November professional learning event focused on improving grading practices
Superintendent John Fattal, Curriculum Director Jamie Johnston, District Assessment Coordinator Dr. Kristy Walters Flynn, and Middle School teacher Kerri Himm recently participated in a unique professional learning event that welcomed author and presenter Ken O’Connor, an international expert on effective standards-based grading and reporting. O’Connor addressed the positive challenges and current tensions associated with grading and reporting and the impact to students and their teachers.
O’Connor introduced high-quality teaching and assessment practices that result in grades that are meaningful, accurate, consistent, and supportive of learning. He shared a growing body of research showing the positive effects of rich, descriptive feedback to support learners and the positive ways the brain responds to information about progress. He also described some “hot button” issues that can cause difficulties and sometimes derail district implementation of more effective grading practices.
O’Connor was joined by Michigan educator Arthur Chiaravalli, a leading practitioner voice for the benefit of fewer summative marks and more descriptive feedback to students.
The event was hosted by the Michigan Assessment Consortium and was co-sponsored by the Michigan Department of Education as part of an Assessment Learning Network (ALN)— a professional learning community consisting of members from Michigan’s professional education organizations. Its goal is to increase the assessment literacy of all of Michigan’s professional educators.
You can access resources from the Effective Grading Practices event and learn about future ALN events at www.MichiganAssessmentConsortium.org/ALN. ALN member events are open to guest registrants as space allows. Scheduled topics for 2019-20:
- Balancing Michigan’s Assessment System through Performance Assessment — January 30, 2020
- Assessing Deeper Learning (with Jay McTighe) — March 4, 2020
- Assessing Social-Emotional Learning (with Christina Cipriano) — May 8, 2020