9 Expert Tips to Make Standards Based Grading Systems Work for You

Standards-based grading (SBG) can simplify a teacher’s workload. In traditional systems, a student might have separate grades for assignments, tests, and projects covering the same material. Averaging these grades often produces a misleading final score that doesn’t accurately reflect the student’s true understanding. This number can be confusing and raise more questions than it answers. 

SBG solves this by offering a more organized, logical, and transparent grading system that both teachers and students can quickly grasp. In this article, we’ll discuss AI in the classroom, standards based grading systems and how to implement it in your classroom to improve the grading process. We will also introduce EssayGrade’s grading software for teachers which is a powerful tool that simplifies your transition to SBG, enhancing grading and aligning it with student learning objectives.

What Is Standards Based Grading?

Standards-based grading (SBG) is a grading system in which a student's grade directly reflects that student’s level of mastery of the standards covered. All other factors are removed from the grade calculation or pulled out and used to calculate a separate effort or behavior grade. 

Understanding Standards-Based Grading

In a standards-based grading system, specific standards are identified for the grading period, and students earn a proficiency-based score based on their performance on each standard. If a student doesn’t master a standard, the student is given several opportunities to learn the standard and then retest.

Benefits of Standards-Based Grading

Only the most recent evidence of mastery counts toward the grade, so students are not penalized for taking longer to master a standard if they can eventually do so. Proponents of standards-based grading claim that this grading system doesn’t allow students to slip through the cracks without learning the content. 

It encourages students to continue working on a concept until they master it instead of simply moving on once the assessment ends, only to fall behind on more complex content later. 

SBG vs. Traditional Grading: What’s the Difference?

Standards-based grading focuses on learning objectives and student’s mastery of those objectives rather than accumulating points for assignments and assessments. In a traditional grading system, students earn points for each assignment, which are calculated to determine a final grade. 

The Limitations of Traditional Grading

The problem with this approach is that students can earn points for completing tasks even if they need to demonstrate mastery of the content. Some students can perform well on traditional grading scales without showing they understand the concepts being taught. This is because conventional grading scales produce grades that don’t align with whether students have mastered the standards.

The Impact on Student Learning

Critics of traditional grading scales view this as problematic because students who need extra help, like Jack, may not receive it because they seem to be doing well; students who are advanced aren’t challenged so that they can grow; and students who can demonstrate mastery over time are penalized because it takes them additional practice to get there.

Getting to the Bottom of Grades: What Do They Mean?

When a student earns a grade on his or her report card, what does that grade mean about that student’s mastery of the standards? For instance, let’s consider three students who earned three different grades in algebra for nine weeks. Jack earned an 86, Jennifer earned a 76, and Jamie earned a 74. 

Which student would you assume has the most significant level of mastery? Which student would you assume has the lowest level of mastery? 

First, we have Jack. Jack always completes his homework with the help of his parents and works hard to complete his classwork with assistance from his classmates and teacher when needed. Because he gets a lot of help from his parents, he always turns in outstanding projects. 

Jack's Challenges with Assessments

Jack struggles with assessments. He doesn’t perform very well when he has to demonstrate his mastery independently, even when he can retake the assessments. Next, we have Jennifer. Jennifer does her homework each night but doesn’t have anyone to help her. So, sometimes, it’s correct, and sometimes, it isn’t.

Jennifer's Growth Mindset and Perseverance

When it comes to classwork, Jennifer does well on some assignments, and on others, she doesn’t. But she continues to practice until she understands. So, even though she doesn’t always grasp concepts the first time, she has usually developed proficiency by the time she takes the assessment, so her assessment scores are perfect. She also works hard to create great projects, but she sometimes makes small mistakes with no help at home. 

Jamie's Natural Ability and Last-Minute Work Habits

We have Jamie. Jamie doesn’t do her homework; she thinks it wastes time. When it comes to classwork, on the other hand, she does well. She learns very quickly, and she already knows most of the content. She always ace tests, and she does OK on projects. But, she always waits until the last minute, so her work isn’t perfect.

The Mismatch Between Grades and Mastery

Based on their grades, we’d assume Jack has the highest level of mastery and Jamie has the lowest, but after analyzing each student’s situation, we know that the opposite is true. This is because traditional grading scales produce grades that aren’t necessarily aligned to whether students have mastered the standards. 

How Standards Based Grading Would Change Things for Jack, Jennifer, and Jamie 

If standards-based grading had been used for Jack, Jennifer, and Jamie, their grades would have been quite different. Jack would not have been able to earn a high grade, mostly due to his excellent homework and projects. His lack of independent mastery would have caused his grade to be much lower, and his instructor would have seen that he was struggling and could have provided additional resources and opportunities for him to master the content. 

Recognizing Mastery

Jennifer’s grade would be higher because she demonstrated a high level of mastery on the standards, even though it took her some time to get there. Jamie would have earned a much higher grade as well, and because of her early mastery of the content, she could have been allowed to move on or work on advanced content to develop a deeper level of mastery.

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What Are the Core Basics of Standards Based Grading Systems?

Standards-based grading, or SBG, is a method of assessment that focuses on student mastery of specific learning objectives or goals. SBG's objectives are based on state standards or learning goals established by a district or school. Before beginning a unit, teachers share the learning objectives with students. 

Assessing Student Progress with SBG

When students complete activities, teachers assess their performance to determine how well they progress toward learning goals. SBG provides a framework for educators to measure student progress on targets and communicate this information to students and their families. As stated earlier, SBG helps to make grading more understandable and transparent.

Performance Levels Instead of Letter Grades

Instead of letter grades, SBG uses performance levels to describe students’ mastery of learning objectives. For example, students may receive a report detailing their mastery of specific targets as:

• Approaching
• Mastery
• Needs improvement

Each of these descriptors indicates a level of proficiency that can be clearly defined and understood. The goal of SBG is to help students achieve mastery of all learning objectives before the end of the course. 

Ongoing Formative Assessments

In SBG, ongoing formative assessments measure student progress toward learning objectives. These assessments might include:

• Quizzes
• Projects
• Class activities and more

The Purpose of Formative Assessment

The key to formative assessment is that they are not used to calculate a grade. Instead, these assessments help teachers and students understand how much progress has been made toward achieving a target. Formative assessments allow teachers and students to identify areas of strength and weakness so that instruction can be adjusted to improve overall performance. 

Emphasis on Feedback and Growth Over Summative Scores

Another crucial component of SBG is the emphasis placed on feedback and growth. In traditional grading systems, students often receive a single score at the end of a unit to represent their performance. This score can carry a lot of weight, and it’s not uncommon for students to be unhappy with their grades and focus on the number rather than what it means. 

A Focus on Improvement in Standards-Based Grading

In standards-based grading, the focus is on improvement and achieving mastery. Students receive regular feedback on their performance, which helps them understand what they can do to improve, and they can retake assessments to prove their knowledge of a target.

Grades Reflect Student Learning, Not Behavior

In SBG, grades reflect student learning, not behavior or extra credit. Though traditional grading systems consider student performance on: 

• Classroom tasks
• Participation
• Extra credit 

SBG removes these subjective elements from the grading process. Instead, SBG isolates student performance on learning objectives and reports scores that reflect an individual’s knowledge of a particular target. 

Standards-Based Grading Works with Instruction

Traditionally, teachers focus on teaching, attempting to deliver knowledge. In SBG they also measure student learning to understand the effectiveness of instruction. Instead of a single overall grade, SBG breaks down the subject matter into smaller learning targets.

Each target is a teachable concept that students should master by the end of the course. Throughout the term, student learning on each target is recorded. Teachers track student progress, give appropriate feedback, and adapt instruction to meet student needs. 

Different Grading Scales

Traditional grading and SBG also use different grading scales. In traditional grading, students are primarily measured by the percentage of work completed. The assumption is that higher completion rates reflect greater mastery and earn higher grades. 

Often 90% achieves an A, 80% a B, etc. In SBG, grading is based on the demonstration of mastery. Students attempt standards-aligned activities such as:

• Projects
• Worksheets
• Quizzes
• Essays
• Presentations

Understanding Mastery Levels in SBG

Teachers assess the student output and choose the appropriate mastery level. Typical scales are 1-4 and reflect students’ increasing skill. 1s indicate that students have little understanding of a concept and consequently cannot demonstrate any mastery.

The SBG Grading Scale

Many students have no prior knowledge when starting a new target and begin at 

• As students learn, they can demonstrate partial mastery and score.
• Once they meet a target, they score.
• Typically, 4s are used for students who exceed targets. 

A Responsive Approach to Teaching

In standards-based education, teaching is responsive to learning. When starting a new target, teachers present introductory lessons. As students progress, they are offered more complex material. They continue working and learning until they reach the target. Think of SBG as a ladder, where students climb up, a rung at a time, eventually reaching the top. 

After receiving instruction, some students progress immediately, but most do not. It’s common for students to be confused and only partially complete an activity. Teachers regularly provide:

• Feedback
• Reteach
• Offer additional opportunities

This process requires patience and practice and is repeated until students reach the target. 

Continuous Measures of Student Progress

SBG is powerful because it provides a framework for regularly measuring student progress. When teachers continuously understand students’ mastery, they can adapt instruction to better meet students’ needs, making education more effective and engaging. 

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Key Differences Between Standards-based Grading Systems and Traditional Grading Systems

Standards-based grading, or SBG, is a more precise method of evaluating student performance than traditional grading systems. SBG focuses on measuring a student’s mastery of specific skills, while conventional grading looks at cumulative points from various assignments and assessments. 

As a result, SBG is a more accurate and reliable way to grade students. It also has the added benefits of helping students improve their learning outcomes and reducing stress around assessments. 

Focus on Mastery: SBG vs. Traditional Grading

With standards-based grading, the goal is to assess whether students have mastered a set of skills. Therefore, SBG takes a targeted approach to evaluating students’ progress toward learning standards. 

On the other hand, traditional grading systems lump together points from various:

• Assignments
• Tests
• Quizzes

This creates a cumulative score that doesn’t accurately reflect whether a student has learned the material. 

Feedback-Oriented: SBG vs. Traditional Grading

Another key difference between SBG and traditional grading is the emphasis on providing actionable feedback. With standards-based grading, students receive detailed feedback on their performance about specific learning objectives. This precise information helps learners understand their areas of strength and the skills they need to improve. 

The Limitations of Traditional Grading Systems

Traditional grading systems often fail to provide students with clear information about their performance. Instead, students receive a single letter grade that summarizes their performance without any insight into which skills they need to improve.

Separating Behavior from Learning: SBG vs. Traditional Grading

Standards-based grading also allows educators to separate academic performance from behaviors like:

• Attendance
• Punctuality

In traditional grading systems, students are often penalized with lower grades for missed assignments due to absenteeism, regardless of their academic ability. This practice can be especially harmful for students who struggle with mental health issues or have learning disabilities. 

SBG, on the other hand, focuses solely on assessing students’ mastery of academic content, with little to no regard for any external factors that may influence their performance.

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6 Impacts of Standards Based Grading Systems on Education

1. Improved Feedback: Getting Beyond the Numbers

Standards-based grading eliminates the traditional grade book’s single number that summarizes student performance. In SBG environments, better feedback accelerates learning. Instead of giving scores like 9/10 or 85%, teachers give feedback about the tasks and skills used. 

This helps students understand their current areas of improvement and helps them reach the next level. This positive environment speeds learning, and students reach higher levels of achievement, all while being deeply engaged and enjoying school.

2. Student Ownership of Education: Rubbing Off the Scores

Learning targets are typically written in student-friendly language so students can understand the goals of instruction. Rubrics may further break down the targets to map out the steps required to reach the top of the ladder.

Empowering Students with Self-Assessment

This allows students to understand the path to success and enables them to better engage in their learning. When working on an activity, students can self-assess and reflect on their own performance. They can identify areas of improvement and self-direct their activities, leading to greater ownership of their learning. 

3. More Relevant Instruction: Ditching the One-Size-Fits-All Approach

In traditional classrooms, many teachers mechanically present the curriculum to students—lesson 1 on day 1, lesson 2 on day 2, etc. While there are exceptions (e.g., early elementary reading), there is often little adjustment to instruction due to learning. Because students learn at different rates, some are bored because the pace is too slow.

Addressing the Pace of Instruction in SBG Classrooms

Others are confused because instruction is too fast, which is a daily challenge in traditional classrooms. In SBG classrooms, teachers better understand student mastery. At any time, they know which students are at level 1, 2, or 3, which helps them offer level-appropriate work. 

Students at level 1 get activities that help them reach level 2, and level 2 students get activities to climb to level 3. Classrooms often break into smaller groups, with students working independently on level-appropriate activities. This is called "differentiated instruction," or DI for short. 

The Positive Impact of Relevant and Engaging Instruction

In this environment, students are less frustrated by poorly fitting instruction. School is a more positive experience when course material is relevant and exciting. By improving instructional time, students learn more and make increased academic progress.

4. Learning Provides Intrinsic Motivation: Why Can’t We Just Learn for the Sake of Learning?

Some students may be extrinsically motivated by metrics and strive to improve in measured areas. In traditional classrooms, this often encourages students to chase points. Many will perform tasks that award points and raise their averages (e.g., extra credit). 

Shifting the Focus

It’s common to hear students ask, Will this be graded? They often will skip any activity not entered into the gradebook, regardless of merit. This creates unhealthy incentives that skew student behavior and attitudes. In SBG, the focus is on learning and mastery. Striving for mastery is an intrinsic motivator and transforms student attitudes. They learn for their enjoyment and sustain high levels of effort and achievement.

5. Emotional Safety and Fear of Testing: Lessening the Stakes of Performance

At the beginning of each marking period, students start with 100%. Their averages fall as they make mistakes. Students with the fewest mistakes earn the highest grades. Depending on the size of the mistake, it may be impossible to recover and earn a good grade.

This high-stakes environment can create test-taking fear and anxiety, which interferes with learning. In SBG, scores go up as students learn. Final grades reflect mastery at the end of the course, so there’s little penalty for early mistakes. No event can ruin their grade. 

This creates an emotionally safe environment where students are encouraged to:

• Stretch themselves
• Make mistakes
• Learn

Rethinking Zeros

While SBG removes the problem of zeros, it's also common for organizations to allow redos. When students get a poor score, they can often work more on the topic, increasing their learning and reassessing. The ability to reach mastery is celebrated rather than the focus on the number of mistakes made.

6. Accurate Measurement of Learning: Getting Grades Right

One pitfall of traditional grading is inaccuracy. Student averages are highly dependent on the difficulty of the work assigned. If teachers present only low-complexity activities, students can earn high scores with a weak command of the material. The opposite is also true. Highly demanding instructors may present very difficult work, resulting in overly low student scores. Curving and extra credit are used to adjust averages into more appropriate distributions.

Aligning Grades with Mastery Complexity

In both cases, SBG can improve the situation by providing clearer criteria for measuring mastery. Mastery of low-complexity work yields lower grades, while mastery of higher-complexity work provides higher grades. Connecting grades to complexity rather than percentage completion yields more accurate and consistent grades.

5 Cons of Standards Based Grading Systems

1. The Heavy Lifting at the Start of the Transition to SBG

Implementing a standards-based grading system means changing the way teachers assess students. This transition requires a lot of work upfront. First, educators must prioritize the most important standards for their classes. Then, they need to create detailed rubrics that outline the specific criteria for each level of performance. 

Realigning Assessments for SBG

Teachers need to realign their assessments to match the new grading system. This takes time, and it’s best done during professional development days so as not to add more to teachers’ plates. 

2. Moving Away From Traditional Grading Systems Can Be Difficult for Everyone

Teachers and students are accustomed to the traditional grading system. For this reason, moving away from it can be difficult for everyone, including staff members responsible for implementing SBG. An adjustment period is to be expected. Parents need to adjust their expectations accordingly, too.

3. Parents Need Support to Understand Standards-Based Grading

Students aren’t the only ones who are affected by new grading systems. Parents also are impacted, and they need support to understand the changes. 

In standards-based grading, letters are no longer used exclusively in all classes or schools that adopt SBG policies. Instead, the focus is on specific learning goals and the individual student’s performance on assessments related to those objectives. As such, academic reports may look different, and parents will need help interpreting the new data types. 

4. There’s a Lot of New Information to Digest

With SBG, the overall complexity increases due to the addition of proficiency scales rather than simply assigning letter grades based on test scores alone. For example, with SBG, teachers assess students’ mastery of clearly defined learning objectives. 

Students will receive scores that indicate their level of proficiency. This can confuse students and parents alike, especially since the new reports often have numbers or terms instead of letter grades. 

5. Standards-Based Grading Trainers Can Help Ease the Transition

Investing in a standards-based grading trainer to support teachers transitioning to SBG can help ease the process. These experts walk staff through the steps of SBG, so they feel fully supported during the change.

10 Steps to Implementing Standards Based Grading Systems

1. Learn the Standards

Familiarize yourself with the academic standards and learning objectives established by your district. These standards are the foundation of your SBG system.

A Mindset Shift for Standards-Based Grading

When embarking upon standards-based grading, you mustn’t seek only to reimagine the way grades and report cards work. You must be prepared for the pedagogical shifts necessary to adopt a standards-based approach ultimately. 

Shifting the Focus

According to Tom Schimmer in Grading from the Inside Out, it might be more beneficial for educators to think about a standards-based mindset rather than standards-based grading. Like any mindset work, that subtle shift in language helps keep the focus of the grading process while highlighting the cultural and paradigm shift.  Working with a learning management system (LMS) can support that mindset in various ways.

Understanding the Standards-Based Grading Scale

Since standards-based reporting is based on demonstration of mastery, it can’t rely on the traditional grading methods based on the percentage of work completed. The standards-based approach relies upon standards.
We tie learning materials, such as:

• Assignments
• Projects
• Assessments

Aligning Assessments to Standards

To the standards, learning objectives, or learning targets we want to measure, whether working individually or as part of a professional learning community (PLC) or team of teachers, educators can take an assessable material type in Schoology Learning and align it to the standards that already populate in the platform.  

Understanding the SBG Grading Scale

Most standards-based scales are 0-4 or 0-5, reflecting students’ increasing skill or mastery. 

• On a 1-4 scale, a score of 1 indicates that students understand a concept little and cannot demonstrate mastery of it. 
• Students can demonstrate partial mastery and score a two as they learn and progress. 
• Once they meet a target, they score a 3. 
• The 4s are reserved for students who exceed the learning target.
  

Regardless of the method, it’s essential to communicate what the proficiency scales actually mean beyond a number. What does a proficiency score of 4 entail? What does a one mean?

Remember that numbers can be quite deceiving when considering progress against proficiency levels. A student at the beginning of a unit may only be at a 1, which is understandable before learning occurs. Parents and students reviewing their progress may see that in a more negative light.

To remedy this, set up your proficiency scales (at the district or course level) to display text instead of numbers, which can greatly alleviate concerns about the level indicators.

2. Explain the System to Stakeholders

Invite open dialogue with students, families, and fellow educators to explain the purpose of SBG's benefits. Address any concerns or misconceptions and build a shared understanding of the new system. 

3. Define Clear Learning Objectives

Break down academic standards into specific, measurable learning objectives for students. These objectives should be concise, understandable, and aligned with the curriculum.

4. Develop a Grading Scale

Design a grading scale that aligns with the standards-based approach. This scale can be structured in two ways to assess students’ progress toward meeting each learning objective:

• A continuum of mastery levels (e.g., the four-point scale)
• Descriptive indicators (e.g., emerging, developing, proficient, advanced) 

5. Communicate Grading Criteria

Communicate the grading criteria and expectations to all relevant stakeholders, particularly students and parents. Provide rubrics or scoring guides that outline the proficiency levels for each learning objective, helping students understand what is required to demonstrate mastery.

6. Emphasize Formative Assessment

Focus on formative assessments rather than summative ones. Use a variety of assessment strategies such as:

• Quizzes
• Projects
• Presentations
• Graded homework
• Observations
  

This will help you adjust your instruction as appropriate.

7. Provide Timely, Specific Feedback

Give your students feedback that is:

• Specific
• Constructive
• Actionable

Emphasize feedback that highlights strengths and areas for improvement related to the learning objectives rather than assigning grades based on completion or effort. 

8. Support Growth and Revision

Encourage students to engage in self-reflection. Give them opportunities to revise their work and demonstrate improved mastery of learning objectives over time. Foster a growth mindset that values effort, persistence, and continuous improvement. 

9. Track Progress and Report Grades

Maintain records of each student’s progress toward meeting the learning objectives. Use a standards-based gradebook or a digital tool.

10. Evaluate and Adapt

Continuously assess the effectiveness of your grading system. Collect feedback to identify areas for improvement:

• Students
• Parents
• Colleagues

Adjust your approach as needed to ensure the system is fair, transparent, and accurately reflects students’ learning progress.

13 Best Tools for Implementing Standards Based Grading In the Classroom

1. EssayGrader: Speedy and Accurate Essay Grading

EssayGrader is the most accurate AI grading platform trusted by over 60,000 educators worldwide. On average, a teacher takes 10 minutes to grade a single essay. With EssayGrader, that time is cut down to just 30 seconds. That's a 95% reduction in the time it takes to grade an essay, with the same results. 

With EssayGrader, teachers can replicate their grading rubrics so AI doesn't have to do the guesswork to:

• Set the grading criteria
• Setup fully custom rubrics
• Grade essays by class

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Bulk upload of essays, use our AI detector to catch essays written by AI, and even summarize essays with our Essay summarizer! Primary school, high school, and even college professors grade their students' essays with the help of our AI tool. Over half a million essays were graded by 60,000+ teachers on our platform. 

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2. TeacherEase: Mastery-Based Grading Made Easy

TeacherEase is another excellent tool for standards-based grading. This platform helps teachers measure learning by aligning student work to specific learning targets. Then, TeacherEase allows educators to easily capture and analyze mastery data to inform instruction. 

A Comprehensive Grading Solution

The software also helps separate formative assessments from summative scores when calculating grades. In addition, TeacherEase has dynamic grouping features to help differentiate instruction and uses various grading algorithms to summarize many targets into an overall grade for transcripts and eligibility, such as:

• Power Law
• Decaying weights
• Median
• Mode 

3. QuickSchools: Gradebooks Reimagined

The QuickSchools Standards-Based Gradebook is a comprehensive framework for standards-based grading. As an entirely reimagined way to do grading, there are tons of options and features available to explore. The SB Gradebook is designed to give teachers and administrators an at-a-glance view of students’ performance for each standard taught in class. 

Not only does it automatically average students’ grades for a standard by using a formula that schools can choose and configure, but it also has a colorful display highlighting notable standards or students’ grades.

4. JumpRope: Empowering Students and Teachers with Standards-Based Insights

JumpRope is the standards-based gradebook that empowers teachers, students, and families with meaningful insights about progress and mastery. The platform helps educators give actionable feedback to learners and differentiate instruction. It also empowers students to own their learning and truly master all the skills and habits that promote success. Finally, JumpRope helps families support the learning process in the most productive ways.

5. Otus: Track Student Performance Over Time

At Otus, we’ve been working hard to achieve the best standards-based gradebook solution, and it is now available on the Otus Student Performance Platform. While assigning work in Otus, teachers can easily attach specific common core, state, and custom standards to:

• Resources
• Lessons
• Assessments

Every time a student completes an activity tagged with a standard and is graded within Otus, the performance will automatically be tracked in the Standards Gradebook. Note: Otus has a traditional gradebook option, too.

6. Schoology LMS: Access Your Gradebook Anywhere, Anytime

Schoology LMS helps save teachers time with an intuitive, powerful online gradebook they can use anywhere, from any device. Grade from any location or device. Responsive design allows convenient access from your web browser on:

• Windows
• Mac
• IOS
• Android
• Chromebooks

Ensure scores reflect student mastery with the freedom to use professional judgment. Choose either standards-based or traditional grading.

7. MasteryConnect: Create Assessments Tied to Specific Standards

A widely-used platform for standards-based grading, MasteryConnect allows teachers to create assessments tied to specific standards, track student progress, and identify areas where students need additional support.

8. FreshGrade: Documenting Student Learning Against Standards

FreshGrade helps teachers document student learning against standards, providing an intuitive platform for:

• Tracking progress
• Sharing feedback
• Involving parents in the learning process

9. Google Classroom with Rubrics: Create Custom Rubrics Aligned to Standards

While not a full-fledged standards-based grading tool, Google Classroom allows teachers to:

• Create rubrics aligned to standards
• Track student progress
• Provide structured feedback that relates to specific learning goals

10. Echo: Tools to Effectively Communicate Learner Growth

Echo's Standards-based grading tools are intended to:

• Effectively communicate a learner's growth over time.
• Better correlate tasks with specific learning standards.
• Help teachers focus on and communicate about student progress over time, both for individual students and classes. 
• Give students better insight into their progress and how activities contribute to it. Decrease the emphasis from an overall course grade that various factors can skew.

11. Forefront: Standards-Based Grading for K-8

Forefront makes K-8 standards-based grading:

• Specific
• Detailed
• Directly linked to instruction

Collect information in preconfigured grade book templates to capture and easily communicate student learning information.

12. Gradelink: Flexible Report Card Formats

Gradelink offers a flexible report card format optimized for reporting on:

• Standard categories
• Subcategories
• Individual standards

You can append these averages to either an overall mastery level mark or grade, allowing for preservation of the traditional grading format while adding the display of standards performance specific to each class.

13. Kiddom: Free Platform for Tracking Student Assignments

Kiddom is a free platform that allows you to track student assignments along with the standards they assess for, then access a range of data reports that tell you which standards need more work, which students need more help, and where exactly you need to put your energy.

9 Best Practices for Standards Based Grading Systems

1. Establishing Evaluation Standards: The Foundation of Successful Standards-Based Grading

A successful standards-based grading framework begins with establishing clear categories and learning targets that properly assess and track student knowledge. In preparing evaluation criteria, teachers should keep the following questions in mind:

• What do all of my students need to know?
• What should all of my students be able to do to demonstrate they know?
• What standards do I want to measure?
• Which outcomes are not being assessed adequately?

Spokane Public Schools' Standards-Based Grading System

A review of the standards-based grading system in Spokane Public Schools shows how school districts can address these questions in developing their evaluation criteria. The school district uses a broad set of principles to establish learning criteria and standards-based system standards.

2. Establishing Learning Targets: Nailing Down the Details for Standards-Based Grading

Clear learning targets are a central component of standards-based grading systems. Educators from Omaha Public Schools found that developing proficiency scales, holistic rubrics that look at student learning goals for each course’s learning goal and standard was an important part of the district’s adoption of a standards-based grading system. 

As three of the consultants and supervisors who were involved in this initiative wrote in Principal Leadership: Proficiency scales are summative and do not identify the minute details commonly found in an analytical rubric. Instead, they characterize the knowledge and skills that students need to have and be able to do as:

• Basic
• Proficient
• Advanced

Many teachers had never collectively worked through what was to be taught and what success looks like unit by unit, and they found the process meaningful. To maximize the benefits of using these learning targets, districts and schools should:

• Use representative teams of master teachers to develop rubrics with feedback from colleagues
• Reduce the number of target concepts to help teachers focus on tracking consistent growth in specific areas
• Pair down curricula to help teachers teach and re-teach core material

The authors explained that “this ‘less is more’ approach has increased student learning and trend scores.”

3. Developing and Selecting Assessments: Creating Tools to Track Student Progress

In addition to developing evaluation criteria and learning targets, teachers must develop or select evaluation tools for tracking and measuring student progress. These assessments include:

• Formative assessments: Track student progress during the course
• Summative assessments: Teachers administer at the end of the course 

At a broad level, the Southern Regional Education Board recommends that teachers use the following principles to guide assessment selection:

• Use summative assessments to frame performance goals as desirable outcomes.
• Show students criteria in advance to help them understand these standards.
• Assess students before beginning the instruction period.
• Offer students appropriate assessment choices.
• Provide students with specific, clear feedback as early and often as possible.
• Encourage self-assessment and goal-setting among students.
• Allow new evidence to replace old evidence in student assessments.

The Future of Grading

The Sheridan County School District in Ranchester, Wyoming, suggests that teachers follow five key recommendations for developing or selecting assessments. Researchers also recommend building assessments around specific concepts or groups of concepts. This method allows students to see the breakdown of each concept in their tests instead of receiving an ambiguous percentage on a test without additional guidance. 

This approach also allows instructors to target instruction to help students, including gifted or struggling students, who may benefit from additional instruction in a specific area.

4. Developing Formative Assessments: Checking for Understanding Along the Way

In one report, standards-based grading advocates suggest that teachers use three formative assessments during instruction: probing discussions, unobtrusive assessments, and student-generated assessments.

5. Developing Summative Assessments: Distinguishing Between Teaching Activities and Assessments

In developing summative assessments, teachers should distinguish between teaching activities through which students learn and practice and summative assessments through which students demonstrate their knowledge. In concrete terms, the Jessamine School District in Kentucky advises teachers to:

• Replace final exams with periodic summative assessments.
• Students must pass each summative assessment to complete a portion of the course.
• Require students to pass all summative assessments to earn credit for the course.
• Students must complete alternate credit opportunities when they do not pass summative assessments.
• Enter grades using the district’s standards-based alphabetic grading scale.

Revise the summative grade based on the most recent summative assessment results, especially for standards that appear multiple times over the course.

6. Developing Reassessments: Allowing Students to Demonstrate Improved Mastery

Teachers can create reassessments to allow students to retake examinations to demonstrate improved mastery of a subject. While teachers can have students retake the same examination, Sheridan County School District has developed a five-step process for creating individualized reassessment plans. 

Reassessment Agreement

According to the district, the reassessment agreement supports student learning by ensuring relearning occurs before reassessment. This process also clarifies the reassessment process for the student and the teacher and identifies how the teacher will reassess student performance to assuage student concerns about the exam. 

7. Assessing Late Submission of Student Work: Creating Incentives for Completing Incomplete Assignments

Classroom policies must also address concerns related to late work and create incentives for students to finish incomplete assignments. Former teacher Jeanetta Miller encourages teachers to be flexible with deadlines and communicate with students about work completion regularly, writing in the English Journal that, The teacher can say, “I’d like to begin responding to your current work-in-progress this week. Please get a draft to me as soon as I can. We should talk about your situation if I don’t have one within a week.” 

Avoiding Single Due Dates and Penalties

Miller highlights several benefits associated with this approach. First, the approach allows teachers to avoid the process of setting a single due date for all students and developing a penalty to enforce the deadline that could distort student achievement. 

Supporting Student Learning Through Process Logging

Logging student progress from the dialogues also makes it easy for teachers to determine which students need attention and sends a clear message that the teacher values thinking and writing more than compliance.

Managing Workload and Preventing Overwhelm

By inevitably staggering the dates when students complete assignments, this method “prevents the teacher from feeling overwhelmed by five class sets of essays in one day.” Sheridan County School District advises teachers to discuss the importance of practice with students who have not completed homework assignments and set goals for future work. 

Encouraging Practice and Setting Goals

Teachers can also require students to work on assignments during class or to come in during a flex period or after school. Finally, teachers should provide students with feedback about their work habits by regularly recording homework in the grade book and using the information to support student learning.

Overcoming Teacher Resistance to Multiple Chances

In Omaha Public Schools, the district’s teachers made practice and coursework “more purposeful” so students felt the value of completing these assignments. Nevertheless, many of the district’s teachers initially opposed giving students multiple chances to master a learning target and submit late work without penalties. 

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As the article notes, “those [issues] continue to be hot topics of conversation, but teachers are starting to see the value of not punishing students for making mistakes while they are learning new skills.”

8. Translating Standards-Based Evaluations Into Letter Grades: Aligning Traditional and Standards-Based Grading Systems

Many schools rely on a four-point scale with clear learning targets to align standards-based grades with grades awarded on a traditional grading scale. The Southern Regional Education Board recommends that teachers use the following guidelines when preparing for this process:

• Link grading procedures to the intended learning goals.
• Use criterion-referenced standards as reference points to distribute grades.
• Limit the valued attributes included in grades to individual achievement.
• Use representative samples of student performance rather than including all scores in a final grade.
• Grade in pencil and keep records to be updated easily.
• Crunch numbers carefully, if at all during this process.
• Use quality assessment and properly recorded evidence of student achievement.
• Discuss and involve students in assessment, including grading, throughout the learning process.

9. Providing Differentiated Teaching in Standards-Based Classrooms: Flexible Approaches for Diverse Learners

Sheridan County School District recommends that teachers adopt flexible methods of evaluation, especially for students who struggle with a specific type of assessment: If a student has trouble with traditional pencil-and-paper assessments, you could assess that student’s knowledge through a verbal assessment or use evidence from:

• Class discussions
• Performance on assigned tasks or other quick
• Informal assessments to determine the student’s level of proficiency.

Allowing for Alternative Demonstrations of Mastery

If a student proposes an alternative way to demonstrate advanced, in-depth understanding of an outcome, the teacher should make sure the task is sufficiently rigorous and aligns to the outcome it is intended to measure, then assess the student’s work appropriately. 

Individualized Feedback for Student Growth

As a part of this approach, teachers may also use meetings to provide students individualized feedback. As Jeanetta Miller notes, “students need timely feedback on work in progress that salutes original ideas, solid research, and effective use of skills as well as offering suggestions for improvement.” 

Teachers can also ask students to provide information about the current status of a project for the teacher.

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