features journey to standards-...

24 MOMENTUM • SUMMER 2019

FEATURES

M any Catholic schools, dioceses and arch-diocese are adopting a standards-based approach to teaching and learning. The NCEA, through the National Standards and

Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools, has recognized the imperative that Catholic schools must provide an excellent academic program within a faith-filled environment, and a standards-based approach does just that.

However, standards-based teaching and learning encompasses more than just the existence of standards. It means that all elements of teaching and learning are connected to the standards. It starts with a mindset and paradigm shift in thinking about teaching and learning. It is a journey of discovery, self-reflection and continuous improvement.

Our journeyOur journey started as a dirt road – and it was a rocky one. As we built the foundation and paved the way with knowledge and understanding, it has continuously evolved. This transformation starts with the funda-mental belief that a standards-based education is the best thing for our students; academically, morally and

Daphne Irby

Journey to STANDARDS- BASED TEACHING AND LEARNING

In standards-based districts and

schools, commonly expected,

research-based instructional

methods and strategies are used

to deliver the standards-aligned

curriculum and ensure students

have adequate and equitable

opportunities to learn…

Consequently, a strong emphasis

on ensuring effective classroom

instruction is delivered in every

classroom, every day is critical to

deliver a high-quality, engaging

standards-based education to

every child.” (Colorado Coalition of

Standards-Based Education, 2012

pg. 22)

SUMMER 2019 • MOMENTUM 25

spiritually. It requires steadfastness, faith and patience. It has many detours and paths. It is a hard journey, but worth it.

“It touched all elements of teach-ing and learning,” said Kathy O’Reilly and Cindy Lombardo, respectively the principal and assistant principal of St. Brigid of Kildare Catholic School in Dublin, Ohio. “It was more about instructional design than grading. It changed everything that we do. We would never go back.”

In the Diocese of Columbus, we have been on this journey since 1996. The initial challenge was developing a common report card. The diocesan schools had common courses of study,

but each school had a different report card. A committee of teachers was formed to do this, just around the time research and articles were being pub-lished about standards-based grading. Many experts, including Ken O’Connor, Jay McTigue and Tom Guskey, provided professional development to teachers and principals.

As the work continued into de-signing this report card, the conversa-tion moved to questioning grades and whether or not they accurately reflected where a student was in relation to the course standards. As we learned more about what was included in the grades, there was a push to separate behavior

from academic achievement. The Life Skills report was created to separate the behaviors from the academic “grade.” A common report card was created with symbols/codes to indicate mastery level and was rolled out in the 2001-2002 school year. The initial intent was to move all K-8 schools to these codes and symbols instead of letter grades.

However, there was huge resis-tance, especially in the middle school grades,from parents, from pastors and from teachers. So the new grading system was only implemented in K-3. Grades four through eight were given the choice of having the standards and letter grades or just standards. Most


FEATURES

chose to keep the letter grades. After a few years, many schools moved to K-5 standard-based-only report cards. A few of the school leaders saw the value and transformative possibility of moving to-wards a complete standards-based system and these few did implement the system in grades K-8 and became our models for moving forward.

There were several resurgence ef-forts over the years, and more schools transitioned into the standards-based format. However, it was not diocese-wide. Things slowed down, but we continued to push forward. Many years later, in 2015, Bishop Frederick Campbell and Dr. Joseph Brettnacher, episcopal mod-erator and superintendent of schools at the time, put a three-year timeline in place to transition all K-8 grade levels to the standards-based system. A new team of teachers, which included many teach-ers from the early adopter schools, was formed to revise the report cards to be more standards-based. This team began by developing principles and beliefs of grading and reporting. (See sidebar).

The Standards-based Learning (SBL) team addressed many issues, start-ing with the development of essential standards with new codes/symbols to have a true standards-based report card instead of a standards-referenced one, and a redesign of the online grade book and behavior reports. The team is now working on performance descrip-tors (mastery scales). The team and administrators also received professional development in creating standards-based assessments, providing feedback and developing rubrics and performance, or mastery scales. On our website we published information about the research and how-to videos for teachers. Conversations and professional develop-ment continued at the administrators’ meetings.We also produced a teacher’s manual and parent brochures on standards-based grading;formative and summative assessments were developed

and posted on school websites. We also created a framework (Figure 1) to reflect our meaning of standards-based teaching and learning and to provide the infrastructure for the work moving forward. The framework has intertwining elements that demonstrate the interdependency of each element. It also shows that the standards are at the center of everything.

WE BELIEVE:

• Theprimarypurposeofreportcardsistocommunicatetothe student and parent what a student knows and is able to do,basedontheDiocesanCourseofStudy.

• Theprimarypurposeofassessmentandevaluationistoimprove student learning.

• Gradesshouldbeaccurate,meaningful,consistent,andsupportiveoflearning.

• Gradingandreportingaresystemstosupportstudentlearning at high levels.

• Gradingmustincludeenoughinformationsoteachersandparentscanprovidetheappropriateamountofsupportforthe student.

• Themostaccuratereportingsystemsarethosethatseparateacademicachievementfrombehaviorreporting.

• Studentsdeservemultipleopportunitiestodemonstratewhattheyknowandcandoafterlearning.

• Goodreportingisbasedonsoundevidencefromavarietyofsources.

• Learningisaprocessandwherestudentsfinishismoreimportant than where students start or how long it takes them to get there.

FIGURE 1


Next stepsIn the 2017-2018 school year, all elementary schools transitioned to this new system. The SBL team is still meeting three times a year. We continue to transition from teacher-directed instruction and move toward standards-based teaching and learning (Figure 2). We will continue to reflect and refine. Professional development and collaboration will continue. This effort is truly a never-ending journey.

In the schools where teachers and principals embraced the new system, we’ve seen positive changes in classroom instruction.

Learning targets are visible to teach-ers and students alike. Assessments are aligned. Rubrics are used for assessing and giving feedback. Teacher com-ments reflect a deeper knowledge of the student. The academic and behavioral interventions in those schools have increased and are more targeted. There are more small groups and individual instruction occurring in these class-rooms. Conversations with parents have changed and are more focused.

The greatest change is the involve-ment of the student. Students want to know how they are doing in relation to the standards and what they need

to work on to improve. Student-led conferences are a natural evolution in standards-based environments.

Rocks in the roadThere are still some school leaders and teachers who have not made the shift. They are trying to make the system fit into their more traditional view. They believe in teaching the standards in the course of study, but not in providing feedback by standard. They replaced the letter grade with the new code, but the meaning of that code is no differ-ent than a letter grade. They still use averaging instead of progress over time to determine the final “grade.” They are teaching to cover the standards instead of teaching to mastery of the standards. Teaching and learning in those class-rooms will not change until the mindset of the teachers and principals in those schools change.

The DriverIn our journey, the Diocese of Columbus and Office of Catholic Schools were the initial drivers. We set the direction and tried to provide as much guidance and support as possible. However, the diocese or archdiocese cannot change classrooms; the principals and leaders in

the schools have to become the drivers at the school level. One of our great-est lessons is that no transformative change will occur unless the principal and pastor take the torch.The principal, assistant principal and pastor have to de-fend the practices and answer questions and concerns from the parents and the teachers. Kathy O’Reilly, the principal at St. Brigid of Kildare, said the support and direction from her pastor were para-mount to the success of their journey.

It is more work for teachers. Teach-ers have to determine the learning targets (standard or standards of what to teach) through lesson planning and how those standards are going to be assessed. The must break the assessments down by standard, and the assessment ques-tions must align to the standards being taught. For example, if the standard states, “analyze the key details of a text and how it supports the main idea” and the test question only asks the student to

FIGURE 2

Activities are the basis for planning.

From …

Identification of what a student needs to know and do is the basis for planning.

To …

Students are unsure about what quality work looks like.

Students are unsure about what they are to learn.

Assessment is typically at the end of a unit.

The textbooks are the main source of information.

Instruction is delivered by the teacher.

Instruction is the same for all students.

Quality work is well defined and explained to students.

Students work to meet defined and known goals.

Assessment is ongoing throughout the unit.

A variety of resources is used.

Instruction is student-centered.

Instruction is tailored to individual student needs.


FEATURES

identify the key details, the question is not assessing that standard. If teachersfundamentally believe in standards-based education, they will dedicate the time and effort into transforming their practices – because they know it is worth it.

One of the biggest pushbacks from teachers is that without grades, students won’t be motivated to learn. Lori Smith, the principal at St. Cecilia Catholic School in Columbus, Ohio, explained best why that’s not true.

“Grades don’t motivate students, teachers do,” Smith said. “The relationship between teacher and student begins with knowledge of the student, know-ing the strengths and weaknesses of each student and nurturing that relationship.”

Grades hinder a student’s learning. How many times is a student concerned with just the grade and not with the learning? Our faith requires us to be life-long learners in our quest to find truth and to become citizens of the Kingdom. A student must experience the joy of intrinsic motivation to become a lifelong learner. Grades are extrinsic motivators and don’t sup-port lifelong learning.

Preparing for the journeyBelow are some general dos and don’ts for those just starting down the path, based on lessons that we have learned through the process. However, remember that each journey is unique.

Do Not:• Makeitvoluntary.Onceyouhavecommittedthat

this is the right thing to doyou’re your students, do not leave it up to the teachers on whether they do it. Research has shown there is more collaboration and satisfaction with the system at schools where all teachers implemented practice changes.

• Trytoimplementspecificproceduresorrulesofgrading, e.g., 85 percent or higher means mastery, or you must assess three times. Not everything is black and white. Teachers get caught up in the mechanics and forget the principles behind the system. The belief and principles should be the guide. You know someone understands the system when they don’t get hung up on the mechanics.

• Beafraidtohavefrankdiscussionsatstaffmeet-ings. All teachers are going to struggle and need to be able to discuss and collaborate to come up with solutions.

• Forgettheparents.Theyneedtobeeducatedjustas much as the teachers.

• Beafraidoffailure.Therewillbebumpsandset-backs, so don’t lose focus on the end goal.


Daphne Irby

[email protected]

Do:• Readabouttheresearchinbooks

and articles about standards-based education, even the ones that do not support it. Discuss these books and articles with the staff. Under-standing starts with knowledge.

• Maketheresearchandinformationavailable on websites to allow the community to be able to access per-tinent information.

• Startwithprofessionaldevelop-ment based on the latest research.

• Startadialogueaboutgradingpractices. Challenge the current system in place. Ask “why?” and “why not?” questions.

• Visitotherschoolsandclassroomsthat have changed over and are experiencing positive results. STEM and STEAM schools are an excellent place to start. Many have made the shift as part of their process.Finally, remember that it starts

with leadership: Diocesan leadership, school leadership, and teacher leader-ship. The leadership must be commit-ted before any changes can happen. If the leadership is committed and consistent in their support, implemen-tation is easier – not easy, but easier. Our principals have said that the con-sistency and persistence at the diocesan level really helped and supported them in implementing changes. Teachers who worked for committed principals

were able to make the transition and continually improve their practices.

Just remember, students are the ultimate winners in this system. They will be more prepared for high school, col-lege and beyond. We hear all the time that we need to prepare our kids for the next level, whether that be high school, career or college. The best way we can do that is to ensure they have mastered the identified skills and knowledge at their current grade level before moving on to the next, and embed in them a sense of awareness about themselves and a mindset of lifelong learning.

The relationship between teacher and student

begins with knowledge of the student, knowing the

strengths and weaknesses of each student and

nurturing that relationship.

“

“

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