Grading for Impact: Raising Student Achievement Through a Target-Based Assessment and Learning System

Aim for a target-based grading system and create stronger learning opportunities!  Do you wish there was more clarity when it comes to measuring student progress and learning? What if there was a way to utilize grading and assessment to focus on learning rather than performance, and the process rather than the product?    As grading, assessment, and reporting continue to be relevant topics of discussion, this book helps you create a functional plan to elevate and advance standards-based grading practices. Teachers and administrators will learn how to assess, grade, and report against specific learning targets rather than standards as a whole to make skill acquisition the highest priority. Grounded in application to provide focus and clarity, this book features:    Real case studies of schools that have incorporated target-based assessment, feedback, grading, and reporting Practical examples to guide implementation Questions, checklists, illustrations, and audits of practice to showcase the work in action An accessible format and layout that support both immediate implementation and long-term goals    Despite being a topic that generates emotion and resistance to change, target-based assessment builds the foundation for a learner-centered system that provides clear expectations and feedback for teachers, students, and parents. "Grading for Impact is a simple and straightforward guide to re-thinking grading based on mastery of specific skills and concepts rather than broadly-written standards. Real-world examples of teachers struggling with--and answering--the old questions are included: "How do we grade fairly and accurately?" and "How do we use grades as an instructional strategy?""  Joseph Staub, High School Teacher  Downtown Magnets High School, CA    "Most stakeholders agree that report cards aren’t enough to show what our students are learning in school, but changing the traditional grading system is a task that requires careful planning and challenging discussions. Grading for Impact shows educators how to start and plan the discussions that will result in genuine learning experiences for students."  Ernie Rambo, Virtual Learning Community Coordinator  Nevada National Board Professional Learning Institute

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Myron Dueck Acknowledgments Introduction Understanding the Purpose of This Book Broad History of Assessment (For, Of, As) Intended Purpose and Audience (Why, How, and What Next) Embedded Case Study Within This Book About the Authors Chapter 1. Introduction and Rationale for Grading Reform Through Target-Based Assessment, Grading, and Reporting What Is Target-Based Assessment, Grading, and Reporting? How Is Target-Based Assessment and Grading Different From Standards-Based Assessment and Grading? What Is Target-Based Reporting? Why Target-Based Assessment, Grading, and Reporting? Grades That Are Supportive of Learning Conclusion Chapter 2. Key Characteristics When Grading for Impact Components of Target-Based Assessment, Grading, and Reporting Systems How to Gather Evidence of Learning Data Supporting Increases in Student Learning Challenges With Target-Based Assessment, Grading, and Reporting How Target-Based Assessment and Grading Was Born in Winneconne, Wisconsin Winneconne Community School District (WI) Case Study (The HOW) A Simplified Process for Target-Based Assessment, Grading, and Reporting in Collaborative Teams (How to Actually Do This Work) Conclusion Chapter 3. Prioritizing Instruction: Building From the Standards to Determine Your Targets A Process for Prioritizing Instruction and Standards (From the 13 Steps to Target-Based Grading) Conclusion Chapter 4. Building High-Quality Learning Targets Based on Prioritized Standards A Process for Writing Clear Learning Targets Elementary Learning Target Examples Middle School Learning Target Examples High School Learning Target Examples Conclusion Chapter 5. Organizing Learning Targets in a Target-Based System Proficiency Scales Versus Proficiency Targets Conclusion Chapter 6. Building High-Quality Assessments Aligned to Learning Targets Using Assessment as Evidence Gathering A Different Way of Thinking About Assessment (Hiring Committees) Conclusion Chapter 7. Providing Feedback and Aligning Reassessment Designing Units of Instruction Design Learning-Target-Specific Units of Instruction Conclusion Chapter 8. Communicating Achievement in a Target-Based Grading System Purposes of Grading and Reporting Frequency of Reporting Example of PAW in MasteryConnect Conclusion Conclusion A Call to Leadership! References Index

About the Author :
Tom Hierck has been an educator since 1983 in a career that has spanned all grade levels and many roles in public education. His experiences as a teacher, an administrator, a district leader, a department of education project leader, and an executive director have provided a unique context for his education philosophy. Tom is a compelling presenter, infusing his message of hope with strategies culled from the real world. He understands that educators face unprecedented challenges and knows which strategies will best serve learning communities. Tom has presented to schools and districts across North America with a message of celebration for educators seeking to make a difference in the lives of students. His dynamic presentations explore the importance of positive learning environments and the role of assessment to improve student learning. His belief that “every student is a success story waiting to be told” has led him to work with teachers and administrators to create positive school cultures and build effective relationships that facilitate learning for all students. Tom Hierck’s blog can be found at tomhierck.com/blog/.

Review :
"Student learning and classroom environments are changing, so why not standards-based grading? This book encourages change to target-based grading and asks the ′why not?′" "Grading for Impact is a simple and straightforward guide to re-thinking grading based on mastery of specific skills and concepts rather than broadly-written standards. Real-world examples of teachers struggling with--and answering--the old questions are included: "How do we grade fairly and accurately?" and "How do we use grades as an instructional strategy?"" "Many stakeholders agree that report cards aren’t enough to show what our students are learning in school, but changing the traditional grading system is a task that requires careful planning and challenging discussions. Grading for Impact shows educators how to start and plan the discussions that will result in genuine learning experiences for students." "The unique contribution of Tom Hierck and Garth Larson’s Grading for Impact to the existing compendium of published books on standards-based grading is its tighter focus on what the authors refer to as ‘target-based’ assessment and grading vs. standards-based grading. Learning targets, smaller ‘chunks’ of a larger standard, provide teachers and students with sharper clarity.  When learning targets are explicit, teachers are able to keep instruction and assessment tightly focused on those targets and adjust their ongoing instruction—based on assessment evidence—as needed, and students are able to adjust their learning strategies based on the assessment-elicited feedback they receive. This makes grading and reporting much more meaningful, because an individual student’s performance is directly related to specific learning expectations so that both teacher and student can determine ‘next steps’ in the learning journey. Hierck and Larson carefully present the rationale for target-based assessment and grading and then lay out a ‘how-to roadmap’ that any school system can successfully follow to implement these powerful ideas." "The ′make or break it′ for a practitioner book, however, is ′can the reader now proceed with confidence in implementing the concept or process in his/her school, district, or system.′ Seriously, no book I have ever read has been this clear. But, of even more ultimate significance is admonishing the reader not to take the "short cut" of ′borrowing′ the examples, forms, etc provided in the book. You effectively interspersed ′gentle warnings′ at key points. AND, you made clear the reasons for doing the work locally – the ever-important "buy in" and honoring ′context.′"