Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Emergency Services Medford MLK Jr. celebration: "Progress is not inevitable" Talent Elementary students learn to tinker Effort underway to find photos of those who died in Vietnam, including 35 from Jackson County Restaurant Inspections Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services Emergency Services Former youth pastor arrested on burglary, privacy invasion Emergency services Attorney general's decision would limit federal sharing of asset forfeitures Politics and Elections Oregon Legislature convenes, session starts Feb. 12 Councilman stirs online dust-up with anti-marijuana post Education Talent Elementary students learn to tinker Local elementary and middle school students qualify for state chess championships Unfair labor complaint against Medford School District resolved Arsonist attempts to burn down building at Jackson Elementary Not as ready as they should be Environment Grant will help restore "legacy" oak habitat south of Ashland New wandering wolf arrives in Southern Oregon OR-7 now officially the leader of his pack Ashland trails up for changes Monument expansion expected to increase tourism, protect resources State News Oregon lawmakers start drafting pot bills 12 injured in massive I-84 crash in eastern Oregon Oregon man reveled in Cuba trip Dancers: Strip club owes us wages 'Wild' author wows overflow crowd Nation - World Obituaries Harold Ray Fisher Louise K. Snow Frank Jarosz RENETTA �RENIE� MARIE JOHNSON Alveriah L. (Canamore) Dreiszus Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable In memoriam: 2014’s notable deaths Looking back: Do you remember 2014’s biggest stories? Sports Latest Stories Fifth-seeded Ivanovic out in Australia Huskies rally back, down Ducks Patriots punch Super Bowl ticket with rout Spurs lock down Jazz Walker wins Sony Open by record nine strokes Varsity 541 College Sports Huskies rally back, down Ducks Oregon receiver to transfer OSU Ownership Raider women end four-year drought at OIT No. 4 Duke dominates No. 6 Louisville Pro Sports Fifth-seeded Ivanovic out in Australia Patriots punch Super Bowl ticket with rout Spurs lock down Jazz Walker wins Sony Open by record nine strokes Fight and flight Community Sports Business Latest Stories Business Briefs Blog: 1-800 Flowers on New York's Best Companies to Work for list; Harry & David you're on the clock Swanson to rebuild Springfield plywood mill Blog: Choose Magnificence Ride & Drive: 2015 Cadillac Escalade Real Estate News Home loan rates continue to fall, applications soar Jackson County real estate market headed back to normal Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers People In Business Transportation Medford airport traffic flies to new heights Agriculture Rising prices bear fruit for local pear growers Opinion Latest Letters to the Editor, Jan. 19 Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose gas pipeline Other Views: Clearing the way for hemp farming Our View: Oregon students need job skills training Letters to the Editor, Jan. 18 Editorials Other Views: Clearing the way for hemp farming Our View: Oregon students need job skills training Other Views: Klamath water deal is best available Our View: Avoid overreacting to legal marijuana Our View: School district plan deserves a chance Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Jan. 19 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 18 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 16 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 15 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 14 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose gas pipeline A fair shot for all: addressing our low-wage crisis Guest Opinion: SOU biomass burner would be big mistake Guest Opinion: Reforms needed to build upon John Day’s success Guest Opinion: FERC fails our planet Lifestyle Latest stories Home Help: How to keep your house pest-free this winter Southern Oregon Journal: Birthdays are for Celebrating Restaurant Inspections Methow Suite Not waiting for others to change the world Food Restaurant Inspections Community blog: This pureed vegetable soup has a bit of a bite How to make vegetable stock — and why you should Valley View — It's all in the family Gail Ciampa: Modern quiche meets ancient grain Home and Garden Home Help: How to keep your house pest-free this winter Dear Monty: Consider mediation in real estate disputes Home Help: Heighten your home’s style this year 11 reasons why we love wrought iron fencing Dear Monty: Eight great tips to ponder before investing in real estate Health Dr. Jeff Hersh: Heart test causes undue alarm Dr. Murray Feingold: How reliable is the medical information we read? Health Watch: Get abs in the a.m. Community blog: The �Art of Being Alone� Community blog: HOME TOURS R US Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs Old stained-glass windows face threats Churches start new year with messages of hope (No heading) Milestones and Achievements 50 years and counting: Bulebar Wedding: Lindsey-Maria Rios New arrivals Since You Asked: Sheriff's Office sells off foreclosed homes Mt. Ashland Ski Area shut down again by lack of snow Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Review: Biegel brings fire to Grieg Live Music in Local Clubs Cheeseburgers on the cheap A look at the life and vision of Martin Luther King Jr. Rogue Valley Symphony's concerts take listeners to China and Persia Theater Roy Orbison tribute hits high note Thanks for the Memories Theatre presents 'Cardenio' Thanks for the Memories Theatre presents 'Rent' Tangled up in Dylan OSF's 'Great Society' up for Kennedy Prize Music Roy Orbison tribute hits high note Review: Biegel brings fire to Grieg Live Music in Local Clubs Yuval Ron Trio at Unitarian Fellowship Rogue Valley Symphony's concerts take listeners to China and Persia Community Events A look at the life and vision of Martin Luther King Jr. Ty Barnett and Ian Harris are 'Divided' Elaine Witteveen's new exhibit 'Wings' opens at the Rogue Gallery Art Presence showcases 'Naked Art' New Schneider Museum exhibits highlight First Friday Dining Cheeseburgers on the cheap Valley View — It's all in the family Patty Groth's Morning Glory is still a delight Entertaining with a gift of treasure Jackson Creek Pizza Co. is a good downtown haunt Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose gas pipeline ... Medford MLK Jr. celebration: "Progress is not inevitable" ... Talent Elementary students learn to tinker ... Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose gas pipeline ... Medford MLK Jr. celebration: "Progress is not inevitable" ... Talent Elementary students learn to tinker ... EDUCATION Homework matters Homework will now factor into middle school and high school grades The Medford School District tweaked its proficiency grading practices this year to make homework count toward a student’s final grade. Comment By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 16, 2014 @ 12:01 am By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 16, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Social News The Medford School District tweaked its proficiency grading practices this year to make homework count toward a student’s final grade. It’ll be up to the teachers to determine just how much weight homework holds. The grading changes are based on new legislation — House Bill 4150 — as well as teacher and parent feedback, said Todd Bloomquist, Medford's director of secondary education. House Bill 4150 replaced House Bill 2220, which required that districts provide parents with an annual report of their students’ mastery of Oregon's academic standards. This grade reflected only a student's performance on a summative assessment and did not take into account behavior and whether the student had done his or her homework. A team of teachers and administrators studied proficiency grading for a year before the district implemented it in 2013-14. Last year, teachers sent parents quarterly reports with information about how well their student met standards within each class. Instead of a student receiving a letter grade — A, B, C or Fail — the report indicated whether the student was not meeting, meeting, advancing or mastering the academic standards in a particular class, explained Debbie Connolly, supervisor of curriculum and assessment. The elementary grades have been “proficiency-based” for about 16 years, Connolly said. At that level, grades are reported on a scale of one (the student is not meeting state academic standards) to four (the student is exceeding academic standards). “It really clarified for kids and teachers what it is that kids have to be able to do and know,” Connolly said. The problem with the proficiency system as it was implemented last year at the secondary level was that students weren't penalized if their dog ate their homework, if they turned in homework late or if they didn't do it at all. “With proficiency grading, only the summative assessment and none of the practices counted toward the final grade,” said Bloomquist. “That’s great in theory, but it’s difficult to practice. When homework doesn't count toward the final grade, kids quickly catch on. Teachers were always fighting the kids who thought, ‘Hey, I don’t have to turn it in because it doesn't really matter.” This year, the state clarified its expectations in HB 4150, which states that districts are responsible for choosing “the form and content of their grading and reporting systems” and that behavior and homework can factor into a student’s final grade. “This allows us to use proficiency teaching and learning practices in the context of homework and deadlines,” Bloomquist said. Last spring, a district team began evaluating the district’s grading methodology and surveyed parents and teachers to see what they thought of proficiency grading. Nearly 650 parents responded to the online survey. Of those, 45 percent rated their experience with proficiency grading as “poor” and 32.3 percent rated it as “not good.” About 43 percent said the grading system impacted their student “not very positively,” and nearly 50 percent said they felt less informed of their student’s progress toward meeting state standards. At each school site, staff discussed what worked and what didn't and submitted their analysis to the advisory team, Bloomquist said. The advisory team used this information to build its new grading system, in which Professional Learning Communities determine how much homework and the summative assessments factor in to a student’s final grade. "Homework and formative assessment could be up to 70 percent of a student's grade," Bloomquist said.  Reach education reporter Teresa Thomas at 541-776-4497 or [email protected]. Follow her at www.twitter.com/teresathomas_mt. By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 16, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501