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It is important to remember that this really is a change in how we communicate student
understanding, not necessarily what is happening in the classroom. SBG shows parents their
child's progress within the district’s curriculum. With this system, parents will know how their
child is progressing toward mastering standards in each subject area.  Additionally, parents
will know whether their child is "on target" with district and state standards.  It is a much
better way to communicate progress.  Many educational researchers consider standards-based
grading much more fair to students and best educational practice.
 

The state of Wisconsin adopted academic standards over 25 years ago.  Since then we have
had “standards based instruction” and assessments (big and small) tied to communicate
progress toward achievement.  Teachers have been required to teach to the standards for
decades.
 

Learning targets are clearly communicated to students throughout instruction.  Parents and
students are able to clearly see which learning targets have been mastered and which ones
still need practice. With SBG, conversations between teachers and students become focused
on what learning still needs to happen versus how to get an A.
 

SBG will assure that students within a grade level receive similar instruction and are assessed
on the same expectations. SBG will also allow teachers to better communicate individual
student progress.  A standards-based report shares much more information about the skills
and knowledge a student has acquired with more detail than a single number.
 

Unlike traditional grading systems, a standards-based grading system measures a student’s
mastery of grade-level learning targets by prioritizing the most recent, consistent level of
performance. Thus a student who may have struggled at the beginning of a course, when
first encountering new material, may still be able to demonstrate mastery of key content/
concepts by the end of a grading period. A student who is at grade level at the start of the
course can then work to apply the knowledge and background they already have to push
themselves further.

In a traditional grading system, a student’s performance for an entire quarter is averaged
together. Early quiz scores that were low would be averaged together with more proficient
performance later in the course, resulting in a lower overall grade than current performance
indicates.

Standards-based report cards separate academic performance from work habits and behavior
in order to provide parents a more accurate view of a student’s progress in both academic and
behavioral areas. Variables such as effort, participation, timeliness, cooperation and attitude
are reported separately, not as an indicator of a student’s academic performance.
 

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.
 

You cannot really compare a traditional grading system to standards-based grading. It is 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 score of (3) is defined
as meeting grade level standards and indicates that a student has demonstrated mastery of
the skills that were expected to be learned by that point in the grading period. Our goal is that,
all students achieve at least a 3 in all learning at AMS.
 

Receiving a 1 or  2 on a grade report/report card can be a sign that a student is in need of
academic support in that specific area. This is one benefit of a standards-based report card;
specific areas in need of support are clearly identified.  Intervention classes are in place at
Amery Middle School to support learners who are behind in math and reading. If a student
receives 1’s or 2’s, it means his/her work is not yet meeting grade level standards. A number
of academic interventions will be offered to those students who are struggling to meet the
established learning targets. Students may be pulled into a teacher during the day for a re-teach
or a specific intervention.  These supports are not a punishment; they are the way that we
support the learning process.  Grade level retention is not a practice that is generally supported
by educational research.
 

A score of 4 indicates performance that is consistently above what is expected for mastery at
that point in the school year.  Level 4 work would indicate a much deeper understanding of a
standard, the ability to apply that knowledge, make connections, and extend learning beyond
the targeted goal.
 

The traditional concept of an Honor Roll does not easily match up with standards-based
grading.  It is our intention to recognize and acknowledge the academic accomplishments
of AMS students, as well as those who consistently display good citizenship/work habits.
 

Knowing where the students are in their progress toward meeting standards-based learning
targets is crucial for planning and carrying out classroom instruction. Teachers teach to the
needs of their students. Standards-based grading is designed to give teachers more information
about the student’s progress in meeting the level of proficiency required by each standard.  In
addition, teachers share the standards with students and parents, helping them to better
understand the learning that needs to take place and how we can help our students succeed.
 

All grading has an element of subjectivity.  Reporting progress on standards is less so because
there is clear criteria, divided into distinct levels.  A student’s work is measured against this
criteria. This criteria is the backbone of the rubrics used to determine the level of proficiency.
With specific criteria it is much easier to control other factors that may impact a grade.  These
other factors are still reported (an example would be neatness on an essay) but don’t impact
that specific grade on a standard.
 

A personal accountability (PA) grade indicates a student’s ability to meet pre-established behavioral
guidelines in the areas of respect, responsibility and work habits. All students will receive personal
accountability grades in classes. 

The Personal Accountability Areas include:

• Student uses time wisely and meets deadlines
• Student follows classroom expectations
• Student treats others and property with respect

(0) NE - No evidence
(1) NI – Needs Improvement
(2) AE – Approaching Expectation
(3) ME - Meets Expectation
 

Below is the language directly from the Amery athletic code.

1. All student athletes are expected to work hard in classes and complete all of their work.
2. Any students receiving a 0 or a 1 in any specific class at the end of a grading period would be considered significantly below grade level and would be ineligible for a specific period of time based on the Amery Athletic Code of Conduct.

It is important to note that our elementary school has been utilizing standards-based grading
system for several years, so it will not be new to the majority of our families. Standards-based
grading was also implemented at our intermediate school starting in 2020-21.  It is also under
study, or already implemented, in a number of school districts in the area, including elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools in Wisconsin.
 

Middle school students and families will have a clear understanding of the areas in which the
students’ learning is at, above or below grade-level proficiency.  This allows students to enter
high school with realistic goals and expectations of academic performance.
 

Standards-based grading gives the district a much better understanding of the effectiveness
of our curriculum and instruction.  It allows us to analyze our practices making sure all our
students leave college and career ready.