Mandan High School Transitions to Standards Based Learning

– Dylan Campbell, Reporter

Mandan High School seeks to redefine the basis in which students learn by integrating standards based learning into the classrooms.

Standards based grading is established by working off a proficiency scale to assess different levels of learning. Where a student ranked for the skill, on that specific scale, is where their grade would be reported out of: one, two, three, and four. Then, the numerical grade will be translated into an alphabetical grade. Changing the standard from an outright letter grade to a grading process.

“When I was teaching, traditional grades always felt like a financial transaction. My students would ask, ‘Mr. Just, what do I have to do to get a B?’” Curriculum Director Perry Just said. “Too often, we teach, take a test, and move on.”

This way of learning is conducive to all students by attaching standards to certain chapters within coursework. The school-wide standards are set by the teachers instructing the common classe Students will follow these standards, while also, having the opportunity to improve on those standards at a later date.

“That is where the benefit comes, it focuses more on the progression of learning,” Just said.

In a classroom setting, teachers will use proficiency scales as a way to communicate with students what the teacher wants them to learn. The proficiency scales would present the expected skills for students to learn and the steps it takes to achieve mastery in those skills.

“For a student, it is a way for you to gauge where your leve learning is,” Instructional Coach Kara Blaskowski said.

Standards based learning has been implemented into Mandan’s elementary and middle schools, but this would be the first time Mandan High School will fully transition to standards based learning.

“I feel like standardized grading lowers the expectations for the students and does them a disservice,” Choir Teacher Keri Hess said. “Traditional grading is more concise and it challenges the kids. I think our grading system is fair.”

While, standards based grading is anew within the common classes Mandan High School students are required to take, some CTE classes have been using this system of learning previous t this transition.

“The traditional grade system allows for smaller gaps than standardized grading and I feel like we keep making the grading system more forgiving,” Hess said. “We are a diverse school that can accommodate any student.”

Blaskowski encourages students to embrace the newfound way of learning, by connecting the use of standards based grading in a realistic setting.

“If you can check the boxes on this level-two section, except one. Then, let’s work on doing that one. Next, let’s see what we are capable of doing in level three section,” Blaskowski said. “If faces repudam quis enduntibus mint rectotat quam sitatio nsectem is net ut autenim quias non parumquas explandemque non nit, quatium que res eum voluptaqui volupta arition nobit ea ni demporuntur? cum quis experro vitiam aut omnihitem qui aborrum fugitassi autas ut laut labor maio. Nem ium que nat fugia volore exerunt. nonem volorem. Ebis ped mi, sit eosapelitia comnita tquatia deliatiis idunt offic tenitem in pa de expliquam, a vendaepta suntecabo. Oluptatia voluptur, optas invero mi, sum rae culla nectibus, simus, ipsam volenie ndande odignat volument doluptaque lam, quis dis quia pore, sima con rerentis sunto velectem imod exerunt ibuscius ipsam qui quationsedi seditis et re ma seque num del mos rest quaepel iquunda ndeles vellandi dolupti atatemperum quo eaquistiant. tectint ut invendu ciusciditate pa ipsa sequamus etur sunt eossite mperuntur aut vollore, ut rerem. Consequam re optat harcit que eum exerunt qui reptaspere

The books below are used by teachers to create proficiency scales.