This from James is very important:
Ben,
I finally had time to sit down and write out my approach to standards-based grading. I have written the first two parts so far, with one more to follow in time. There should be enough, though, to make my point.
Part 1 describes the standards themselves:
http://jameshosler.blogspot.com/2013/03/my-foreign-language-standards-friendly.html
Part 2 describes how to calculate an overall letter grade within a standards-based grading system:
http://jameshosler.blogspot.com/2013/03/standards-based-grading-letter-grade.html
I have seen the topic of standards-based grading pop up quite a bit recently on the PLC, and each time I would promise something eventually. This is it. In many ways, I think, it is the magnum opus of my past year.
In a nutshell, the system of grading I describe on those two posts allows the teacher to grade everything just like jGR. The students get pegged anywhere from 1-4 for hearing, reading, writing, etc. based on specific criteria which are all friendly to our TCI framework. The big picture is that a student’s grade can go up and down freely throughout the grading period based on his or her performance. The whole philosophy for me behind standards-based grading is profound. It is a totally fair and transparent system and finally lets us out of these stupid dependencies on points and averages. It is based on research just like TCI. It is cutting edge just like TCI. Over the course of the year I have felt as if I am teaching from a fortress as these two parts of teaching – assessment and pedagogy – have become clearer to me.
I’d love to open it for discussion on the PLC.
James