The cover promises “A Five-Step Approach for Aligning Letter Grades to Learning Standards”, and it is deceptively small, at 72 pages, and is a quick read at about an hour. Despite its small size, this book changed everything as far as my assessment process is concerned.

Contents

Introduction

• Who Is This Book For?
• What Is This Book About?
• Why Use a Different Approach? Why Now?
• How Is This Book Organized?
• What Are Our Intentions for Writing This Book?

1. Arriving at Letter Grades: Focus on Numbers

• Some Key Research Findings
• Changing our Focus

2. Arriving at Letter Grades: Focus on Learning

• The Five-Step Process

3. Arriving at Letter Grades: Focus on Working It Through

• Step 1: Identify Three to Five Big Ideas for One Subject Area
• Step 2: Write Three Levels of Performance for Each Big Idea
• Step 3: Identify Evidence that Shows Student Performance
• Step 4: Highlight Descriptions of Learning on the Learning Map
• Step 5: Determine a Letter Grade (and a Percentage if Necessary)

4. Arriving at Letter Grades: Focus on Questions

• Frequently Asked Questions

5. Rethinking Letter Grades: Focus on Personal Findings

• Three Reminders
• Seven Findings

Appendix 1: Example of Conversion from a Letter Grade to a Percentage

Appendix 2: Big Ideas for Different Subject Areas

Appendix 3: Descriptive Language for Learning Maps

Appendix 4: Parent Brochure

Appendix 5: Conversation Cards

Appendix 6: Article: “Arriving at Letter Grades: Get Closer to the Learning”