What can a classroom teacher learn from tracking a single learning goal over time? As it turns out, much! This approach can have profound implications for both teachers and students. Just taking a small handful of learning goals that you believe are important, capabilities that you believe are fundamental to future learning and success in the world and monitoring students’ attainment of these over time will give you a deeper look into each of your students. It can give you and your students an experience of success and accomplishment that is completely beyond the experience of getting a good or bad grade.

Jason Brechko, Master Science Teacher from Glens Falls School District, presented his work and insights at the Eastern Section STANYS Conference at Siena College on Friday October 11, 2019. He told the story of his new approach to collecting and using information in the class, and pinpointed three shifts in thinking that occurred:

1) from 100% based scales to meaningful levels of attainment

2) from ignoring learning skills to tracking and reporting learning skills

3) from aggregated grades to reporting progress on discrete learning goals

ACASE joined Jason at STANYS and shared a powerful tool and way of thinking about classroom information, asking the question: what can we learn from tracking a single learning goal over time?

And, the conversation continues at the Forum! Join Jason and ACASE there as we discuss the challenges and opportunities inherent in this New Approach to Grading http://educationalrenewal.org/forum/forum-introduction/