Standards-based grading sounds like a great idea. I love that my students and my own children would be given feedback about what they can and cannot do. That's valuable information for anyone. Knowing this, I truly cannot decide if it would be best to jump into the world of SBG with both feet or wade in slowly.
With anything new, there is much to be gained from a whole-hearted, all-at-once dive. It demonstrates a commitment that simply cannot be replicated in a slower approach. The dive, however, has pitfalls, which is why change is often analyzed to death before it is even attempted. The incessant "what ifs" are paralyzing--so much so that we may never do anything--and stagnation sets in with its own numbness.
So what do we do? First, I think we have to figure out what our goal is. What are we really after? Are we pursuing strong student achievement? Are we pursuing positive school culture? Are we pursuing success beyond our doors? One would think that the answer to all of these things would be, "YES!" but without a sense of what we want, we will never know where to go. I often tell my writing students that drafting without an outline or at least a list of what they want to accomplish is a bit like taking a trip without a map or GPS. It can be fun, but it can also be disastrous.
Here's what I see...
1. We have, in core subject areas, examined the new CCSS. We have prioritized what is important to us.
2. We are now developing our assessments. This is proving to be an incredibly slow process for us in ELA because it is so complex and proficiency isn't a checkbox.
3. Once those assessments are developed and used for a period of time, then I think our next logical step will be SBG. To make the shift prior to that is a bit like putting the cart before the horse: we are still operating with traditional assessments designed under a traditional grading system. To mix traditional assessments with a different reporting system wouldn't necessarily translate effectively. However, if we wait until we know what our assessments can tell us, then we can begin to figure out how to report that to parents and students.
I have a tendency to be a jump-in-feet-first kind of person but not here. I think real change has to be methodical and calculated because this involves so many other groups besides us professionals in the school building. Transitions are never easy, and I believe this transition may be one of the most complex I have faced in my career so far. Maneuvering in the midst of the transition, as we are now, really isn't fun, but I think there are so many in the profession who see the value of a whole new paradigm. It will be exciting to see what we can do!
