Does Grading Stop Learning?

Ideas in Education: Does Grading Stop Learning?

Ruth Butler (1988) conducted research in which she gave students, including the top 25% and the least ready 25%, three tasks followed by feedback. Students were given one of three types of feedback:

• Comment only
• Grades only
• Comments and grades

Which do you think helped students best understand where they were, where they were going, and what they needed to do to get there?

Butler’s findings were remarkable. Student performance improved by 33% if they received comments-only feedback. If they received a grade or a grade and comments, their performance declined!

This was particularly true for least-able students who became despondent and were more likely to give up. But grades also devalued the feedback for the more able students who looked at the grade and became complacent. I got the grade, so why should I look at the comments? The grade caused them to ignore the accompanying comments. Students also looked at the grade with finality--the work is finished.

Students in the comment only group had the greatest gains in progress.

Comment only graded best helped students understand where they were, where they were going and what they need to do to get there.

As you look at the feedback that you provide your students, what are some ways that you ensure the feedback helps students improve, which is of course, the purpose of feedback.

Important Dates and Information 

March 6, 7: Help Save the Next Girl

• 9th and 10th graders will attend on Wednesday, March 6; 11th and 12th graders will attend on Thursday, March 7
• Students will be dismissed from classes at 9:40.
• All students are expected to participate. Individual exceptions can be made. Please have these students see their school counselor or administrator.
• Mustang Morning will continue, but the grades attending will not participate in Mustang Morning.
• If you teach an appropriate grade-level class, please attend with your students.

Tom Tom

• March 5th & 12th: Tom Tom festival applications are due by 3/5/19 for pitch competition and 3/12/19 for the project exposition.
• Here’s the link for sign ups: bit.ly/MoHSTomTomPitch

Summer work orders. Do you have work that you would like completed in your classroom? This includes painting, minor carpentry work, special projects, etc. Please complete this form:

https://goo.gl/forms/NYyDavpv9C1kuPHx2 Due March 6

March 7: Student Showcase

• PTSO providing salad and potato bar for staff after school

Faculty Meeting

• Wednesday, March 6 at 4 or Friday, March 8 at 8:15
• Topic 1: Bell scheduling for 2019-2020
• Topic 2: Standards of Conduct (Dress code and hate images)

March 8: Club Day, Long Lunch

March 12, March 13: English 10 Writing SOL. No Mustang Morning during these days. 1st block will be extended. Almost ALL 10th graders will be taking the SOL during time.

Interested in Offering a New Course for 2020-2021?

Please submit your request by Spring Break using this https://www2.k12albemarle.org/dept/dart/enterpriseapps/powerschool/course-requests/Pages/default.aspx . Requests will be reviewed by Mr. Vrhovac and, if approved, it will be assigned to a lead coach for further development. From there it will be collaboratively developed and will need approval by the Dept. of Instruction and finally the School Board.

March 29: Flex Day

Field Trips and SOLs

March 6th:  UVA Apprenticeship Job Fair for Interested Seniors

March 6th and 7th: Help Save the Next Girl

March 8: Government (Rocco) to Jefferson School African American Heritage Center (9:15-11:30)

March 11: Reframing Narrative @ Montpelier

March 27-29: AVID College Tour

March 30: NOVA Teen Book Festival

Birthdays

March 4: John Kinney, Reagan Stillerman

March 7: Sarah Stallings

Useful Information

Bell Schedules : http://bit.ly/MOHSbells

FAC Form

To add to Monticello-Outlook, School Calendar, PowerSchool Daily Bulletin

Morning Announcement Stream: http://streaming.k12albemarle.org/ACPS/links.htm

Announcement Request

Athletic team schedules, rosters, etc.

Teacher Handbook 

We’ve got something new! Want something included on the Monticello Outlook Calendar, the Monticello website, in the PowerSchool Daily Bulletin, or the student newsletter (viewed by parents, students and staff)? Please use this link https://goo.gl/forms/bIjfJLKokWPcEHx33 

Student, Staff, Student of the Month Form

Worth Your Time

Dintersmith: Trust teachers--they’re the experts

6 good photo-annotating tools

Reduce children’s test anxiety with these tips and a rethink of what testing means

For students who experience test anxiety their symptoms are similar to when we’re faced with a fight-flight-freeze situation, like a car cutting you off on I-64. One way to combat test anxiety, or any other anxiety, is to change the mindframe to look at the test as an opportunity and one to be excited about it (the feelings/behaviors/chemical changes to the body are similar to when one feels excited).  Getting students to say, “I’m excited about the test,” has proven results.

Being Purposeful in Meeting Students Where They Are

Meeting Students Where They Are...With a Purpose
We often talk of meeting students where they are. But how do we know where they are? And once we know, what do we do?

For my seventeen years as a classroom teacher, I built strong relationships with almost all of my students. I didn't have significant classroom management concerns. Students would hang out in my room before school and would eat lunch in my classroom. Many would share their school experiences and some confided their personal stories. While many of my actions, like greeting students at the threshold of the classroom, attending extracurricular events, etc., were purposeful, in hindsight many of them seem superficial.

About ten years into my teaching career, I remember my principal calling me into his office during lunch and asking, "Reed, how many African-American students are in the freshman transition program (a program for at-risk students that I was in charge of)?"

After a moment of contemplating, I gave him an answer and returned to my classroom. Walking back to my classroom--actually a trailer--I waited for my students to return. As I waited, I was actually proud of myself that I wasn't caught up in racial and ethnic data points. Then my students started filing into the trailer. In that one class, which represented only a quarter of the freshman transition students, I had as many African-American students as I had estimated were in the entire program. At that point, I realized I need to become more purposeful in my actions.

I needed to adjust from being unintentionally inviting to intentionally inviting, meaning I need to be more purposeful and sensitive to student needs and take appropriate actions based on their needs.

For me this meant going beyond positivity and knowing my students' interests. I needed to share my own personal stories with my students and provide opportunities for them to share their own stories. I re-examined how I taught world history to ensure I spent more time on issues that concerned and interested my students. Together with other teachers from the transition program, we visited some of our students' homes.

It also required changes to my instructional approaches. I made greater use of pre-assessments to better plan lessons and to ensure my students were able to monitor and see their progress. Increasing my use of formative assessments helped students progress as well. Using the data from formative assessments students were able to see their progress and when they didn't meet the learning targets, I would always take responsibility, "I need to do a better job of teaching. If you haven't learned it, I haven't taught it."

Meeting students where they are means that we are purposeful in our actions. It means making informed and purposeful decisions. It requires empathy and attending to the students' needs.

I still have a long way to go. I look forward to learning from all of you and our students this year.

Need to Knows
Please bring your computer to Monday's nuts-and-bolts sessions. We've made a slight change in the schedule

Below are a couple of  bell schedules for reference. Please be sure to double-check your lunch period as there were a couple of changes since the original version was sent. All schedules can be found at Bell Schedules : http://bit.ly/MOHSbells

First 2 Weeks Schedule

Extended 1st Block August 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30
7:40-8:40	Zero Period
8:55-11:05	1st Period
11:10-1:00	2nd Period Lunch Class 1st: 11:05-11:35 11:40-1:00 2nd: 11:50-12:15 11:10-11:50 and 12:20-1:00 3rd: 12:30-1:00 11:10-12:30
1:05-2:25	3rd Period
2:30-3:50	4th Period

AM CATEC Students: Depart from Monticello High School at 9am and return from CATEC and 
return to Monticello High School at 11:55am

PM CATEC Students: Leave class at 12:50pm for 12:55pm bus departure

Wednesday, August 22	Computer Distribution
Thursday, August 23	Freshman, Sophomores, Juniors: Naviance Goal Setting Lesson Freshman: Class Meeting
Friday, August 24	8 Period Day
Monday, August 27	Senior: Class Meeting Freshman: Naviance Goal Setting Lesson Sophomores/Juniors: Club Slide Presentation
Tuesday, August 28	Junior: Class Meeting Freshman/Seniors: Club Slides Sophomores: Cyber Safety
Wednesday, August 29	All: Club Sign-up and Mustang Morning
Thursday, August 30	Sophomore: Class Meeting Freshman, Junior, Senior: Cyber Safety

8 Block Extended 1st Period August 24

0 Period: 7:40-8:40

1A: 8:55-10:03

1B: 10:08-10:46

2A: 10:51-12:16 Lunch 1 10:46-11:16 Lunch 2 11:20-11:45 Lunch 3 11:51-12:16

2B: 12:21-12:59

3A: 1:04-1:42

3B: 1:47-2:25

4A: 2:30-3:08

4B: 3:13-3:50

AM CATEC Students: Depart from Monticello High School at 9am and return from CATEC 
and return to Monticello High School at 11:55am.

PM CATEC Students: Leave class at 12:50pm for 12:55pm bus departure.

Club Day with No Lunch August 31

0 Period: 7:40-8:40

1A: 8:55-9:35

CLUB: 9:40-10:03

1B: 10:08-10:46

2A: 10:51-12:16 Lunch 1 10:46-11:16 Lunch 2 11:20-11:45 Lunch 3 11:51-12:16

2B: 12:21-12:59

3A: 1:04-1:42

3B: 1:47-2:25

4A: 2:30-3:08

4B: 3:13-3:50

AM CATEC Students: Depart from Monticello High School at 9am and return from CATEC 
and return to Monticello High School at 11:55am.

PM CATEC Students: Leave class at 12:50pm for 12:55pm bus departure.

Field Trips and SOLs







Stats of the Week
 Percent of teachers at Monticello who deduct points on late work. 

 
Percent of teachers at Monticello who include one or more of the following in grades: effort, participation, tardiness, attendance, and/or adherence to class rules.

Birthdays
August 19: April Wilkerson
August 20: Jon McDaniel
Sorry if I'm missing anyone new. 

Shout Outs
Hat tip to all of those responsible for a great start to the school year. This includes Garry Gibson for all his tech support and getting computers ready to roll out; our custodial staff for juggling CFA, a tornado, new furniture, August 14 with every ACPS staff member here, and our own needs; and our front office staff for getting keys ready.

A personal thank you to Miriah Dudley, Michael Jennings and Mike Parsons for helping sort computers for distribution.

And finally for all of you who were part of Fresh Start (especially Katina Dudley), Freshman Seminar (especially Meghan Streit), and/or attended our Southwood Community Event, we appreciate your extra efforts.

Useful Information
The presentations and resources from the first couple of days have been added to the Monticello Team Drive on Google.

Don't forget to use the Shared Monticello Calendar. 

Bell Schedules : http://bit.ly/MOHSbells

Morning Announcement Stream: http://streaming.k12albemarle.org/ACPS/links.htm

Announcement Request: http://tinyurl.com/requestannouncement

Teacher Handbook

Worth Your Time

A Right to Life, Liberty and....Literacy? 

A Year of Personalized Learning Mistakes and Making It Work A lot of similarities, pluses and minuses to some of our own initiatives.

Plagiarism Check is Now Integrated into Google Classroom