Standards-Based Assessment, Grading and Reporting

Morgan Middle School Parent Guide

A Message from the Principal

This year, Monroe One BOCES will continue its commitment to implementing equitable practices for all students by furthering the transition to a fully standards-based instruction, grading and reporting framework.  This framework will provide a more accurate and comprehensive assessment of students' learning by breaking down the curriculum into specific learning standards or objectives.  
  
Here are some key reasons for our transition to a standards-based grading and reporting framework:

• Clarity and Transparency:
  Standards-based grading provides a clear picture of a student's strengths and areas for growth in each subject. This transparency allows teachers, students and parents to identify where to focus their efforts for improvement.
  
  
• Individualized Feedback:
  Teachers can provide more targeted feedback to students based on their performance in specific learning standards. This feedback helps students understand their progress and how to make improvements.
  
  
• Focus on Mastery:
  Standards-based grading emphasizes the importance of mastery and long-term retention of knowledge and skills. It encourages students to keep working on a concept until they have truly mastered it. 
  
  
• Fairness and Equity:
  This approach reduces the impact of extraneous factors such as homework completion or learner behaviors on a student's grade. Grading is centered on what students know and can do while reporting on learner behaviors separately.
  
  
• College and Career Readiness:
  Standards-based grading better prepares students for the real world by emphasizing critical thinking, problem-solving, and subject mastery, which are important skills for college and career success.
  
  
• Consistency:
  It promotes consistency in grading across the schools/programs, making it easier for parents and students to understand performance standards.
  
  

Standards-Based Grading practices will further improve our ability to differentiate and personalize learning for each child. These practices fully align with our goal of becoming a restorative, inclusive and equitable organization. It is our hope that this Parent Guide to Standards-Based Assessment, Grading, and Reporting will provide an understanding of how to navigate your child’s report card and grades.  
  

Respectfully,

Dave McAlpin

Principal
Morgan Middle School
Monroe #1 BOCES

Assessment (Grading) System

Our teachers’ gradebooks will collect evidence of students learning for content domains. Each domain contains various NYS standards’ essential elements. For more information on course specific domains, see the Middle School Course Content Domains page. When scoring an assignment or assessment, students will receive a score of 4-1 on each learning target from the essential elements of the NYS standards:

Gradebooks can be accessed via the Parent Portal on SchoolTool™. Learn more on the SchoolTool™ Parent Portal User Guide page. There will not be “zeros” listed in the gradebook, however, you may see “IE” if a student has not turned in work. Students should have opportunities to re-assess for standards where they are working below standard.

Report Cards

When you receive your child’s first report card, you will notice that their performance will be reported on multiple domains for each content area.  Each domain, based on how students perform on each standard in it, will be reported out on in the following manner:

Learner Behavior Performance

Teachers will assess student learner behaviors based on New York State Social Emotional Learning Standards.

Mindful

• Self Awareness
  Focused Targets:

  • I can identify a range of emotions.
  • I can express emotions and causes of those emotions effectively.
  • I can identify both internal and external motivators.
    
    

• Self Management
  Focused Targets:

  • I can identify internal and external causes of emotions.
  • I can identify internal and external supports.
  • I can create short-term personal and academic goals and analyze my success in meeting the goal.
    
    

Respectful

• Social Awareness
  Focused Targets:

  • I can identify other's emotion and the cause of emotion in a variety of situations.
  • I can identify the importance of similarities and differences in others.
  • I can identify how my decisions affect others.
    
    

• Relationship Skills
  Focused Targets:

  • I can oppose bullying.
  • I can effectively work and cooperate with others in a group setting.
  • I can identify why it is important to have and maintain positive relationships.
    
    

Contributing

• Reponsible Decision Making
  Focused Targets:

  • I can adjust my behaviors based on the impact to my relationship to others and academics.
  • I can perform roles that contribute to my classroom, home, and community.
  • I can identify and apply problem solving skills to avoid or resolve social conflict.