The Grading Podcast

113 - Experience First, Formalize Later: How switching to standards-based grading schoolwide enabled drastic change in the classroom, with Jen Smielewski


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In this episode, Sharona and Boz sit down with Jen Smielewski, a math teacher at Avondale High School. Jen works with Doug Wilson, the principal at Avondale High School who was a guest on episode 101 about visionary leadership. In this episode, Jen shares the "experience first, formalize later" methodology that the entire math department has adopted through the change to standards-based grading and under Doug's leadership.

From the adoption of Building Thinking Classrooms to the methods of daily assessment of common schoolwide standards, Jen provides detailed examples of the changes at Avondale and how they have unlocked success in her classroom. Join us for this amazing conversation!

Links

Please note - any books linked here are likely Amazon Associates links. Clicking on them and purchasing through them helps support the show. Thanks for your support!

  • Episode 101 – Visionary Leadership: Culture Change through Asking Questions – A 10-Year Journey to Building-Wide Grading Reform (with Doug Wilson)
  • Building Thinking Classrooms In Mathematics, by Peter Liljedahl
  • FAME: Formative Assessment for Michigan Educators
  • A Beginner's Guide to Standards Based Grading, by Kate Owens

Resources

The Center for Grading Reform - seeking to advance education in the United States by supporting effective grading reform at all levels through conferences, educational workshops, professional development, research and scholarship, influencing public policy, and community building.

The Grading Conference - an annual, online conference exploring Alternative Grading in Higher Education & K-12.

Some great resources to educate yourself about Alternative Grading:

  • The Grading for Growth Blog
  • The Grading Conference
  • The Intentional Academia Blog

Recommended Books on Alternative Grading:

  • Grading for Growth, by Robert Talbert and David Clark
  • Specifications Grading, by Linda Nilsen
  • Undoing the Grade, by Jesse Stommel

Follow us on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram - @thegradingpod. To leave us a comment, please go to our website: www.thegradingpod.com and leave a comment on this episode's page.

If you would like to be considered to be a guest on this show, please reach out using the Contact Us form on our website, www.thegradingpod.com.

All content of this podcast and website are solely the opinions of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily represent the views of California State University Los Angeles or the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Music

Country Rock performed by Lite Saturation, licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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The Grading PodcastBy Sharona Krinsky and Robert Bosley

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