Grading and Reporting
On June 10, 2024, the school board approved new Grading and Reporting procedures for Austin Public Schools.
The grading system at Austin Public Schools will be changing beginning with the 2024-2025 school year as shown in the chart above.
For more information on the decision making behind the change, please read the below.
Parameters for Student Grades
Teachers will utilize the following parameters for grading and reporting learning for students. School leadership teams will develop procedures for staff to follow in implementing these parameters. The procedures will be shared with staff, students and families at the beginning of the school year.
Graded Categories
Summative & Performance Assessments
At Austin Public Schools, Summative and Performance Assessments are defined as the evaluation aligned to standards or benchmarks that takes place after the learning has been completed. Examples of Summative & Performance Assessments include chapter or unit tests, final tests, final projects, final papers, final performances.
Student performance on Summative & Performance Assessments will count for the following % of the student’s grade.
- IJ Holton: 60%
- Ellis Middle School: 70%
- Austin High School: 70%
Practice Work & Formative Evidence
In Austin Public Schools, Practice Work & Formative Evidence is defined as student learning and practice work that is used by teachers and students to inform, respond, and adjust learning experiences to enhance learning and understanding. Examples of Practice Work & Formative Evidence include quizzes, observations, exit tickets, practice problems, written responses, and learning activities.
Student performance and engagement with Practice Work & Formative Evidence will count for the following % of the student grade.
- IJ Holton: 40%
- Ellis Middle School: 30%
- Austin High School: 30%
Grading and Reporting Literature
The APS District Grading and Reporting Committee reviewed the following grading and reporting elements throughout the 2023-24 school year. Each element is defined below, and the Grading and Reporting Committee has selected literature to ensure staff have the resources and support to further their knowledge.
- Summative & Performance Assessments
- Practice Work & Formative Evidence
- Student Participation
- Reassessments
Summative & Performance Assessments
In Austin Public Schools, Summative & Performance Assessments are defined as the evaluation aligned to standards or benchmarks that take place after the learning has been completed. Examples of Summative & Performance Assessments include chapter or unit tests, final tests, final projects, final papers, and final performances.
- University, B. (April, 2024). Academy for Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from Summative Assessment: https://atl.web.baylor.edu/guides/assessing-student-learning-and-teaching/summative-assessment
- Dixson, D., & Worrell, F. (2016). Formative and summative assessment in the classroom. Theory into Practice, 55(2), 153-159.
Practice Work & Formative Evidence
In Austin Public Schools, Practice Work & Formative Evidence is defined as student learning and practice work that teachers and students use to inform, respond, and adjust learning experiences to enhance learning and understanding. Examples of Practice Work & Formative Evidence include quizzes, observations, exit tickets, practice problems, written responses, and learning activities.
Formative Assessment
- Black, P., Harrison, C., Lee, C., Marshall, B., & Wiliam, D. (2004). Working inside the black box: Assessment for learning in the classroom. Phi Delta Kappan, 86(1), 8-21.
- DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., Many, T., & Mattos, M. (2016). Learning by doing: A handbook for professional learning communities as work. Solution Tree.
- Gibbons, K., Brown, S., & Niebling, B. (2018). Effective universal instruction: An action-oriented approach to improving tier 1. Guilford Press.
Practice Work
- Salinas, D. (2014, December). Does homework perpetuate inequities in education? Programme for International Student Assessment. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/pisa/
- Vatterott, C. (2009). Rethinking homework: Best practices that support diverse needs. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Student Participation
In Austin Public Schools, student participation is defined as actively engaging in learning by listening, speaking, reading, and writing to support their comprehension of the learning targets. Teachers will provide small group activities, performances, discussions, and presentations that create opportunities for students to work on the skills imperative to the learning process.
- Aziz, F., Quraishi, U., & Kazi, A. (2018). Factors behind classroom participation of secondary school students (A gender based analyasis). Universal Journal of Educational Research, 6(2), 211-217.
- Center, T. a. (2017, May). Using class participation to develop student engagement. Retrieved from https://info.lse.ac.uk/staff/divisions/Teaching-and-Learning-Centre/Assets/Documents/Using-class-participation-to-develop-student-engagement-FINAL.pdf
- Nguyen, H. (2021, November 5). How to open class participation to everyone: Having a wide range of participation tools - in addition to cold calling - helps teachers encourage students of all backgrounds and dispsitions to contribute. Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/article/making-sure-every-student-has-voice-classroom/
Reassessments
In Austin Public Schools, reassessment is another opportunity for students to learn and demonstrate their knowledge. Reassessments will be provided to students and are a component of the Summative & Performance Assessments category. When Practice Work & Formative Evidence assignments are completed before the original summative assessment, students who want to reassess will work with the teacher to do additional learning to prepare for the reassessment. Teachers have the option to give students flexibility if there are extenuating circumstances.
- Feldman, J. (2019). Grading for Equity: What it is, why it matters, and how it can transform schools and classrooms. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin.
- Guskey, T. (2023). Giving retakes their best chance to improve learning. Educational Leadership Online. Retrieved from https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/giving-retakes-their-best-chance-to-improve-learning
History of Change Process
2021-2022
During the 2021-22 school year, the District Grading and Reporting Committee engaged in collaborative work to understand our current reality of the APS grading and reporting systems. This work also included a study of Joe Feldman’s book Grading for Equity:
- What it is,
- Why it matters, and
- How it can transform schools and classrooms.
Given the feedback from committee members, the next steps in reviewing our system were to assemble a sub-committee to review the Weighting of Practice Work and Assessments for the 5-12 system.
2022-2023
The District Grading and Reporting Committee formed a sub-committee from December 2022 – March 2023 to review the Weighting of Practice Work and Assessments for the 5-12 system. This sub-committee followed a Guiding Change process of discussion, obtaining feedback, and ultimately making recommendations to change practices within the 5-12 system.
The sub-committee did an excellent job of seeking stakeholder feedback and illuminated the learning work our system stakeholders need to engage in. The Decision-Making Team, comprised of the Superintendent Cabinet Team, agreed with this learning work and decided that it should occur before a change in grade weights.
The sub-committee recommended the following learning work during the 23-24 school year before finalizing the recommendation in grade weights:
- Learning work on practice work, formative assessment, grading practices, and implementation of the current grading policies.
- The district grading and reporting committee should review grade weighting recommendations and discuss implications prior to making a final recommendation to the Decision-Making Team.
- The district grading and reporting committee should engage in work to support the 4th to 5th transition in grading and reporting.
2023-2024
During the 2023-24 school year, the PK-12 Grading and Reporting Committee met monthly to continue the learning and design work. Directed by a guiding change process with a clear current context, desired outcomes, and unacceptable means, the group collaborated on the design and learned from leading research in the grading and reporting field. Author Nicole Dimich led learning throughout the year and worked with staff to operationalize their knowledge into recommendations for grading practices.
Nicole Dimich is an educator, author, innovator, and expert facilitator who has worked with elementary and secondary educators, administrators, and school districts. Through presentations, training, and consultations, she helps power student voices and builds on educator strengths to create spaces where all feel possible and empowered. As an Assessment Architect for Solution Tree’s Assessment Center, Nicole is a global leader in assessment. She is the author of seven books. Nicole trains and facilitates work on classroom assessment (United States, Canada, and beyond) practices through Solution Tree and is an Assessment Architect at the Assessment Center with colleagues Cassandra Erkens and Tom Schimmer.
The PK-12 Grading and Reporting Committee engaged in the following learning work:
During the 2023-24 school year, a 9-12 grade student grading and reporting group also met monthly to review the grading elements. This work included learning, collaboration, discussion and providing recommendations on the grading and reporting parameters. The students shared their recommendations with the PK-12 staff grading and reporting team for consideration and review.
The adjustments to grading practices for 2024-25 in APS are a culmination of the district grading and reporting committee work shared above. This work consisted of a review of the current context, 5-12 staff surveys in 22-23, and collaboration in professional learning from the student and staff grading and reporting committees in 23-24.
Non-Graded Parameters
Student Participation
In Austin Public Schools, student participation is defined as actively engaging in learning by listening, speaking, reading, and writing to support their comprehension of the learning targets. Teachers will provide small group activities, performances, discussions, and presentations that create opportunities for students to work on the skills imperative to the learning process.
Reassessments
In Austin Public Schools, reassessment is another opportunity for students to learn and demonstrate their knowledge. Reassessments will be provided to students and are a component of the Summative & Performance Assessments category. When Practice Work & Formative Evidence assignments are completed before the original summative assessment, students who want to reassess will work with the teacher to do additional learning to prepare for the reassessment. Teachers have the option to give students flexibility if there are extenuating circumstances.