Wrapping my head around SBA required figuring out the role of PowerSchool. As I mentioned in the previous post, PS’s standards features do not communicate as I would like them to. Here’s a bit of the process I went through to make PS work for me.
Rick Wormeli is a well-known educator who helped me think about reporting SBA. One of his videos is one of the most direct influences on my attempts to get practical about SBA.
Here is a rough chart based on what Mr. Wormeli described.
| Student Name | Assignment 1 | Assignment 2 | Assignment 3 | Totals |
| Prov. Outcome 1 | C | C | C | |
| Prov. Outcome 2 | S | U | U | |
| Prov. Outcome 3 | S | R | R |
This model requires one page per student with all the outcomes on the far left column (y-axis) and the assignments on the top row (x-axis). Only a small number of outcomes will be assessed per assignment, but over time a clearer picture of a student’s mastery of the course outcomes will emerge by following the X-axis for a particular outcome. This student has mastered outcome 1 but needs help with outcome 3. Totals should emphasize the most recent, relevant, and significant evidence. Focus on patterns. I’ve used the Provincial Report Card behaviour scale of Consistently, Usually, Sometimes, Rarely, but another number or symbol based scale could be used.
I may use such a chart for my own record-keeping. I don’t know how just yet, but perhaps a digital version (spreadsheet?) that I could share with individual students would be ideal. More to come on that.
Such a chart will not work on PowerSchool, so here’s my plan A for PS:
| Categories | GLO 1 —-> | GLO 2—> | |||
| Assignments | SLO 1.1 | SLO 1.2 | SLO 2.1 | SLO 2.2 | Totals |
| Student 1 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | % |
| Student 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | % |
| Student 3 | R | S | U | U | % |
General Learning Outcomes (GLOs) will be my categories and Specific Learning Outcomes (SLOs) will be my assignments. I’ll weigh the GLO categories according to their importance in the course. I’ll have all of this plugged in at the beginning of the semester and add or adjust scores for each SLO as it is assessed. As indicated by the sample chart, a number or letter scale could be used, but a percentage will be calculated as a total. I’ll keep a more detailed record with the first chart I shared.
It isn’t a perfect system, but it does take a significant step toward refocusing attention on outcomes and learning rather than marks. What do you think? How do you attend to outcomes/standards? How do you report them, particularly when your building or division uses a reporting system that doesn’t communicate what you would like it too?
