Competency Based Grading

Unlike with traditional grading systems, a competency based standards grading system measures a student’s mastery of grade-level standards by prioritizing the most recent, consistent level of performance. Thus a student who may have struggled at the beginning of a course, when first encountering new material, may still be able to demonstrate mastery of key content/concepts by the end of a grading period. In a traditional grading system, a student’s performance for an entire quarter is averaged together. Early quiz scores that were low would be averaged together with more proficient performance later in the course, resulting in a lower overall grade than current performance indicates. Standards-based report cards separate academic performance from work habits and behavior in order to provide parents a more accurate view of a student’s progress in both academic and behavioral areas. Variables such as effort, participation, timeliness, cooperation, attitude and attendance are reported separately, not as an indicator of a student’s academic performance.

A student’s performance on a series of assessments will be used to determine a student’s overall grade in a course. Practice assignments are just that, practice, and thus should serve primarily as a source of feedback and instructional support for both students and teachers. Scores on practice assignments should not be used as a major component of a student’s academic grade. Teachers may require students to complete all of their practice work prior to allowing them to take, or retake, an assessment. 

A score of (4) would indicate that a student exceeds a standard by consistently demonstrating an advanced level of understanding and/or the ability to apply their knowledge at a higher level. A score of (3) would indicate that a student has independently achieved the standard. The student demonstrates mastery of the standard. A score of (2) would indicate that a student is developing an understanding of a standard, but still may be in need of additional instruction and/or support. A score of (1) would indicate minimal understanding of a standard. The student shows limited evidence of understanding the standard. 

You cannot really compare a traditional grading system to standards-based grading. It is like comparing “apples to oranges.” Standards-based grading identifies a standard and indicates whether or not a student is meeting the standard at a given point in the school year. A score of (3) is defined as meeting grade level standards and indicates that a student has demonstrated mastery of the skills that were expected to be learned by that point in the grading period.