Introducing Standards-Based Grading

Introducing Standards-Based Grading

Susan McClellon was introduced to standards-based grading, a system of reporting student proficiency in a number of specific learning goals (or standards), during her time as a Knowles Teaching Fellow. In the spring of 2014, she approached her department chair at Lexington High School in Lexington, Massachusetts about her desire to implement standards-based grading in her classroom. He agreed, and supported her throughout the 2014–2015 academic year. By implementing standards-based grading, Susan felt that she was able to teach her students more content, at a deeper level, than she had been able to in the past. She shared her experience with standards-based grading with her peers via a professional development session, which was attended by the science department chair and approximately 15 teachers from her school and the feeder middle school in her district. Although she transitioned to a new school in fall 2015, several teachers at Lexington planned to implement standards-based grading in their classrooms that year based on what they learned from Susan.