How do you grade your students? Do you only focus on the test scores? Do you grade every piece of homework? How does participation factor in?
All of these are great questions to think about when developing your grading system in your classroom, or even school wide. But I have an even better, more important question...
Does your grading system accurately reflect your students' understanding and/or mastery of the concepts they are being taught?
My answer to this question has always been a resounding "NO", but when you're faced with admin expectations, heavy emphasis on testing, and parents who just want to see their kids succeed, what do you do about it?
My first year of teaching, the school I was at began to emphasize the importance of "content mastery". They implemented a system that required us to show "practice grades" and "mastery grades." Now, generally this meant that homework/class work was practice and tests/assessments were mastery. For me, however, this wasn't sufficient. Sure, if their "mastery" grade wasn't 80% or better, we were to reteach and retest, but I didn't feel like we were seeing growth or results with this method. Despite the name, I didn't see any actual mastery of the concepts.
So, I took their idea, their "system", and I made some changes to it and I came up with my version of Proficiency (or Mastery) Based Grading.
Proficiency Based Grading
Proficiency Based Grading (PBG) is a grading system that promotes, supports, and encourages student proficiency, or mastery. It also allows for students to understand their grades/performance in a way that facilitates them taking ownership of their learning.
What it IS:
Assessing students based on their understanding of the concepts being taught
Assessing student ability to apply the concept
A representation of a student's cumulative efforts toward understanding and mastering (becoming proficient) concepts
Focused on ensuring students can achieve correct answers AND understand how to get those answers
What it is NOT:
Assessing students based on points
Determining student achievement based solely on test performance
Assigning arbitrary letter grades to student performance
Focused solely on "right" answers
How to Use Proficiency Based Grading
First, get yourself my handy resource for PBG on TPT. It includes this explanation, as well as posters that explain the PBG scale for students to reference (What Does My Grade Mean?) and a handout to send home to parents so they have it as well.
Second, you can still use a points-based system within the PGB system. Essentially, you will take the total points and determine the percentage value of all possible scores. Then, you will use those scores to assign a proficiency value from a chart.
In some cases, such as writing and reading, you will need to use your own observations and discretion to determine a proficiency value for the student.
This is what's great about a proficiency-based system - you know your students and you know whether or not that are mastering a concept, even when a test or assignment doesn't reflect that understanding. (We all know that some students just don't test well, but they know the concepts and can do the work and get the right answers). Grades should encompass all student efforts with a concept, not just the paperwork they complete.
Understand that PBG is more than just assigning a numerical value - it provides students with an actual understanding of what that value means. Take a look:
4 - I understand this concept and can teach it to someone else
3 - I understand this concept but still struggle sometimes. I could use more practice.
2 - I am struggling with this concept and need more practice. I could use some help please.
1 - I do not understand this and need help please
This is language students understand. This puts those grades and values into words that explain how they are performing. Students can look at this and say, "yes, I do still need some help, I am at a 2" or "oh, I've got this figured out, I think I can help someone else." That empowers students to take ownership of their learning, which encourages them to strive for success.
As a bonus for the teacher, it also makes it much easier to find peer mentors.
In the Grade Book:
Ok, so how does this work for the grade book?
To start, I like to list both grades for the benefits of parents. I keep a paper log as well as enter it into PowerSchool (because you know there are those parents that never check and get mad when report cards go home - it's always good to have a record to show them). So, in PowerSchool and my grade book, I enter the points grade as a "practice" grade and the proficiency grade as the official/mastery grade (this is the one that determines their percentage for their report card).
For example: if a test is worth 100 points and a students scores 83 points, I mark 83 as the practice grade so parents can see what their student actually achieved on the test. Then, the mastery grade that goes toward their quarter/term total is marked as a 3 for proficiency.
I also write both values on the student work so they can see it and their parents can see it. In my classroom, I have the proficiency chart up that explains what their grades mean, which I have aligned with the letter grade/percent based system that is still in place. Parents also have a copy of this.
The Bottom Line
Now, I know you might be thinking that I'm just adding another step/value to the system that already exists and this is no different that letter grades. But it is - let me explain why.
Percentages, letter grades, and points mean next to nothing to younger students. Sure, they've been told that an A is really great and an F is bad, and I know their parents will give them the "Bs or better" spiel every time a report card goes home. But that's about as far as the understanding goes. The current system encourages them to focus just on getting the answer right so they get the letter they are told to get, the one that tells them they are smart and worth something. There is no ownership to their learning, no encouragement to actually learn and understand the concepts. Just get the answer right, get the good letter, and get done.
Proficiency Based Grading gives students a more manageable and understandable grading scale, especially when you take the time to explain it to them. Put it side by side with the percent and letter grade value, and now they're actually making connections and learning what that A means. Now, they want to reach that goal because they know what it means. An "A" means a "4" on PBG which means they understand the concept well enough to teach it someone else. Students like this language - it makes them feel good about their learning and their abilities.
Furthermore, it makes it easier on teachers. How many times have you had a student that you KNOW understands the concept, but for some reason can't show it on a test? PBG takes your observation into account because it allows you to use the scale on more than just points based assessments. Sit them down with you and have them work a few problems just because, or make it a game, and then put it in the grade book with a proficiency value. Or apply that value to their test score. Either way, your knowledge of your students' abilities are a big factor in PBG and should be reflected in their final grade.
Using this system, I saw my students improve significantly. There was positive growth over time and my students developed a love of learning. For me, this system was successful and by the second quarter, most of my students were achieving 80% proficiency or higher with each concept. They loved knowing what their grade meant and used it to guide themselves to success. I was able to focus on reteaching only the concepts that needed it, and I was able to give more attention to targeted small groups because I knew who was really struggling. Test scores can't give you that.
Learning should be about more than getting the right answer and getting that A. It should be about learning and mastering new concepts, about demonstrating proficiency with a concept, regardless of what a test says. Everyone learns in different ways, and they will show their knowledge in different ways. So, let's grade on proficiency and mastery, not on how many points they got on the test.
