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“The only way to change the culture is not to change the culture, it’s actually to change the task. If you can change the task, then the culture will actually start to shift [...] With standards-based grading, the task is about progress.”

— Michael McDowell, Author of Rigorous PBL by Design, Superintendent of Ross School District | Ross, CA

Welcome to the PBL Playbook, brought to you by Magnify Learning – where we put teachers back in their sweet spot. Make sure you follow us on Twitter: @magnifylearning, @askgiebs, @MissB103, #PBLPlaybook.

There might not be a “best” method of assessment, but as educators, we want to assess our students in a way that we can see their growth. Standards-Based Grading is a method of assessment that aims to help students see growth in content and skills rather than judging their educational value based on points.

In this episode, Josh and Andrea have a conversation with Superintendent of Ross School District in Ross, California and author of Rigorous PBL By Design, Michael McDowell (@mmcdowell13) to discuss Standards-Based Grading. What is it? How do we know it is an effective method of assessment? And most importantly, how do we implement it successfully?

Check out Episode 7 now to enjoy this conversation about the standards-based method of assessment, the culture it creates, and its place within the Project Based Learning framework.