>> WE ARE TALKING ABOUT MOVING AWAY FROM GRADES.

AND THE ENTIRE CULTURE OF EDUCATION HAS BEEN GEARED AROUND THAT.

>> WE ARE DEFINITELY BEGINNING, THE GUINEA PIG.

>> WE ARE TRYING STUFF OUT.

>> IT'S COOL.

>> WE ARE ALSO GUINEA PIGS ALWAYS.

TRYING TO REFINE OUR CRAFT AND EDUCATION AND TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL FOR THE 21st CENTURY.

>> SO I WOULD SAY THAT IT WAS ABOUT 10 OR 12 YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS TEACHING ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE CLASS.

AND WE HAD JUST ENDED A UNIT ON CLIMATE CHANGE.

AND I HAD NOT DONE WELL ON AN ASSESSMENT, ON THAT ASSESSMENT, BUT THEY HAVE DONE WELL WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS, SO AVERAGING THEIR GRADE TOGETHER THAT IS A PASSING RATE, AND I JUST DID NOT FEEL CONFIDENT THAT, OR GOOD ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY COULD HAVE TAKEN THE CLASS AND NOT HAVE DEMONSTRATED CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE FACTORS OF INFLUENCING THE CLIMATE CHANGE.

>> YOUR JOB IS TO IDENTIFY THE PROFICIENCIES U. MET AND YOU ARE ALL SET WITH, AND PROFICIENCIES THAT YOU HAVE NOT MET YET, AND THEREFORE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE SPENDING SOME OF YOUR TIME FOCUSING ON GETTING THOSE ACCOMPLISHED AS WE NEAR THE END OF THE SEMESTER.

YOU HAVE GOT ABOUT THREE WEEKS LEFT.

>> SO I DIDN'T CALL IT PROFICIENCY-BASED.

I JUST CALLED IT, YOU HAVE GOT TO LEARN THE STUFF THAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO LEARN.

IF YOU ARE GOING TO RECEIVE CREDIT FOR A PARTICULAR CLASS.

>> SO WE ARE MAKING SOLAR WATER HEATERS, AND WE ARE TRYING TO FOCUS THE LIGHT ON THE CONTAINER BY MAKING REFLECTIVE CONES.

>> THIS IS A SIGNATURE PARADIGM SHIFT FOR THE STUDENTS AND PARENTS, AND ALSO A LOT OF TEACHERS.

IT'S NOT WHAT WE ARE USED TO, AND I THINK FOR EVERY COMMUNITY, EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT THE STATE ESSENTIALLY HAS GIVEN THOSE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THE ABILITY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY THINK IS PROFICIENT AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PROFICIENCIES.

>> THE TEACHERS ARE LEARNERS, TOO, SO WE ARE HAVING TO LEARN AND TO OPERATE AT THE SAME TIME, AND UNTIL YOU ARE REALLY COMFORTABLE, YOU ARE PROBABLY NOT FEELING LIKE YOU ARE DOING IT TERRIBLY WELL.

SO THAT MAY BE SOME OF THE PUSHBACK THAT IS COMING FROM THE TEACHERS IN GENERAL IS JUST THE LACK OF COMFORT AND REALLY HAVING A FIRM GRIP ON PROFICIENCY-BASED EDUCATION AND WHAT THAT MEANS.

>> THIS IS A LITTLE SLIP OF PAPER.

WHAT WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO DO IS TO IDENTIFY YOUR TOP THREE CHOICES, NUMBER ONE WOULD BE THE FIRST COUNTRY IN THE MIDDLE EAST YOU WOULD LIKE TO REPRESENT.

>> SO WITH THE EMERGENCE OF THE PROFICIENCIES IT'S BEEN TOUGH ON VETERAN TEACHERS.

YOU GET COMFORTABLE DOING THINGS ONE WAY.

ALL OF A SUDDEN THINGS CHANGE.

SOME WHAT DRAMATICALLY, AND IT IS A REAL CHALLENGE.

>> IT'S A BIG MENTAL SHIFT FOR TEACHERS, A LOT OF TIMES, ESPECIALLY IN HIGH SCHOOL WE TEND TO START WITH THE CONTENT MOST INTERESTING OR DYNAMIC OR IMPORTANT FOR STUDENTS.

AND THE SKILLS COME HOPEFULLY IF AT ALL AFTER THE FACT.

SO THIS IS JUST A REVERSAL OF THAT, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT STUDENTS NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO?

TEND OF HIGH SCHOOL, IN NINTH GRADE, AND IN LIFE IN GENERAL, AND THE CONTENT IS A VEHICLE TO GIVE STUDENTS A PRACTICE.

>> THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT MRD OUT AS THE SKILLS BEHIND WHAT YOU ARE DOING.

EVEN WHICH YOU DON'T COMPREHEND, IT IS A HUGE SKILL.

>> THERE ARE A LOT OF POSITIVES WITH THIS SYSTEM.

IN TERMS OF THE OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS TO AMEND THEIR WORK.

>> I HAVE HAD DIFFICULTIES IN THIS CLASS, AND WHEN I DO, I CAN ALWAYS REDO THINGS OR DESIGN MY OWN PROJECT, SO I CAN EARN MY PROFICIENCIES THAT WAY, WHICH I FIND IS REALLY NICE BECAUSE I COULDN'T DO THAT BEFORE.

IT WAS KIND OF JUST YOU TAKE A TEST AND IF YOU DID NOT DO WELL, YOU ARE STUCK THERE.

>> YOU ARE NEVER REALLY GIVEN MUCH INFORMATION BESIDES YOU JUST GOT A LOWER GRADE.

BUT IF YOU FEEL LIKE PROFICIENCIES AND YOU GET A LOWER PROFICIENCY, IT TELLS YOU EXACTLY WHAT PARTS OF IT YOU ARE LOWER ON AND WHAT PARTS YOU DID REALLY WELL, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

>> IT'S NOT LIKE THE NICEST THING TO SAY.

BUT I AM ON THE SIDE OF LIKE PROFICIENCIES WHERE I AM NOT TOO INTO IT, AND I THINK THAT A LOT OF STUDENTS DISLIKE THE PROFICIENCIES, AND ARE HAVING SO MUCH TROUBLE WITH IT.

NORMALLY WITH GRADING, IF YOU SEE A NUMBER, I FEEL LIKE YOU CAN GET MORE DETAIL WITH NUMBERS.

>> A STUDENT CAN SEE A REPORT CARD WITH NUMERICAL GRADES ON IT, AND THINK THAT THEY KNOW HOW THEY ARE DOING, AS ARTIFICIAL AS THE NUMBERS MIGHT BE.

>> SOMETIMES IT'S A RUBRIC OR IT'S -- YOU LIKE -- YEAH, MOST OF THE TIME IT'S A RUBRIC BUT THEN IF YOU ARE UNHAPPY WITH YOUR RUBRIC, YOU HAVE TO TALK WITH YOUR TEACHER.

>> OUR REPORTING SYSTEM THAT WE SWITCHED TO WAS REALLY CONVOLUTED, AND NOT REALLY CLEAR TO THE STUDENTS OR THE PARENTS.

IT'S CAUSED OUR SCHOOL TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS FOR NEXT YEAR.

ADOPTING A WHOLE NEW REPORTING SYSTEM.

THAT WOULD BE A HUGE IMPROVEMENT.

>> A LOT OF IT IS LEFT TO THE NINTH GRADE TO FIGURE OUT.

LIKE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT -- WE ARE COMING UP WITH THE RUBRICS.

>> WE ARE TRYING STUFF OUT ON THEM, WHICH IS TRUE.

WE ARE ALSO GUINEA PIGGINGS ALWAYS, LIKE TRYING TO REFINE THE CRAFT AND EDUCATION SO THAT MEANS THAT STUDENTS AND TEACHERS AND PARENTS AND POLITICIANS AND EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE REEDUCATED ON THIS PROCESS, AND NEEDS TO BE OPEN AND GIVE THIS NEW SYSTEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE ITSELF.

>> QUESTIONS FOR THIS GROUP?

>> HISTORICALLY IN MATH PEOPLE BELIEVE WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO IS FOCUS ON THAT, YOU KNOW, THE GREEN SIZE IS REALLY SMALL, AND ALL THESE SKILLS THAT YOU HAVE TO LEARN.

I THINK THAT HOW HUMANITY HAS BEEN STUDIED OVER THE YEARS HAS BEEN A BIT DIFFERENT, AND SO IT DOES NOT FEEL AS BIG OF A CHANGE.

>> TWO MINUTES WITH YOUR TABLE MATES.

SHARE YOUR OBSERVATIONS.

>> IF I THINK ABOUT WHEN I WAS A MORE TRADITIONAL TEACHER, AND I WOULD DRAW THESE CONNECTIONS, THE CONNECTIONS I WOULD, I WAS DRAWING FOR STUDENTS WERE IN A UNIT, AND NOW WE ARE THINKING ABOUT THE BIGGER PICTURE, AND WHAT ARE THE IDEAS OVERALL THAT I CAN KEEP GOING BACK TO THE BIG IDEAS.

>> CAN WE STEPS TO DO THAT?

>> YES.

>> OKAY.

SO WE DISTRIBUTED THESE QUESTIONS HERE.

>> THIS WOULD TAKE US BACK TO WHERE WE WERE.

SO WE ARE NOT REALLY SURE.

USUALLY WE COME BACK TOGETHER AS A CLASS AND SOMEONE WILL GET DIFFERENT POINTS.

YOU BOTH HAVE SAID, I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED AT WHAT I HAVE, AND I MAKE OBSERVATIONS ABOUT WHAT I SEE.

>> I HAVE HEARD TWO OR THREE DIFFERENT TABLES TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING MUCH MORE THAN I ANTICIPATED.

WHAT WERE THEY TALKING ABOUT?

SAY AGAIN?

I THINK THAT I OVERHEARD YOU TALKING ABOUT THAT AS WELL, IS THAT CORRECT?

>> YEAH.

>> I THINK WITH PROFICIENCIES IT MAKES IT FEEL A BIT EASIER FOR STUDENTS AS YOU HEARD WITH SOME OF THEM SAYING, OH, WE HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE, NOW WE JUST ARE APPLYING IT TO SOMETHING NEW, INSTEAD OF OH, THERE IS ALL THESE NEW THINGS TO LEARN.

I AM GOING TO TAKE THIS SKILL THAT ISSUE, AND APPLY IT TO A DIFFERENT PICTURE OF THIS DIFFERENT IDEA.

>> SO WE STARTED WITH A OVER ACTUAL AND B OVER B -- >> THESE ARE OPPOSITE ANGLES.

X OVER 1.

WHAT YOU WANT IS FOR THE ABSOLUTE VALUE TO GO UP.

>> FOR ME IT'S, YOU GET SO MUCH MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT YOUR LEARNER HAS LENDERS.

>> THERE IS CERTAIN ALGEBRAIC SOLUTIONS WE NEED TO USE.

THE HOMEWORK DOESN'T HAVE ANY TRIG ON IT.

>> I TELL YOU HAVE A B PLUS IN TRIG AND RECAL, WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU?

NOTHING, IT COULD BE OVERWHELMING TO SEE THOSE, BUT I AM SORRY, YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE WITH OBLIQUE TRIANGLES.

I THINK FOR ME IT'S ABOUT THAT INFORMATION, WHAT INFORMATION DO YOU GO?

VERY SPECIFICALLY ABOUT YOUR LEARNER?

>> THERE IS ANXIETY ABOUT GRADES.

THE STUDENTS ALWAYS LOOK AT GRADES AND HOW DO WE RECONCILE THE GRADES.

I HAVE THIS VISION OF THIS PROBLEM-SOLVING TARGET UP ON THE WALL, AND LIKE EVERY IS LIKE OKAY, TODAY, WHERE ARE WE AT NOW AND HOW DOES THIS PATH APPLY TO THAT?

>> I'VE BEEN REALLY CLEAR FROM THE GET-GO, THIS IS WHAT YOUR FINAL IS, HERE'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON AM HERE GOES THE TARGET, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING, WORKING, WORKING ON IT.

>> SO REFLECTING ON YOUR LEARNING USING THE SKILLS.

>> WHAT PEOPLE WERE DOING BEFORE THAT OR WE WERE DOING BEFORE THAT, WE WERE INTRODUCED TO WAS UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN, AND SO IT'S SIMILAR IN THAT YOU START WITH THE END IN MIND AND DESIGN BACKWARDS, BUT IN THIS CASE YOU ARE REALLY DESIGNING NOT JUST WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO END UP CONTENT-WISE OR BIG IDEA-WISE BUT WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO END UP SKILLWISE AND THEN GO BACKWARDS WHAT OPPORTUNITIES AND EXPERIENCES ARE YOU GOING TO PROVIDE FOR STUDENTS SO YOU CAN COACH THEM TO GET ALL OF THE WAY TO PROFICIENT AND BEYOND.

>> WE DO THINGS CALLED LEARNING SKILLS, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THEM.

IT GOES FROM GETTING STARTED, BASIC PROFICIENCY, PROFICIENT, AND PROFICIENT WITH DISTINCTION.

AND YOU COMPARE YOUR WORK TO THE LEARNING SKILL, AND IF YOU MEET THE CRITERIA, YOU ARE PROFICIENT >> WE CAN THINK ABOUT WHAT IS A GOOD LISTENER, WHAT IS A GOOD SPEAKER BUT I ALSO THINK THAT WITH A NEW CLASS, IT WAS A CLEAN SLATE WHERE WE COULD REALLY WORK ON PROFICIENCIES.

>> THEY DON'T MAKE THE LEARNING SKILL AND SHOW IT TO YOU.

IT'S A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT SHOULD BE ON THE LEARNING SKILL, WHAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED PRO EFFICIENT.

THAT FOR US HAS BEEN KEY IS INCLUDING THE STUDENTS IN THE CONVERSATION RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING.

WE SHOWED THEM THE SCALES AND PUT IT SO THAT THEY COULD EDIT AND COMMENT.

>> KATE IS REALLY GOOD AT WHAT ARE THE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES WE CAN DO SO BY THE TIME A STUDENT LOOKS AT THE LEARNING SKILL, THEY SEE I AM ALREADY ON IT.

>> IT'S AN ENTRY POINT, LIKE AN ON-RAMP, AND HERE'S WHAT YOU DO NEXT AND NEXT AND WE WERE GETTING SO MUCH BETTER, OR AT LEAST I WAS GETTING BETTER AT TEACHING THE TINY STEPS.

WHY ARE YOU THINKING WHERE YOU ARE.

SO FIND EVIDENCE AND IF YOU CAN'T FIND IT, YOU CAN CALL ONE OF US OVER.

STEP THREE YOU ARE GOING TO GET INTO AN ASSIGNED PAIR, AND WE ARE GOING TO MIX PEOPLE UP.

WE WILL DO IT BY NUMBER TO TALK ABOUT, HOW DID YOU EVALUATE YOURSELF, WHICH DID YOU USE FOR EVIDENCE AND THE LAST PIECE IS RECONVENING IN THE LARGE GROUP AND SHARING A BIT ABOUT THIS.

>> IT FEELS LIKE THEY ARE NOT SLAPPING GRADES ON STUFF, IT'S AN UNDERSTANDING, BASING.

>> I DID WORKSHEET AFTER WORKSHEET.

SOMETIMES IT WOULD JUST BE SIMPLE ANSWERS.

DIDN'T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT MUCH OR APPLY MYSELF MUCH, AND THEY THEY WOULD STAMP A 100 ON IT.

AND I WOULD NOT KNOW IT THE NEXT DAY.

SOMTIMES I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK IT OVER FOR A TEST.

YEAH, I AM NOT SURE -- >> IT'S NOT REALLY LIKE YOU GO IN, TAKE A TEST, YOU KNOW THE ANSWERRINGS ON THE TEST.

IT'S ACTUALLY PRESENTING, SAYING, KNOWING IN YOUR MIND WHAT SOMETHING IS.

SO THE STUDENTS MIGHT NORMALLY STRUGGLE AT THE OLD SYSTEM, LIKE GRADES, FOR EXAMPLE, I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT I DON'T DO WELL ON TESTING, YOU KNOW.

DON'T THINK OF IT AS SLAPPING A GRADE ON SOMETHING, THINK OF IT AS ASSESSING A STUDENT'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE TOPIC.

>> IN SOME WAYS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES IS A RELUCTANCE TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION, AND AT THE START OF THE YEAR, WHEN IT WAS BEING IMPLEMENTED, I REMEMBER DEFINITELY INCLUDING MYSELF, EVERYONE WAS VERY WARY OF IT AND I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS, THIS IS STUDENT, IT WILL DESTROY ALL THE HARD WORK THAT I HAVE DONE TO GET A GPA OR LIKE WHAT AM I GOING TO FAIL BECAUSE ON THE LEARNING SCALE IF I GET A FOUR, IT MIGHT BE AN 80.

>> IT NEEDS TO BE EQUAL FOR ALL STUDENTS.

SOMETIMES THEY DON'T WORK THAT WAY.

>> THE LEARNING SKILLS, I DON'T KNOW.

YOU HAVE TO ASSESS THE LEARNING SKILLS.

SO YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE LEARNING.

WHEREAS BEFORE I WAS THINKING THAT I KNEW IT BECAUSE I DID IT.

THERE WASN'T ANY SELF REFLECTION SO NOW I HAVE TO BE LIKE, DID I LEARN THIS?

AND I AM LIKE, NO.

I NEED TO LEARN IT AGAIN.

I OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T MEET THE PROFICIENCY.

>> SO IT FEELS MORE LIKE WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS LEARNING THE SKILLS RATHER THAN WORKING TOWARDS HAVING AN OUTSTANDING GPA.

I THINK WE FEEL AS THOUGH IF WE HAVE THE RIGHT SKILLS, THE GPA WILL FOLLOW.

>> THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS PAREN IN MY LIFE.

LIKE I REALLY USE IT.

>> THAT SOMETHING ELSE IS, I THINK, TRUE UNDERSTANDING.

AND WHEN I SAY UNDERSTANDING, I MEAN THAT A STUDENT GOES IN, THEY KNOW WHAT THE TEACHER IS TALKING ABOUT.

THEY KNOW WHAT THE SUBJECT IS, AND THEY KNOW HOW TO PRESENT IT TO OTHER PEOPLE.

I THINK THAT I AM JUST KIND OF EXCITED THAT I HAVE GOT A FINAL EXAM.

IT'S NOT A SECRET.

IT'S NOT YOU KNOW, SOMETHING WHERE I AM GOING TO LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, WE GREW UP WHERE YOU GOT TRICKED AND YOU HAD TO GUESS WHAT THE TEACHER WOULD PUT ON THAT EXAM.

YOU STUDY EVERYTHING.

AND YOU MEMORIZE, AND HERE IT'S SORT OF LIKE OKAY, I KNOW WHAT I AM SUPPOSED TO SHOW THEM.

>> AND IT'S ALSO YOUR THING, YOU ARE SAYING TO THEM, WHERE ARE YOU?

AND WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TO HELP YOU MOVE.

YOU ARE HERE THE WHOLE TIME, SUPPORTING AND MOVING THEM FORWARD, AND I THINK THAT'S A DIFFERENCE.

IT'S NOT LIKE I AM TELLING YOU HOW YOU ARE DOING.

IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW.

>> YEAH.

>> AND WE'VE BEEN PRACTICING IT, YOU KNOW.

GIVING EXAMPLES LIKE WE DO, WE PRACTICE, WE GIVE EXAMPLES.

LET THEM PLAY WITH IT.

>> IT FEELS -- I THINK THAT THINGS ARE NOT JUST GIVEN A NUMBER.

NOT EVERYTHING CAN BE QUANTIFIED, SO I THINK HAVING LEARNING SKILLS WHERE YOU CAN SORT OF SEE WHERE YOU ARE, WORK YOUR WAY UP IT IS A MUCH MORE ORGANIC PROCESS, AND I THINK IT'S -- PRO PROFICIENCY BASED IS GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

IT'S JUST WORKING OUT HOW WE CAN Captioning Performed By LNS Captioning www.LNScaptioning.com >> VERMONT PBS, PARTNERING WITH LOCAL FILM-MAKERS TO BRING YOU STORIES MADE HERE.