The OpenSciEd materials have a comprehensive assessment system that is aligned with the model of instruction, which supports students in sensemaking and developing their ideas over time. While the materials have embedded assessments, it is up to each teacher to determine how to map the assessment moments to their classroom grades. Grading practices are very localized and informed by school and district policies and a teacher’s own priorities and policies. On this page and in the associated resources, we provide a variety of approaches that educators have taken with grading that aligns with the general approach of the materials.
Planning for Grading
We have developed a set of tools to help educators plan out their grading for each unit. The tools for the first three units in each grade level can be copied from this folder and then modified as needed. In that folder are examples of how three different teachers have planned their grading for the unit. The playlist embedded below has a video of each teacher describing how they filled out the tool and it has an overview video about how the tool was developed and how teachers can use it to plan their grading.
Approaches to Grading with OpenSciEd
We have collaborated with teachers who have been successfully implementing our materials to learn from how they fit our materials and assessment into their schools’ grading expectations and system. In the following videos they will share how they are grading in a way that supports student sensemaking.
Grading that Supports Sensemaking Webinar
We hosted a webinar on grading as part of our Back to School Series. In the webinar three teachers discussed their approaches to grading and how they use the planning tools to support the creation of their grade book. The archived version of the webinar can be found below.
