Response to "Standards Based Grading and Reporting Handbook"

This all goes back to standards, which are created for the main purpose of equalizing the educational experiences of all students.  Documents like the “Secondary Standards Based Grading and Reporting Handbook” are designed to help someone else in the education equation: parents.  As a parent of students enrolled in educational atmospheres, it does me good to know that my students are being held up to a level that would make them equal with their peers.  Unfortunately, as a student teacher, I see how standards are not completely followed as intended.  The main problem there is the lack of funds needed to bring school districts up to par.  We can grade and report according to standards all we want, but if we don’t have the tools needed to do as we are being trained, a lot of futility enters into all of it.

I am not saying this document is full of crap, just the situation.  It would be wonderful if every student actually had the opportunities promised to them.  For instance, there are some very notable things said.  “When a student makes progress they feel motivated and more successful because enhancing perceived competence is motivating in and of itself.”  No one, including students, likes doing things when there are no results to build them up.  The idea here is to make sure of two things: that education: that standard are met, and to make sure students know when they succeed at meeting such a lofty level of achievement.

On page 6, I did appreciate the idea of students being graded separately on achievement, and being graded on all other bench marks separately. In other words, if a student is only graded on how well they met the standards that are being taught, so much else might be missed.  In other words, if a student works extra hard (work habits) and doesn’t achieve the level of standards that is expected/hoped for, I do not believe that all of their other efforts should not be noted.