Standards-Based Grading in Middle School Math
Standards-based grading, also called competency-based grading, measures students' progress relative to specific learning standards. Teachers are given standards they are required to teach. Many schools and states use the Common Core State Standards or something similar, while Texas teachers may use TEKS.
There are several benefits to standards-based grading:
- Promotes a growth mindset
- Provides clear communication about student progress
- Makes grades more meaningful
- Uses evidence of learning
Using Standards-Based Assessments
An effective way to implement standards-based grading is to use assessments focused on individual learning standards.
A standards-based assessment can be a short assessment targeting a specific standard. When students demonstrate proficiency, the assessment provides evidence of their understanding.
When a student hasn't yet demonstrated proficiency, you can provide additional instruction and practice before reassessing. You might use a parallel version of the assessment with different questions or values.
Student assessments can also be kept in portfolios as evidence of growth and progress toward mastering the standards.
One challenge with standards-based grading is the additional preparation it can require. Having assessments and answer keys ready ahead of time can help reduce that workload.
Ready-to-Use Standards-Based Math Assessments
That's why I created my standards-based math assessments: to support standards-based grading without requiring teachers to create every assessment from scratch.
These resources include:
- Assessments aligned to Common Core math standards
- Coverage of the grade-level standards
- Editable assessments
Click your grade level below to check out the assessments.
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7th Grade Math Standards-Based Assessments | 8th Grade Math Standards-Based Assessments
What Teachers Are Saying
Here are some reviews from teachers who have used these assessments:
"I am so thankful to have come across these! Well done and saves me a lot of time!" — 7th Grade Math Assessments
"I am so glad I purchased this resource! The items included in this will be perfect to check for IEP goals and make sure my kiddos are reaching proficiency in particular standards as well as to check in for retention. Thanks for creating this product!" — 7th Grade Math Assessments
"LOVE that they are broken down by standard." — 8th Grade Math Assessments
"These assessments are ideal as portfolio components for those students who are not passing to prove mastery of the essential course skills. The assessments are well-done and cover the standards nicely. Thank you for a wonderful resource." — 8th Grade Math Assessments
Save These Standards-Based Grading Ideas
Save this article to your classroom Pinterest board so you can revisit these strategies for standards-based grading and assessment in middle school math.
