2019 MidSchoolMath National Conference

How might we increase student engagement and motivation in assessments? How might we optimize the assessment grading experience to increase feedback and learning opportunities for all?

This conference session will provide guidance on executing this Student-Centered Grading Methods (SCG) to elevate student learning. You'll experience an entire SCG cycle through the perspective of the student and the teacher.

In SCG students grade their own work sans answer-key. They are expected to collaborate and develop solutions (and proof of solutions) through discussion and debate. They become advocates for their thinking and analyze the strategies of their peers. The teacher becomes a coach, optimizing teachable and “a-ha” moments.

A key element of SCG is that assessments need to be collected and analyzed by the teacher first (without a single mark put on the assessment). With that information students are intentionally grouped by considering types of errors made and the needs of the students, and then students work in their new groups to evaluate their assessments and allocate points within their groups. All students are taught to advocate for their thinking, critique one another, and debate what deserves full or partial credit.

Since assessments were previously analyzed and coded by the teacher a lot of information is gained and can be used to inform instruction during the grading session and beyond. It becomes obvious if there are common errors, unique strategies worth highlighting, precision vs. sense-making errors, if a question was poorly worded, etc.

Intentional grouping of students is key to a successful group session. Students should all benefit from their groups. Everyone, even the student’s struggling the most, should feel like an expert on a problem. On the other end of the spectrum, 100%ers can benefit from being grouped with students who solved problems in alternative ways than them.