Standards-Based Grading, Assessment Design, Strategic Leadership- They sound good, but does any of it work?

Over the last ten years, I have had the chance to work with more than 200 schools and districts. I have had the opportunity to stand beside amazing people doing incredible work and watch transformations take place. I have had the opportunity to stand on the stage delivering keynote speeches, have met in conference rooms surrounded by stakeholders, and have met online via Zoom and Google Meet. I have worked with schools from Washington state to Florida, from Massachusetts to California. Through it all, I am reminded that a focus on the focus is what brings long-term success.

When working with schools on standards-based grading, I am often brought in after a school system hits a roadblock they cannot solve alone. Many times, the school hoped to simply change their report card only to find that Pandora’s Box had been opened and now they are exploring assessment alignment, standard articulation, retakes, scoring, communication, teacher efficacy, etc…none of which can be solved in a one and done approach.

When working on assessment design, schools quickly discover this work is not just about changing tests to projects and quizzes to challenges. It involves aligning questions to rigor, analyzing the validity of items, seeking reliability, and ensuring formative responses…none of which can be solved in a one and done approach.

When working on strategic leadership, I am often asked to help leaders as they enhance their communication, determine a prioritized focus, establish urgency in a culture of change, critically examine relevant data, detail hiring priorities, examine outcomes, and improve performance…none of which can be solved in a one and done approach.

During my time working with schools and systems, I always seek feedback. I want to make sure the experience is worthwhile, engaging, and supportive. I am happy to say, administrators and teachers alike continue to send me messages of encouragement and validation. I’ll be honest. This feels great, but ultimately, what matters more is knowing that kids’ lives and destinies are changing as well.

Five years ago I began seeking a way to measure the impact of support being provided and I have been blown away by the results.

Student achievement varies from school to school, but when schools focus on the focus, they outperform the average school. Over this five-year period, I have been lucky enough to work with some schools for one year, others for two years, and others for three years. Prior to working with these schools, we identified what data each utilizes to measure relative success. After working with each, a noticeable increase has always been observed. Those with a focus for one year outperformed the mean by approximately .2 standard deviations; those with a focus for two years showed an increase by almost .5 standard deviations, and those with a continued focus for three years showed an exponential increase of almost 2 standard deviations, meaning they outperformed more than 90% of other schools.

The results are real. The success is phenomenal.

Yes, it is important to measure satisfaction, but results matter. When we stay committed to the process and address the full process and not just the fringes, success can happen.

Let me know if I can help you.

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