Does SBA make school too easy for students?
With standards-based assessment, self-improvement, not mediocrity, is encouraged. The potentially higher grades at the end of the school year or course reflect this emphasis on growth. They also reflect the elimination of averages, which often lowered students' final grades by combining early struggles with later improvement.
Is it impossible for students to fail?
With SBA, teachers base their students' final grades on the most recent evidence of learning that they collected. They look at that evidence to identify the student's final level of progress towards the course standards. This approach does allow some flexibility because the teacher is looking at the student's achievement holistically. If some work is missing, the teacher can choose to focus on the evidence that is available rather than averaging a bunch of zeros into a student's mark. But if the evidence collected is insufficient or continues to show a fundamental misunderstanding of the competencies, it is still possible to fail.
Can students slack off all year and then complete a few assignments at the end in order to pass?
While it is possible for a teacher to ignore some outliers in the collected evidence of a student's understanding (e.g. a few missing assignments, a failed quiz), they can't ignore a consistent pattern of incomplete understanding. It is not realistic for a teacher to evaluate every competency on every assignment or even in every unit, so a student who did not actively engage with learning throughout the year may not demonstrate clear understanding of several learning targets, and this lack of evidence could result in a poor or failing final grade.
Does SBG make it easier for students to recover from absences and other mistakes?
Yes, to a point. When calculating a student's mark, teachers look for the pattern of improvement in a student's understanding. If a student struggled on early assignments, but showed improved understanding towards the end of the unit, the teacher can choose to base the course grade on the later work. If a student goes away on a family trip in the middle of the year and misses some work, but comes back to class and demonstrates strong understanding of what they missed, the teacher may choose to ignore the missing work when they write report cards. But if the student misses a lot of classes or doesn't ask for help when they are struggling or doesn't read the feedback on their assignments and continues to make the same mistakes, it will be reflected in their marks because there will be no evidence of improved understanding in their work.
Is it impossible for a student's mark to go down?
A student's final mark in a subject area or course is holistic and based on the student's progress overall. It is likely to be higher than marks received earlier in the learning, but it is not impossible for a student's mark to fall. As new competencies and concepts are introduced, gaps in a student's understanding may become more apparent, and this could impact their overall mark.
Will students be able to get into post-secondary school?
It is possible to convert proficiency scale language into a percentage or letter grade when required, so there should be no worries about a student's application being incomplete. It should also be noted that many universities already accept students from programs and school districts that use assessment scales without traditional letter grades and percentages (e.g. IB programs). Several universities are now adopting proficiency scales as an alternative to traditional assessment as well.
Will this type of assessment leave my child unprepared for how things work in the real world?
Your child already lives in the real world. They experience real stress as they juggle school work with friends, extracurriculars and other responsibilities. They may already have taken on some adult responsibilities such as a part-time job. All of those experiences are going to help them prepare for their future. This approach to assessment will also help them because it better reflects how learning unfolds in the real world where we try new things, learn form our mistakes and develop proficiency gradually over time.