As a teacher, have you wondered: do I have time to grade all these research papers or classroom projects? Do students read my comments anyway? The answer is yes to both! The Stride PD Center recognizes the connection between scoring, feedback, and student growth, so we want to help.
The Stride Professional Development Center has released 5 courses that cover the use of rubrics, explain the differences between norming and calibration, and demonstrate how to apply this learning. One unique feature is that the application of learning includes scoring exercises where teachers can compare thoughts with those of an expert team.
What does this look like? Here is a two-page resource that provides best practices for using rubrics and detailed information on scoring. This information may not make clear sense yet, but clarity comes during the course. Below are a few highlights from each:
1. Grading Calibration 1: Introduction – this course is primarily videos and is beneficial for anyone in any content area. It provides a foundational understanding of rubrics, norming, and calibration. You can access the content easily from a laptop or mobile device.
2. Grading Calibration 2: Literary Analysis
– the 2nd course is geared toward ELA teachers as it focuses on rubrics and scoring exercises for literary analytical writing. This course is best accessed on a laptop or desktop and should be completed over several days.
3. Grading Calibration 3: Research Papers
– the 3rd course is nearly identical to the prior course, but it focuses on how to score research papers effectively and efficiently.
4. Grading Calibration 4: Middle School Writing – this 4th course applies the principles from earlier courses for writing topics that could be found within the middle grades. Middle school teachers may want to take course 1 and then come here next.
5. Grading Calibration 5: Conclusion – this final course offers one, last mastery demonstration but then has a video series that addresses common concerns such as how to handle missing assignment or rubric elements and what to do if the paper moves off-topic.
The time and effort put into these courses will give students consistent and actionable feedback. This investment also demonstrates professional value by honing this all-important skill.
Remember, the Stride Professional Development Center, is here because…
Teachers. Deserve. Better.