Get Set, Go!: Creating Successful Grading and Reporting Systems (An action plan for leading lasting grading reform in changing classrooms)

by Thomas R. Guskey

Overview

Make school a better experience for students by ensuring grading and reporting practices are honest, accurate, meaningful, and fair. A companion to the best-selling and award-winning On Your Mark, this practical guide details how to successfully lead lasting grading reform. Dr. Thomas R. Guskey simplifies the transition by guiding educators through six essential steps—from developing a coalition devoted to change to creating a systematic plan.

Use this resource to develop a new system of grading in your school or district:

• Become familiar with the process of implementing a rigorous new system of reporting that aligns with the goals of standards-based grading.
• Acquire numerous tools and strategies that will assist in the process of implementing a new grading system.
• Study the six steps that are essential to any successful attempt to reform grading, as well as how to succeed in each.
• Learn how to form a change action plan that covers the entire system of implementation and improves the student experience.

Contents:
About the Author
Introduction
Chapter 1: Learn From Failures
Chapter 2: Form a Coalition for Change
Chapter 3: Understand the Change Process
Chapter 4: Clarify the Purpose of Grading and Reporting
Chapter 5: Report Multiple Grades for Cognitive Outcomes
Chapter 6: Report Multiple Grades for Noncognitive Outcomes
Chapter 7: Get Assessment Policies and Practices Right
Chapter 8: Develop a Systematic Plan for Implementation
References and Resources
Index

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781949539455
Publisher:	Solution Tree Press
Publication date:	03/06/2020
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

Table of Contents

About the Author ix

Introduction 1

The Relationship Between On Your Mark and Get Set, Co 3

The Importance of Research in Grading and Reporting Reforms 5

Essential Steps for Reform Implementation 8

Proceed With Caution 11

Do We Even Need Grades? 12

Summary 15

Chapter 1 Learn From Failures 17

Haw Most Districts Approach Grading and Reporting Reform 18

What We Can Learn From This Approach 19

How to Learn From Mistakes 20

Summary 34

Chapter 2 Form a Coalition for Change 35

Coalitions Versus Committees 37

Coalitions as the Avant-Garde 39

Forming Coalitions for Change 39

Coalitions for Change Members and Their Roles 41

Operating Principles of Coalitions for Change 50

Crucial Questions for Coalitions for Change 55

Summary 59

Chapter 3 Understand the Change Process 61

What Doesn't Work 62

What Does Work 65

Professional Development as the Impetus for Change 67

Alternative Model for Change 68

Similar Models 70

Implications of the Alternative Model for Change 71

Will Changes in Grading and Reporting Improve Student Learning? 75

A Practical Example of the Change Model 77

Summary 80

Chapter 4 Clarify the Purpose of Grading and Reporting 83

Grading System Elements 84

Summary 116

Chapter 5 Report Multiple Grades: Cognitive Outcomes 117

The Inadequacy of a Single Grade 119

Types of Grading Criteria 120

Advantages of Multiple Grades 122

The Challenge for Secondary Educators 124

A Necessary Prerequisite 125

Product Criteria 128

Progress Criteria 137

Summary 141

Chapter 6 Report Multiple Grades: Noncognitive Outcomes 143

The Relationship Between Noncognitive and Cognitive Outcomes 145

Process Criteria 147

Mixed and Contradictory Research Results 158

Consequences Rather Than Punishment 160

Noncognitive Outcomes Selection 164

Development of Noncognitive Outcome Rubrics 169

Student Involvement in Developing Rubrics 178

Summary 179

Chapter 7 Get Assessment Policies and Practices Right 181

The Use of Assessments to Improve Learning 183

Lack of Assessment Training 184

Benjamin Bloom and Formative Assessments 184

Similarities to Tutoring, Coaching, and Successful Students 201

Practices to Avoid With Second Assessments 202

Formative Versus Summative Assessments 206

Second Chances on Summative Assessments 208

How to Find Time 208

Grades Versus Comments on Assessments 210

Summary 217

Chapter 8 Develop a Systematic Plan for Implementation 219

No "Best Practices" and No Perfect Grading System 220

Essential Elements of Successful Reform Plans 222

Grades as Temporary Labels 230

Summary 233

Final Thoughts 235

References and Resources 237

Index 263

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Whenever the topic of grading comes up, nearly everyone—teachers, parents, students, and educational consultants—will have an opinion about what should be graded, how grades should be calculated, and what the grades mean. Some grading practices are rooted in habit (‘This is how I have always graded’); some are dictated by technology (‘Our grading software requires us to include six grades that are averaged’); and some are informed by district or school policies (‘No zeroes allowed’). The result can be a confusing and often contentious cacophony of positions regarding grading policies and practices.

Dr. Tom Guskey is a recognized scholar who has studied the extensive research base associated with all aspects of grading and reporting. However, he is not just a renowned researcher—Guskey’s long-standing work with schools and districts has equipped him to offer the eminently practical guidance needed to overhaul outdated and misaligned grading and reporting principles and practices. The sage advice he offers in Get Set, Go will make it much more likely that resulting grading reforms are research-based, understood by all stakeholders, and likely to endure. Simply put, if you want the most comprehensive and authoritative treatment of this topic, then you need this book!”—Jay McTighe, educational author and consultant

“As an education consultant and reformer-at-heart, I loved On Your Mark, but as a classroom teacher, I wondered how exactly to put his innovative grading ideas into practice. Enter Get Set, Go, a step-by-step roadmap for educators looking to reform their grading and reporting policies and practices. In the tradition of great reformers, Guskey does not sugarcoat the problems or offer platitudes to appease all kinds of educators. Instead, he gets right to the heart of the assessment conundrum: how our common grading practices misrepresent students’ abilities and how we can fix them. I read this book in one sitting thanks to Guskey’s crisp writing, pragmatic solutions, and real-world examples. I found myself nodding along on nearly every page. Get Set, Go is a must-read for any educator who knows the system isn't fair and wants solutions for how to change it. This one has a permanent place on my bookshelf.”—Alexis Wiggins, author of The Best Class You Never Taught: How Spider Web Discussion Can Turn Students into Learning Leaders (ASCD, 2017)

“Get Set, Go is essential reading for any education leader or leadership team contemplating a review of grading and reporting policies and practices. In this well-written book, Guskey offers solid research (rather than opinion) and presents validated evidence (rather than anecdotes), which serve as a firm foundation for this important and challenging work. He also provides helpful, user-friendly guidelines for a disciplined, thoughtful, and coherent way forward. This book not only belongs on the shelf but also in every practitioner’s hands.”—David Chojnacki, executive director emeritus, NESA Council of Overseas Schools

“Get Set, Go is an essential read for educators taking on the challenge of transforming their grading and reporting systems. Author Tom Guskey delivers the bridge from the theoretical to the practical based on a solid foundation of research. He candidly points out pitfalls and articulates next steps, providing the how to implementing the grading reforms we have envisioned. Delivered through a passionate and committed voice, the text leaves readers feeling inspired and prepared to lead change for the benefit of students, parents, and educators.”—Katherine T. Smith, high school administrator, educational consultant, and author

“What if grading reform myths were debunked and, in their place, a clear, organic, and approachable process was offered to tackle grading and reporting reforms? In his latest magnum opus, Get Set, Go, Tom Guskey does just that by laying out a refreshing approach to developing, bringing clarity to, and implementing an inclusive, comprehensive, and evidence-based grading reform process. This is the quintessential book for the Coalition for Change that will serve as a school’s guiding force in thoroughly examining grading biases while forging ahead with implementing effective grading and reporting reforms that are both formative and informative.”—Michael L. Smith, director, American School of Valencia, Spain

“Get Set, Go delivers the practical, comprehensive, and evidence-backed action steps educators need to make impactful and lasting changes to their grading and reporting practices. Guskey helps us understand why we need to make grading improvements and how to successfully accomplish them. We learn that it takes understanding key stakeholders’ perspectives, clarity of purpose, assessment and instructional alignment, and a shift in how we report nonacademic factors to get grading right. Get Set Go is the ultimate grading resource and will have readers returning to it time and again.”—Laura Link, assistant professor, educational leadership and policy, College of Public Service

“While Dr. Guskey and others have made the case for grading reform elsewhere, and ‘how-to’ recommendations abound, Get Set, Go skillfully weaves the research evidence into eminently practical advice for doing the work. I have been studying and participating in the conversation on effective grading practices for almost twenty years; and the very first chapter of this book yields multiple concrete actions for our district’s grading and assessment taskforce. Get Set, Go has leapt onto my personal list of essential reads for educators committed to making grading practices work for student learning.”—Andrew Maxey, director of special programs, Tuscaloosa City Schools

“Get Set, Go! Creating Successful Grading and Reporting Systems is one of those rare books that artfully bridges the divide between research and practice. In the introduction, Dr. Tom Guskey shares his hopes that this sequel to On Your Mark will be ‘the most helpful book you can read on grading and reporting reform,’ and it does not disappoint. Quelling any notion of a perfect grading system, Guskey builds a balanced case for research-based better practices that are good for students and contribute to their learning. I often work with courageous school leaders who are determined to transform grading systems. From now on, I’ll start those conversations with Get Set, Go!”—Lu S. Young, executive director of the UK Center for Next Generation Leadership