording, mixing, and editing. Of course, they were also the singers! Another Youth Arts project this year is a major mosaic installation that any student can choose to participate in. Students are working with artists, parents, and the art teacher to create a 20' x 5' mosaic, inspired by the art of Eric Hopkins, that will be installed in the cafeteria when it is finished. We are lucky indeed to have so many resources to provide a wonderful arts education to our students. It is something that is valued and reflected in our school and community.

MAMLE Conference

Last week I went to the annual conference sponsored by the Maine Association of Middle Level Educators at Sugarloaf. While there was only a dusting of snow on the peak of the mountain, it was still an exhilarating location to spend two days with fellow middle school educators. Katie Bauer, our Intervention Coordinator, and I both presented about different RTI topics. RTI is the acronym for Response to Intervention, which is a program that is newly required in every school. Schools need to establish process to identify and provide intervention to struggling students before they can be referred to special education. My presentation focused on the big picture - school-wide support structures, while Katie's focused more narrowly on Math interventions. It felt good to share information about our efforts and the programs we have established. An attendee who went to each of our sessions said that they dovetailed perfectly. Good to hear, even though we hadn't had time to compare notes. CRMS still has work to do, but we are well on our way. We are ahead of the curve.

State testing in constant flux

We are in the midst of our second year of NECAP testing, the standardized test that Maine adopted along with several other New England states. This follows periodic revisions of the MEA test that was given in the years prior to NECAP. I learned earlier this week that in four years, we would have yet a different test to replace NECAP's. The new test will be aligned to the common core standards which 47 states have (or will) adopt. Apparently, there is going to be a total new feel to the next round of testing, as it will incorporate many best assessment practices. I have no doubt that each new rendition of testing is better than the one before. However, by constantly changing the test, it makes it nearly impossible for a school to use the tests as a measure of improvement efforts over time. We are unable to get any longitudinal test data because the tests aren't comparable. At some point, as a state, we need to determine a constant measurement tool and stick to it! It is tough to garner buy-in when the target is constantly moving.

Laptops

I realize the new policy on laptops has things stirring, but we are working to make sure the system runs smoothly and doesn't stress families out. Our rationale for allowing laptops to go home on a limited basis was simply that the old policy was not working. In addition to extensive damage, most students were not using laptops for school work. Instead, they were being used primarily for social networking, often times in a hurtful manner. We didn't see the point in being a part of that. We are stepping back this year. I am not sure middle schoolers are developmentally ready to have all the freedom and responsibility that comes with a laptop at home every night. They haven't learned yet how to make great decisions. We feel middle school should be a time of learning how to use laptops, to navigate the online world safely, and to manage time effectively. We are working on ways to smooth the school/home transfer of any electronic data or work students might need so that the system is workable and smooth for everyone. In the meantime, we are going to have 10 laptops available to be checked out of the library overnight if students need a laptop to ease some of that pressure.

Here are some photos of a few CRMS field trips. We are out exploring the world around us!