A student’s performance on a series of assessments (both formative and summative -- see below) will be used to determine a student’s overall grade in a course. Practice assignments (i.e. homework) are just that, practice, and thus serve primarily as a source of feedback and instructional support for both students and teachers. Scores on practice assignments will not be used as a major component of a student’s report card score. However, teachers may require students to complete all of their practice work prior to allowing them to take, or retake, an assessment.
Formative Assessment - The general goal of formative assessment is to collect detailed information that can be used to improve instruction and student learning while it’s happening.
Summative Assessment - The goal of summative assessment is to evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against grade level targets.
Formative assessments are for learning, while summative assessments are of learning.
Please note that the 4-point scale cannot be equated to the traditional letter grade system. That would be like comparing “apples to oranges.” SBG identifies a standard and indicates whether or not a student is meeting the standard at a given point in the school year. A rubric to score each standard has been created by teachers who are experts in that content area.
Score |
Short Descriptor |
Parent and Staff Descriptor |
What does that mean? |
4 |
Exceeding grade level standard |
Student consistently demonstrates an understanding above and beyond what is expected and requires differentiated instruction. |
Students shows a deeper understanding of the standard and applies knowledge, extends learning and makes connections beyond grade level goal. |
3 |
Meeting grade level standard |
Student consistently demonstrates mastery of the knowledge and skills expected at this grade level. |
Student has demonstrated mastery of expected skills by a certain point in the grading period. Our goal is that ALL students achieve a level of '3' by the end of the year. |
2 |
Progressing toward grade level stadard |
Student is adequately progressing toward mastery of knowledge nd skills expected at this grade level. |
The student has not YET mastered the expected skill and will be given more support thorugh academic interventions. Students will work with their classroom teacher or interventionists to continue to practice their skills. Students will then again be given the chance to show their progress on that specific skill. |
1 |
Not meeting grade level standard |
Student is not yet demonstrating and understanding of the knowledge and skills expected at this grade level nd requires differentiated instruction. |
The student has not YET mastered the expected skill and will be given more support thorugh academic interventions. Students will work with their classroom teacher or interventionists to continue to practice their skills. Students will then again be given the chance to show their progress on that specific skill. |