Committee+Minutes

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MINUTES Monday, December 13, 2010 Memorial Middle School Library @2:30

**Members Present:** Steve Bailey, Dan Baschkopf, Julie Chasse, Amy Foster, Deb Gott, Norm Harmon, John Heffernan, Nancy Hutto, Sheree Inman, Brian Jandreau, Drew McNeely, Joe Moore, Cristin Rioux, Carrie Stilphen, Ruth Taylor, Megan Welter


 * 1) Committee discussed notes from the following school visits:
 * Poland Regional MS & HS
 * Hall Dale MS & HS
 * 1) Committee discussed possible reporting out needs.



 MINUTES Wednesday, October 20, 2010 Memorial Middle School Library @2:30

**Members Present:** Mary Hastings, Deb Gott, Cristin Rioux, Amy Foster, Megan Welter, Norm Harmon, Carrie Stilphen, Molly McCrum, Julie Chasse, Sherrie Inman, Ryan Green, Drew McNeely, Nick Ludington, Laurie Wood, Brian Jandreau, Steve Bailey, Lisa Meyer, Libby Gurnee 
 * 1) Committee reviewed work to date
 * Website: __http://spsdgrading.wikispaces.com__
 * Dover Fox-Croft Notes
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000099; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|__Summer Work__]
 * 1) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Committee reviewed Gregg Palmer’s Presentation to HS Leadership Team
 * 2) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Committee reviewed Curriculum Map revision process and discussed needs for professional development (see below)
 * 3) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Committee planned for future school visits
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Poland Regional MS and & HS
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hall Dale MS & HS
 * 1) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Committee reviewed timeline for SBG roll out; Brian and Steve will revise the current time line and distribute at next meeting

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Professional Development Needs <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PD Needs / Suggestions · Trend Analysis · Essential Questions · Reporting Systems
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">IC?
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Communication?

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">· Rubric Development · Curriculum Map Development · Plan for mapping out where standards are assessed (signed off on) · How to change practices? (grading practices) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;">

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;">SUMMER WORK
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Click here to see the minutes of our summer work. A small group of committee members met for a few hours each of the following days: June 28 through July 1. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Members Present: Steve Bailey, Dan Baschkopf, Julie Chasse, Debbie Gott, Sheree Inman, Brian Jandreau, Molly (Perry) McCrum, Lisa Meyer, Joe Moore, Cristin Rioux, Laurie Wood

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;">MINUTES Monday, June 7, 2010 Memorial Middle School Library @2:30
 * This is a joint meeting between the**
 * Middle School and High School groups.**


 * Members Present:**
 * 1) <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Overview of School Visits
 * <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Oxford Hills MS - Deb Gott and Libby Gurnee
 * <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Oxford Hills HS - Dan Basckopf, Brian Jandreau, and Molly Perry
 * <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Windham MS - Norm Harmon and Brian Jandreau


 * 1) <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Process School Visits - Subcommittee Groups
 * <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">What do we like and think might work here?
 * <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">What do we not like and do not want here?
 * <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">What is interesting that we should learn more about?

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;">
 * 1) <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Questions and Answers - Subcommittee Groups
 * 2) <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Summer Work - Steve Bailey & Brian Jandreau
 * 3) <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Plan for 2010-2011 - Steve Bailey & Brian Jandreau

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;"> Monday, April 12, 2010 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;"> Memorial Middle School Library @ 2:30  <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;"> **This was a joint meeting between the** **Middle School and High School groups.** **Members Present:** see below  <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;">
 * 1) Committee reviewed work to date
 * 2) Committee divided into subcommittees and drafted questions for school visits and text reviews and reported out
 * 3) Committee discussion next steps & summer work
 * School visits
 * Readings / Research
 * Preliminary drafting

__Sub-committees:__

{1MS, 3HS} ||= Instruction & Student Engagement {5MS, 3HS} ||= Assessment & Feedback {2MS, 4HS} ||= Grading & Reporting Out {3MS, 4HS} ||
 * = Standards
 * * Nancy Hutto
 * Wendy Day-Maynard
 * Jim Schoonover
 * Peter Small
 * Dick Weirich || * Hilary Chase
 * Julie Chasse
 * Debbie Gott
 * Mary Hastings
 * John Heffernan
 * Bev Hosic
 * Holly Patenaude
 * Molly Perry
 * Kate Porter || * Sarah Bailey
 * Kevin Farrell
 * Libby Gurnee
 * Sheree Inman
 * Sarah Keezing
 * Lisa Meyer || * Dan Baschkopf
 * Norman Harmon
 * Drew McNealy
 * Carrie Stilphen
 * Megan Welter
 * Laurie Wood ||

Subcommittee Protocol - The Right Question Project (RQP)
 * 1) Review our work to date (please see our website: SPSDGrading). **{prior to meeting--please read over your specific section on the website as well as the discussion threads for each book}**
 * 2) Brainstorm questions about your topic: Come up with a list of as many questions as you can think of about your topic (do not comment on or discuss any body's question; you want to get any and all questions out). Questions will be written on chart paper. **{5-7 minutes}**
 * 3) Prioritize: As a group, discuss your questions and select the three most important questions to explore further (this is your opportunity to explain why you have your question or why your question is so important). Circle the three most important questions on your chart paper. **{12-15 minutes}**
 * 4) Branch Off: Choose one of the three Priority Questions and repeat step 2. **{3-5 minutes}**
 * 5) Prioritize Again: Look over the questions you have and choose three you want to address. **{8-10 minutes}**
 * 6) Report Out! **{5-7 minutes}**

= = Monday, March 1, 2010 Mahoney Room #211 at 2:45-4:00 (middle school educators) SPHS Room #233 at 2:10-3:30 (high school educators)
 * Members Present:** Baschkopf, Farrell, Hastings, Jandreau, McNealy Small, Weirich, Wood

After reviewing some information provided to the committee by Linda Sturm, the Committee discussed reporting-out systems:
 * We have a greater and greater responsiblity to report to colleges as accurately as possible, especially if we want more kids to go to college.
 * When I say "accurate," I'm talking about abilities... have the students met standards? Can they do the college work?
 * Right now, colleges think that one 93 is equal to another 93, but we know it's not.
 * I don't care if we look at a 0-100 or 1-4 scale; I would rather we talk about a standardized scale, that we have inter-rater reliability.
 * I see kids all the time that are being graded in terms of lateness.
 * Who is it standardized to? To a standards-based measurement.
 * Some of the college reponses provided by guidance seems suspect... how is it that colleges assume all the scores are equal?
 * I certainly hope that higher education is moving with the flow of where we're going with education as a nation (e.g. movement to common core is a big movement).
 * Behaviors, like passing in work late, should not be part of a grade.
 * Grades should be about students attainment of what they know and can do.
 * When I see behavior being part of the grade, it is the deterimental piece 95% of the time.
 * It is important to report out on behavior, but grades need to be the focus.
 * Late work and attendance are behaviors inherent in the grade; they can't be separated. If a student doesn't show up to class, then the natural consequence is that he or she will fail.
 * Handing in late work is different than attendance.
 * I don't count homework very much and probably wouldn't count it at all under a standards-based grading system.
 * People are penalized for behavior all the time... taxes, etc. Why wouldn't that be the case in high school?
 * All teachers in the math department currently take points off for late work.
 * If understanding of concepts is the ruler, then regardless of the route to attain the goal, we sholdn't judge unless it's part of the agreed on standard.
 * Kids can manage to succeed quite well without even showing up...
 * Most kids like that are bored.
 * This is a result of heterogenous grouping.
 * Right now we're all familiar with a 0-100 scale, so that is what is meaningful to us.


 * If we were to switch to another scale, it may take a while for people to become familiar with it, and that may be hard, but people will eventually be familiar with a a 0-4 scale if we moved in that direction.
 * Windham moved to a scale with words.
 * I can relate to a 92 because I've seen it for a long time.
 * If our report card is clear and accurate, anybody can understand it.
 * The more you break it down, the more accurate it is, but there is a balance point.
 * The colleges will need to adjust to what we do.
 * The elementary report card is done exactly this way... there is a separate part where behaviors are listed, and parents seem to accept it fine.
 * At the elementary level, you pretty much accept everything.


 * A seven page report is too long... so there is a balance point.
 * The problem is standardization... we need to be more on the same page.

Brian introduced the following sub-committees. Committee Members signed up to be on a sub-committee.
 * Standards: Peter S.


 * Instruction & Student Engagement: Mary H.


 * Assessment & Feedback: Kevin F.


 * Grading & Reporting-out: Laurie W., Drew M., Dan B.

Monday, February 8, 2010 Mahoney Room #211 at 2:45-4:00 (middle school educators) SPHS Room #233 at 2:10-3:30 (high school educators)

Members Present: Bailey, Baschkopf, Chase, Day-Maynard, Farrell, Jandreau, McNealy, Moore, Schoonover, Weirich

 * Discussion of //Formative Assessment and Standards-Based Grading//**

"One fact that must be kept in mind in any discussion of assessment--formative or otherwise--is that all assessments are imprecise to one degree or another. This is explicit in a fundamental equation of classical test theory that can be represented as follows: Observed score = true score + error score" (13).
 * Grades are truly imprecise, and I feel what I'm doing now isn't necessarily precise.
 * There is always going to be "wish-washy-ness."
 * For a long time, I didn't feel the assessments I developed were good because I was thinking of them as tests... Once I began thinking of them as assessments, I felt better about them. I like the idea of looking at different ways to grade kids. I do a lot more than just tests, which gave kids a vehicle for showing what they know.
 * The reliability for standardized text is .85 because of the error built into the testing process; the average reliability of teacher is .45. That is amazing!
 * Breaking down into areas in math and sciene makes it easier to for formative assessment.
 * It shouldn't matter what class my son is sitting in; teachers should have inter-rater reliability.
 * As a special education teacher, I see a lot of assessment strategies, and some are really good and some leave me scratching my head.

"While this system seems like good practice, without giving teachers guidance and support on how to collect and interpret the assessment data with which scores like advanced, proficient, basic, and below basic are assigned, standards-based reporting can be highly inaccurate. Indeed, at the writing of this book, no major study... has demonstrated that simply grading in a standards-based manner enhances student achievement. ... [A] fairly strong case can be made that student achievment will be positively affected if standards-based reporting is rooted in a clear-cut system of formative assessments" (18).
 * Clearly, it's important that we be very thoughtful about why we would move to standards-based grading and reporting out and how we would do it (in a way that is good for students); otherwise we might as well continue doing what we're doing.
 * This makes me very nervous that people will grade traditionally, and people will just change letter grades into standards grades. We shouldn't just change what we do to fulfill this need.
 * Teachers need help in designing a system around the skills so that it's not random.
 * I am concerned about teachers lowering standards to meet criteria.
 * People could take it as a negative.
 * We need good professional development so people are able to move in this direction.
 * When we change, there is always confusion so we need to understand it how standards-based grading and reporting works.
 * We need to make it relevant to students.
 * A lot of it seems like its how you feel the students are doing; it should be based on how the teacher feels... like the idea of a large number of formative assessments.
 * I've been using standards-based grading in elemenaty for 15 years, and it took a while to get used to it and not just falling back on changing the numbers and then averaging the grades.

"Unobtrusive assessments are most easily applied to content that is procedural, or content that involves learning a skill, strategy, or process..." (25).
 * Unobtrusive assessments aren't in my gradebook, but they should be....
 * I agree that doing it for skills is the easiest and the fairest... you can look over their shoulder and see if they're on the right track.
 * Again, it's so easy in math classrooms.... quick check in today... it helps inform instruction... what have I already done and what do i need to continue to work on.
 * The science example ("during independent work in the laboratory, a science teacher notes that a particular student is not following the correct procedure for combining chemicals safely") bothered me because it shouldn't be an unobtrusive example.
 * How am I going to be able to put it out on Infinite Campus? I am worried about justifying a grade on an unobtrusive assessment to students and parents.
 * I have a class participation section, but I'm looking at this type of thing all the time.

"In this book, we take strong exception to that perspective for one major reason: as summative score should not be derived from a single final assessment. Rather, a summative score should be the most reasonable representation of a student's final status at a particular point in time. All available information about a student should be used in the determination of his or her final status--his or her summative score" (27).
 * Totally gone are the days of averaging... We need to be looking at whether the child is gaining skills over the process of the year.
 * How can Infinite Campus be adjusted to reflect this practice?
 * This makes sense if the earlier assessments cover the same material as the end ones, but my class isn't structured this way.
 * Ignore the early 60... otherwise it punishes kids.
 * We will need a lot of professional development to move in this direction.

"The inconsistent patters of item weighting do not just exist between teachers, though; they exist between assessments designed by a single teacher as well... Because there is not reflection of the level of difficulty of each assessment or between assessments, tracking student progress over time using formative scores become difficult if not impossible" (41).
 * I struggle with this when I give a vocabulary quiz; 6 words versus 14 versus essay... they all show up in the grade book with a grade, but how should each be weighted?


 * You identfy what essential learnings are, and you show what you demonstrate.
 * Subjective nature of averaging vs. using assessments to track a student... faults of the assessments.
 * Some times you hit it and sometimes you don't.
 * Looking at it differently... how honestly is the assessment truly aligned to standards or learning outcomes?
 * If people are building courses on text books as opposed to on standards, there is really a question about the effectiveness of assessments. Unfortunately, a lot of curriculum is guided by text books.
 * There are greater ranges when using a 4-point scale.
 * The importance needs be placed on what we trying to assess when we're actually assessing.
 * It is really important to have consistency in assessments because people get off on their own path.
 * Windham Middle schools uses language instead of numbers because people's brains are too trained to go to averaging.

"To make scales more useful to students, they should be written in student-friendly language. This should be done in cooperation with students" (45).
 * This feels like we are losing complete control... why don't we just have students come up with skill and standards... Will students come up with levels of difficultly?
 * This speaks to the essence of successful standards-based grading... a team of teachers should come up with standards... taking them and translating them in language that they'll [students] will understand.
 * On my board, I have 1-4 on my board and ask students to evaluate themselves.
 * We need to rewrite our rubrics to be student friendly. Our school wide rubrics are not written in student friendly terms.
 * Again, we will need staff development to do this successfully.
 * This sounds like great idea... students should be helping make it student friendly.
 * If they [students] don't understand the language, then we need to make that more friendly, but the teacher sets the standard.
 * We have to have kids in on it so they understand it.

"Table 4.9 Uneven Pattern of ResponsesIn table 4.9, the student has answered all of the score 3.0 items correctly or with high partial credit. This indicates a score of 2.5 (if a half-point scale is being used) or a score of 2.67 (if a scale with one-third intervals is being used). However, the student has incorrectly answered two of the five score 2.0 items. Logically, such a patter should not occur. Unfortunately, in the real world of classroom assessment, such patters do occur. They occur in the world of state testing and standardized testing as well. Among test publishers, a pattern like this is referred to as an 'aberrant pattern'" (67).
 * I see this, and it's frustrating when kids really struggle to recall a peice of knowledge and they get the harder ones right, which involve training kids.
 * We need to train ourselves to look at what we're assessing and how we're assessing it...
 * The state had to throw out a response because a question was written poorly; we should do this too.
 * A number of assessments that go with a unit... it would be nice to have guidance with standards that are broken down...
 * I have kids in the abberrant patter all the time... they blow past the easy ones and focus on, what they consider, to be the more challenging ones.
 * I have them revisit in stead of writing the right answers... they they make the effort to get them right. In a standards-based system, you can revisit and revisit and one test is not the end all.
 * Again, we need a lot of professional help or development to do this well.

"The teacher has little option but to collect more information from the student when uneven patters of scores occur. This might take the form of asking the student what she believes she deserves. If the student says she deserves a 3.0, the teacher would invite her to suggest a student-generated assessment to verify the score 3.0 status. Alternatively, the teacher might engage her in a probing discussion to determine her true status" (83).
 * This seems really hard to mesh the midde sentence with what happens in my math class.
 * It's hard for me to see students coming up with assessment.
 * I agree with the idea... more info. is better but how it works is a challenge...
 * Capture the magic of teaching in knowing where students are and the tools you have... standards doesn't do away with real magic of teaching
 * If a student thinks they know more, it's hard to sit down and conference to get a feel to know they've reached the level they think.
 * It might have to do with the number of students you have....easier in a smaller class.
 * It's really easy... parents need to see all the evidence in numerous ways over numerous opportunities.
 * I could see it becoming a slippery slope where kids are bargaining grades.

"In a standards-referenced system, a student's achievement is reported (or referenced) in relationship to his or her position on the scales for specific learning goals. However, even if the students does not achieve a specific score on the scales for those goals, the students till moves on to new learning goals the next year when he or she has matriculated to a new grade level. In a standards-based system, students do not move on to a new level of content until they have mastered the content at their current level" (112).
 * We need to say to the students, "This is where you need to be or this is where you need to be."
 * At the middle school, we don't retain kids... standards kids really need to know or understand before we move on.
 * If you don't address this issue, we'll be pushing the problems on to the next level in the system.
 * It certainly makes the classroom a wide range of ages, but the ability range should be about the same.
 * I don't know if we serve the kids well by putting them in another situation where they're bound to fail.
 * But we kind of do this now when a kid passes with a 70 but doesn't truly understand the material; they go on to the next class and struggle because they passed the previous grade without understanding what they need to.
 * We needed greater contact k-12.
 * I can agree with the philosophy but see issues with logistics.
 * I have students in pre-cal who don't know how to graph a line... we spent 20 minutes working on graphing a line... they should be way beyond that, but they aren't.

Monday, January 11th Mahoney Room #211 at 2:45-4:00 (middle school educators) SPHS Room #233 at 2:10-3:30 (high school educators)

Welcome:
Committee reviewed the minutes, including the brainstorm of key insights, conducted last meeting.

Standards-Based Grading - A Concept:

 * 1) Committee members shared and discussed insights from their reading.
 * 2) Brian distributed the new text for all to read.

Next Steps:

 * 1) Committee members will continue studying.
 * 2) Committee members will consider school visits.

December 1, 2009 Mahoney Room #211 at 2:45-4:00 (middle school educators) SPHS Room #233 at 2:10-3:30 (high school educators)

Welcome:

 * 1) Committee reviewed the minutes, including the brainstorm of key concepts, conducted last meeting.


 * Feedback
 * Formative / Summative
 * Reporting Out System
 * Grading
 * Assessment
 * Class Rank
 * Miscellaneous
 * 1) Committee discussed the concepts. The discussion can be found at the following wiki: http://spsdgrading.wikispaces.com
 * Mary will contact Maine colleges, as well as some other colleges that our students attend, to find out how they use class rank in their evaluation of potential students.

Standards-Based Grading - A Concept:

 * 1) Committee members shared insights from their reading. The committees discussion can also be viewed at the wiki (see the link above).
 * 2) Committee members selected a second text to read.
 * 3) Mary Hastings shared a list schools that are developing or have developed a standards-based grading system.
 * Most committee members expressed concern about taking time away from school to visit another school.
 * The committee decided that it would wait until after the new year to begin planning school visits.


 * The committee wonders if educators from other schools might come here.

Next Steps:

 * 1) The committee wondered about a time frame for its work. Brian responded that this year is dedicated to learning, next year will be a planning year, and the following year would be an implementation year. The committee expressed concern that this seemed like it might be too quick a pace.
 * 2) Committee members will continue studying.

October 20th, 2009 SPHS Room #233 at 2:30-3:40

Members Present:

 * Steve Bailey, Kevin Farrell, Amy Foster, Deb Gott, Libby Gurnee, John Heffernan, Nancy Hutto, Brian Jandreau, Joe Moore, Cristin, James Schoonover, Peter Small, Carrie Stilphen, Richard Weirich, Laurie Wood **

Welcome:
Members of the committee introduced themselves and expressed their interest(s) in the committee's work:
 * Feel they have used it for awhile and want to learn more
 * Think they are using it but maybe not
 * Learn what this is
 * It seems to be looming in the future so there is interest in how it will change what they are currently doing
 * Curious about it
 * Reading a lot about this and very interested in it
 * How does it mix in with all the other good things we do for kids
 * Need the same language
 * The importance of student knowing what the target is and how students measure up to that target
 * Can be beneficial, but how to do it without overwhelming the teachers and all the other work they are currently doing for the good of the students

Brian stated that the goal of the committee is to learn as much as we can about standards-based grading before we develop a plan for standards-based grading that will work for the South Portland community.

Standards-Based Grading - A Concept:
Members of the committee discussed the following concepts via a Chart Talk: __Student Involvement__

__Feedback -- good source...Effective Feedback book and 3 DVDs__

__Formative / Summative__

__Reporting Out__

__Grading__

__Assessment__

__Class Rank__

Afterward, the committee debriefed the Chart Talk: What kind of data can we gather from our elementary schools who already use this type of grading?
 * This topic can touch off personal feelings
 * Helps to see different perspectives
 * It's a huge topic
 * Complex, layered issue
 * Points would need to be decided before the committee moves forward
 * The charts reflected a lot of agreement amongst the group
 * Insightful/Complex
 * Political issue; what's best for students, balancing what the expectations of the community/colleges/businesses
 * Realization that there is a lot to learn
 * What's our next step?
 * Overwhelming

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',sans-serif;"> Steve provided the committee with some context for its work, including a brief history of standards-based grading work at the national, state, and local levels. He stated that the State does provide some guidance on how students can earn their diploma, and they expect districts to be working on creating a standards-based system. Steve validated the committee's sentiment that the work is complex and will require hard work.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',sans-serif;"> Brian stated that the better part of this year is for information gathering and learning. There are several recommended books that are available for us to read. It is expected that we all choose a resource to read and then share the information learned with the committee. We will also be visiting schools that are already using standards-based grading. He stated that we can begin to talk about how to provide our students and community what they need in this area once we have significantly more knowledge.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',sans-serif;"> Steve described the resources at the committee's disposal, including a comprehensive list of texts and a grant to be used to pay for substitutes and to purchase other resources.

Next Steps:
Steve met with the middle school educators and Brian met with the high school educators to plan for book groups. Each committee member selected a book to read for the next meeting. The middle school educators will meet with Steve and the high school educators will meet with Brian on **Tuesday, December 1st**.