Tips for Standards-Based Reporting

Hey y'all!  I may have mentioned that grades 3-5 in my district have joined K-2 in Standards-based Reporting.  Like all things that are new, there are some  pains that I am experiencing in this transition.  I'm also finding it hard to find resources to help ease this transition!  So, like other things I have shared, I plan to share my attempts to make this "just another thing" that we do!  And think nothing of it.

That said, I will say that up to this point, there have been way too many hours simply keeping up with grades.  Gone are the days of the old-fashioned grade books where you have one page per subject.  For the the entire first semester, I have been keeping up with 13 pages for ELA alone!  Depending on what we are covering for the other subjects, you can add to that for math, science, and social studies.

Some assessments might cover more than one standard....so record that AGAIN.

Add an absent child to the mix, so you don't record any of them? Leave yourself a post-it note on your desk?

I have found myself to be so scattered.  It has been quite frustrating.  I spoke with one of the other teachers in our building who created another system for herself (other than what we were given)...and I am giving that my attention for the next semester.  I'm pretty excited and hopeful and think this is going to be the ticket.  The first week has already been SOOOO much better!  So...here it is!

I always keep a stack of class lists in my desk ready to go at all times.  I leave these for my subs to have a sheet to send for attendance, I use them for quick recording of online assessments or formative assessments.  So, I decided to have these lists be a part of my reporting.

Rather than one sheet per standard (or cluster of standards), my friend's recording has ALL the clusters on one page per STUDENT.  I  had to tackle Excel to get SO may tables on one page, but I figured it out.  (In the back of my binder, I have all of my pacing guides to refer to)

I labeled the top of each page with the:

• Date
• Name of Activity
• Cluster & Number
• Week of the Activity

ALL of my grades for week 1 will go on the same row.  There will be empty slots each week, but it also allows me to quickly assign a grade in two places.  For example, our reading assessments often cover 2 clusters.  Rather than record all of the grades on one page and then AGAIN on another page, now I can quickly assign that grade for the student on his/her page.  

You can see that this is on Row 1 for  Week 1.  And that it is Cluster 10.

Once I am ready to record the stack, I figured out that it is easier to flip starting in the back.

I write whatever is the most common grade quickly....and look for the child that has something different.  Look for the next one and record.  I write, drop a page... write, drop a page, etc.  

Missing one grade?  I can leave myself a note in the grade book  so that when it trickles in, I know exactly where to record the grade.

Or...I can simply put the slips in a pocket in my binder.  I've put a circle on my empty slots so that I can know quickly who I need to pester!!  LOL!  Don't we ALL have those kids that shove things in their desk....and you're sitting at home with everyone's work EXCEPT that one little Goober!  Grrr!  Ready for that because we KNOW it's gonna happen!

That's the plan, y'all!  I'm super excited!  Now, if only we could get a digital system to handle it!  I have really missed being able to see a report that has everything one child is doing at a glance.  I didn't know how great I had it!

If you are doing Standards-Based Reporting, I'd love to hear your helpful hints for this newbie!  And if you're a newbie, too....hope this helps!