Comments on: This New School Year /2008/this-new-school-year/ less helpful Tue, 18 Aug 2009 03:10:06 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 By: Dan Meyer /2008/this-new-school-year/#comment-245067 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 03:10:06 +0000 /?p=1558#comment-245067 I assess mid-week. Then I assess the same concepts plus one or two more the next. If you’re using a grading program, this process is extremely simple. The first time you assess a new concept you add a new entry in your grade program, say, “15. Distance Formula.” Set the total possible points to 4. Make that question a B-level problem. Then, the next week, make the question an A-level problem. Set the total points to 5. The student who got the first problem but not the second now has a 4/5 and a B- 80% for the concept, which is about as accurate as I seem to be able to get for a grading scheme.

]]> By: Elissa /2008/this-new-school-year/#comment-245039 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:53:27 +0000 /?p=1558#comment-245039 What’s the best way to set up your grade book or an Excel sheet that acts as a grade book to grade on concepts?

How do you assess twice on concepts? You assess mid-week and then use similar problems the next week too?

]]> By: Linda /2008/this-new-school-year/#comment-189893 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:05:39 +0000 /?p=1558#comment-189893 Dan,
I always enjoy reading your blog. You demonstrate excellence every step of the way.
Thanks for your dedication, your ideas, and your generosity.

Linda

]]> By: Jason /2008/this-new-school-year/#comment-189770 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 06:18:17 +0000 /?p=1558#comment-189770 I use a 0-4 grading scale (I guess I’d call it a modified Marzano system) and have students track their progress in their own portfolios. They make a line graph of their scores by concept so they can hopefully see their progress.

Although I have a space on my wall marked “data center” I haven’t actually gotten around to tracking class progress publicly. I’d say 5% of the reason is I haven’t found a system I’m happy with, but really 95% is I’ve been too time crunched to blow up some big graphs and slap them on the board.

]]> By: Chuck /2008/this-new-school-year/#comment-189474 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 04:11:15 +0000 /?p=1558#comment-189474 Alright, thanks for the tips Dan and Sarah.
Here’s another logistical question: how many concepts or skills are there in your…let’s say, first semester? I’ve been targeting 4 (ideally overlapping) concepts per 6 week marking period, but I’m curious about your subdivisions…

I also have big posters in my room with each concept for them to sign when they get master one. They get into that.

]]> By: Sarah /2008/this-new-school-year/#comment-189422 Sun, 09 Nov 2008 22:00:07 +0000 /?p=1558#comment-189422 Chuck I’m getting in the habit of making a couple of versions of the test as I go through. (Suspected some cheating, gave them the set-up to catch it.) I give out two versions of the quiz and keep another stashed away for one test through.

Though I will make up questions on the spot. I’ve been known to roll dice in front of students to come up with the problem they’ll do for a grade.

Unlike Dan, I don’t let students retake a concept immediately after discussing a concept. I’ll study with you one day, give you the quiz the next time you come in. (Though you’re welcome to study without me before taking the quiz.)

]]> By: dan /2008/this-new-school-year/#comment-189409 Sun, 09 Nov 2008 21:04:58 +0000 /?p=1558#comment-189409 @Sarah, thanks for the tip.

@Chuck, I make these assessments 100% on the fly. I keep a stack of blank half-sheets by my desk and grab one when a student comes in. We look at old tests, discuss her errors, discuss theory, and then I write up an assessment that tries to elicit a different error.

(eg. if we’re talking about solving an equation with variables on both sides — 2x – 3 = 5x + 12 — and the student added 2x to both sides, I’ll talk about undoing the effect of the 2x by performing its opposite to both sides, subtracting 2x. Then, for her assessment, I’ll give her -6x + 7 = -3x + 10.)

And good luck with that second year. One thing at a time. If I can help, please let me know.

]]> By: Sarah /2008/this-new-school-year/#comment-189403 Sun, 09 Nov 2008 20:50:42 +0000 /?p=1558#comment-189403 I like the photo of your data wall. I hadn’t actually seen one that I liked before.

FWIW: TFA’s excel template for tracking is pretty great this year. It’s a massive file and I think you have to have a TFA log-in to access it. That said, anyone who wants to see it, e-mail me at cannon.sfis at gmail for the zip file.

Dan, if you want to play with more Excel coding, the feature that I like in the TFA tracker this year is “Progress Toward Goal.” Put in all the concepts on your list in there (and any subset skills that you want to include) and it calculates what percentage you’ve gotten through so far in the year. Not a feature that I’ve used as much as I should this year, but I like that it’s there.

]]> By: Chuck /2008/this-new-school-year/#comment-189371 Sun, 09 Nov 2008 18:47:47 +0000 /?p=1558#comment-189371 I’ve implemented and grown to appreciate your concept check system for my Algebra 2 classes. I also notice that it channels my remediation and it eliminates the need for “busy” work.

One problem – I recycle the extra copies from test day so much I feel like my assessments are predictable and redundant. There’s just not enough time in the day, at least not yet in year 2, to spice things up. How much do you make your formal assessments on the fly, when kids come in for remediation, vs. having them pre-made?

]]> By: dan /2008/this-new-school-year/#comment-189342 Sun, 09 Nov 2008 16:27:51 +0000 /?p=1558#comment-189342 The percent is the number of students who have either one 4 (proficiency) or two 4’s (mastery) on a given concept. The columns are for each concept. The rows are for each period.

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