Standards Based Reporting

Copyright © 2013 by Richard Mast.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2013904341

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4836-0647-7

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4836-0646-0

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4836-0648-4

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Rev. date: 03/08/2013

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Contents

Chapter 1      Toward An Inclusive Standards-Based Reporting System

•   Principles For Linking Learning to Reporting Via Educational Standards

Chapter 2      Toward a Reporting System

•   Standards as a Continuum

•   Scaffolding the Standards

•   Managing Highly Detailed Standards

•   Beyond the Age Grouping

•   Assessing with Confidence

•   Body of Evidence

•   From Units to Standards

•   Bridging Assessment Practice to Standards

•   Audiences

Chapter 3      Reporting System

•   1.   Standards in the form of a continuum across age levels

•   2.   Moderation of assessment data

•   3.   Tracking the data

•   4.   Converting the data into a ‘Grade’

•   Summary

Chapter 4      Implementation

•   Resolving the Issues

•   Step 1a: Debate the philosophy

•   Step 1b: Challenge the principles

•   Step 2

•   Finale

Appendix

Bibliography

Chapter 1

Toward An Inclusive

Standards-Based Reporting System

Educational standards, assessment, learning and reporting are linked. More schools and educational systems are moving to address this link to provide more effective and legitimate mechanisms for describing learning over time.

The progress has been impressive and fully justified as a movement of improving education. The danger for all participants is that there is always a context to such a process. Underpinning the developments are the assumptions that shape the direction of the debate and define the features of the process. The problem with assumptions is that they are mostly silent. That is, they are not identified, discussed, challenged and ultimately rejected or embraced as a legitimate foundation for action. Not surprisingly we see attempts at standards-based assessment and reporting being developed that retain many of the features of the past that can and should be abandoned.

To let go of the past, to reject past practice, is highly confrontational for teachers and administrators who have held onto, rationalized and justified their positions, sometimes for decades. To accept that the practices of the past should be overhauled is too hard to face as it undermines all the best intentions of dedicated professionals. Add to this the beliefs about what parents want, know and expect and the momentum for real change is stifled.

The other problem is the tendency to treat the problem in simple terms. Focusing upon the inter-relationship of learning, assessment and reporting is not enough. We have many components of best practice that we espouse and find that schools tend to undermine them by treating reporting systems as separate from the best practice. Although not a deliberate undermining of good teaching and learning experiences, it demonstrates that there is a lack of interest in really confronting the implications of building systems from best practice as it means challenging past and current practices.

Take for example the call for differentiated instruction. It is hard to argue against the essence of the principle of treating each student as an individual and having their learning experience reflective of who they are and what they need. It is not easy to do but the idea is sound. A teacher attempting to build their pedagogical practice upon this notion will find it a real challenge to assess to this model. When the school expects a report to be developed that is based upon normative models the teacher is being effectively undermined. The institutional position is such that the system is being protected at the expense of best practice.

Standards-based reporting can close this gap and allow the schools to provide information that appears to be traditional in nature whilst supporting best practice such as differentiated instruction. However, to do that several assumptions need to be addressed.

There is a need to make sure that we have in place a clear understanding and agreement on how all the components should fit together.

Alignment is a key technical matter addressed in the literature. The concept has different constructions. It may specify alignment between standards and assessments, standards and teaching, standards and curriculum, and between teaching and assessments. Any or all of these may be present in specific cases. The evidence is that the closer the alignment between these factors, the better the students achieve (e.g., Clune, 2001; Linn & Herman, 1997; Porter & Smithson, 2001)." Rawlins et al (2005)

This book presents a process for a school or educational system to address issues and work toward a solution that has a strong potential to enhance learning based upon educational standards. The assessment processes are linked to the standards and the reporting provides grading if needed but more importantly, provides a comprehensive system of describing learning as a continuous process.

Principles For Linking Learning to Reporting Via Educational Standards

The dynamic of learning, assessment and reporting is complex. The fact that we struggle with this equation is not a surprise. The evolution of our understanding of education has extended over a long period of time, with different philosophies and purposes for all three components.

The time has arrived whereby we are now able to take a position that meets the expectations of three elements that are inter-connected but have evolved almost independently. To make sense of this interaction, we need to identify key principles. With these in place we can develop a clear understanding of what is needed and then move on to the ‘how’.

LEARNING

Learning is the core purpose of the education process. Therefore, all elements must support the enhancement of the learning experience for all students.

This is not a motherhood statement. It represents the essence of the function of a school. What has to be learned is defined via the curriculum. How students learn is a factor of a combination of learning styles, the pedagogy, interaction with peers and adults, home and family life experiences, media, personality, learning resources, culture of the school, longevity in a school and the list continues. For this reason, learning is a complex process that cannot be controlled in the way of manufacturing and a myriad of other human activities. The essence of learning is that it amounts to a personal process whereby the student’s brain