Standards-Based Grading and Reporting Systems

Develop standards-based report cards that are meaningful to students, parents, and educators!

Although schools have moved toward standards-based curriculum and instruction, grading practices and reporting systems have remained largely unchanged. Helping school leaders gain support for transitioning from traditional to standards-based report cards, this book guides educators in aligning assessment and reporting practices with standards-based education and providing more detailed reports of children's learning and achievement.

A standards-based report card breaks down each subject area into specific elements of learning to offer parents and educators a more thorough description of each child's progress toward proficiency. This accessible volume:

• Provides a clear framework for developing standards-based report cards
• Shows how to communicate with parents, students, and other stakeholders about changes
• Illustrates how to achieve grading consistency without increasing teachers' workloads or violating their professional autonomy

Filled with examples of standards-based report cards that can be adapted to a school's needs, this practical resource shows district and school administrators how to establish reporting practices that facilitate learning.

Thomas R.Guskey is Professor of Educational Psychology in the College of Education at the University of Kentucky. He has taught at all levels, served as an administrator in Chicago Public Schools, and was the first Director of the Center for the Improvement of Teaching and Learning, a national educational research center. He is the author of numerous award-winning books and over 200 articles and papers. Dr. Guskey served on the Policy Research Team of the National Commission on Teaching & America’s Future, on the Task Force to develop the National Standards for Staff Development, and recently was named a Fellow in the American Educational Research Association, one of the Association’s highest honors. He co-edits the Experts in Assessment Series for Corwin Press and has been featured on the National Public Radio programs, “Talk of the Nation” and “Morning Edition.”

Jane Bailey grew up in Chelsea, Michigan, earned her bachelor's and master's degrees at Michigan State University, and embarked on her career in public education teaching English and reading at Petoskey High School in Petoskey, Michigan. She went on to serve as high school principal in Alanson and Harbor Springs, Michigan; as staff development coordinator at the Char-Em Intermediate School District in Charlevoix, Michigan; and as director for curriculum and staff development for the Petoskey Public Schools, from which she retired in 2008. She was a nationally known education consultant, a gifted presenter, and co-author of three books on education. Bailey was admired by many as a role model and served as a mentor to numerous young educators. She was a dedicated wife, a proud mother, and the very best of friends. Her kindness, charm, keen sense of humor, and irrepressible spirit inspired everyone who knew her. She left the world a better place because of her passion for life, her dedication to public education, and her commitment to excellence in teaching.