EBR
A Quick Guide for
Stevenson Parents
E
vidence-Based Reporting (EBR) provides
specific feedback on how well students are
learning what is being taught in the classroom.
Unlike a traditional gradingx system, EBR
focuses on the ultimate proficiency of students
rather than how quickly they learn, or how
many times it takes them to master essential standards.
How a Student’s Grade is Determined
Every day, teachers will communicate these things to their
entire class: learning targets(s), essential questions, the
plan of the day, key evidence, and proficiency feedback. At
the beginning of the course, teachers will provide an overall
list of standards that will require an expected mastery.
For every unit in the course, teachers will monitor how well
students are doing in meeting the expected proficiencies.
As the semester progresses teachers will look at the
overall body of evidence of students’ proficiency
and, based on that evidence and their professional
discretion, will determine a score or grade.
Teachers have two ways to measure student learning:
proficiency development assessments and proficiency
evaluation assessments. Proficiency development
assessments include daily practice/homework, work
in class, quizzes and other tasks that are frequent and
ongoing. They provide “reflective check points” for student
progress and are the foundation for feedback. Proficiency
evaluation assessments take place after several development
assessments, and usually require students to demonstrate how
well they have developed the expected proficiencies (content,
concept, skills). Examples of evaluation assessments include
projects, presentations, unit tests, essays and performances.
What Parents Will See
What you’ll see in Infinite Campus grade books are
assignments and a rating of how your student is achieving on
each one. EBR courses use this rating system:
4=Advanced
3=Proficient
2=Partially Proficient or Developing
1=Emerging
M=Evidence missing (can still be turned in)
N= Evidence missing (can’t be turned in)
Let’s take a look at how this works in practice. Imagine
that your student is taking a class on U.S. history, and the
teacher is going to have a unit about World War I and its
causes. Here are some learning targets the teacher might
set for his or her students:
4 - Using unique examples and opinions,
students will be able to effectively explain
the main causes of World War I in a written
analysis.
3 - Using examples from class, students will be
able to effectively explain the main causes
of World War I in a written analysis.
2 - Using given definitions and terms, students
will be able to effectively explain the main
causes of World War I in a written analysis.
1 - Using a text, students will be able to effectively
explain the main causes of World War I in
a written analysis.
Each stage requires a deeper level of understanding by
students, which means they also are developing the skills
and knowledge necessary to make the leap in learning.
At Level 1, students might identify the assassination of
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria as the cause of World
War I. At Level 4, students would say that Ferdinand’s
death was the spark that ignited the war, but they would
also discuss the long-simmering political, economic and
social tensions leading up to the assassination.
The teacher’s job is to help students improve in their
understanding, and to help them develop the ability
to transfer skills and knowledge to other situations.
For example, in learning about the causes of World War I,
teachers will help students make connections when looking
at the causes of other historical events.
Will Students Have to be “Perfect” to Get a 4?
No, students do not have to be perfect. In order to score
a 4, a student would have to show learning that simply
goes above and beyond the criteria for the learning
target. It would reflect in-depth understanding of content
or excellence in demonstration or communication of
knowledge, process or skills.
Will proficient (3) be considered “good
enough,” resulting in some students feeling
bored and not challenged?
Consistent with our mission as a school, we are challenging
students to rise to their highest potential. We hope parents
and guardians will work with us to encourage and motivate
students to do their best and not settle for being “good
enough.” On the other hand, we don’t want students to feel
they have to be perfect in every single subject and every
single assignment or assessment. We strive for balance,
and hope parents and guardians will emphasize that as
well!
A Major Difference With EBR: Second
Chances Encouraged
A significant difference between traditional grading and
EBR is that students will have multiple opportunities to
show mastery of a standard before the grade is final.
Sometimes students struggle to understand concepts or
grasp information at first exposure. In a course using
traditional grading, students who struggle early in a
grading period end up being punished in their overall
grade even if they come to understand the material
before the end.
In an EBR course, growth is a major component, and
giving students multiple opportunities to show that they’ve
mastered content makes sense. In “real life,” people can
attempt a variety of things several times with no penalty
— their driver’s license test, the SAT or ACT, bar exam …
even the Olympics.
For those below proficient, at proficient, or above, and want
to advance their proficiency, a re-do is possible. However,
not every assessment or task will be available for a re-take.
Assignments that are practice or formative in nature may
or may not be required to be re-done. In most instances,
assessments and tasks are ongoing, so students will have
several opportunities to show growth and improve their
scores. It will depend on the discretion of the teacher or his/
her curriculum team.
How are we holding kids accountable by
letting them re-do work? How does this teach
responsibility?
By not allowing students re-do work, we deny the
growth mindset so vital to student maturation. If we don’t
emphasize the opportunity to re-do their work, we’re
declaring to the student that the assignment had little
educational value, and that it’s OK if they don’t learn
the content or skill. These messages are unacceptable.
Giving a reduced grade or zero didn’t teach responsibility
to students who were not motivated in the first place. It
actually provided an easy way out.
Will My Student Suffer if Others in the Class
Are Slow to Learn?
Teachers will not hold back an entire class. Instead, the
teacher will determine appropriate ways to ensure that
those who have grasped the content will continue extend
their learning, while those who need extra time and help
can get it before or after school, at lunch or in study hall.
For more information on EBR, visit myEBRexperience.com.