Handouts are available below

Big Idea

I’ve heard of teachers who are against adopting Standards Based Grading (or SBG or Standards Based Assessment) for senior science because they felt SBG was less rigorous than traditional grading. But what do students think? Since I used SBG with my Physics 11 students in summer school, I asked them if they felt SBG was more or less rigorous than traditional grading. 

Episode Notes

For the first question, “Is Standards Based grading less rigorous, more rigorous, or equally as rigorous to traditional grading?“

• Over two-thirds of respondents felt that SBG was equal or more rigorous than traditional grading.
• 42.5% of respondents said that SBG was more rigorous than traditional grading.
• 25% of respondents said that SBG was equally as rigorous.

For the second question, “Explain your choice. Please provide reasons, details, and examples as to whether Standards Based grading is less, more, or equally as rigorous as traditional grading.“

• One student said, “[SBG} grades the student on more than just tests and captures their knowledge on the topic on multiple different aspects.“
• Another student said, “[SBG} covers knowledge using a variety of different assessment methods. It is more flexible for students and teachers and allows them to cover a wider area of learning, giving more chances to include learning information outside of the curriculum.”
• And yet another student said, “[SBG} requires students to dive deeper into specific ideas which requires them to show a more in depth understanding of certain concepts. It also emphasizes the application of knowledge and skills to real world scenarios, which makes it more rigorous as students need to use their ability to use their learning in important situations.“

Thanks for watching, and let’s talk science education again soon.

Resources

Handout(s): Ep70 Handouts – Do My Students Feel SBG is Less Rigorous?

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