HomepageISTEEdSurge
Skip to content
ascd logo

Log in to Witsby: ASCD’s Next-Generation Professional Learning and Credentialing Platform
Join ASCD
September 1, 2020
Vol. 78
No. 1

Whole Child Spotlight / A Whole Child Approach to Grading

author avatar

    premium resources logo

    Premium Resource

    Social-emotional learningSchool Culture
    Whole Child Spotlight / A Whole Child Approach to Grading thumbnail
      How do you grade in a whole child approach to education? If it is a question of gauging a students' growth and learning, then one key is to use multiple forms of measurement, including rubrics, performance-based assessments, observations, and social-emotional learning and well-being progress-monitoring, as well as academic testing on relevant standards and benchmarks. As outlined in ASCD's public policy recommendation on multimetric accountability (www.ascd.org/public-policy/multimetric-accountability.aspx):
      Multimetric accountability systems incorporate a variety of measures that more fully and accurately track student learning, engagement, and well-being. ASCD believes this next-generation approach to school accountability is essential to promoting a whole child approach to education, enhancing understanding of student progress, and ensuring that no single indicator of student achievement defines success.
      But there is also the question of monitoring how your school itself is doing as a whole child learning environment. For this purpose, the ASCD School Improvement tool (www.ascd.org/sitool) provides a direct and solution-oriented needs assessment. In addition, the School Improvement Tool can be combined with the Whole Child Network Continuum of Benchmarks (www.ascd.org/wcncontinuum) to create a comprehensive system to gauge a school's progress in supporting whole child development.
      The ASCD Whole Child Network now spans 52 countries and every state in the United States, with large numbers of districts and schools focusing on a whole child approach in Michigan, Texas, New York, Ohio, Washington, California, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Georgia, and North Carolina. Join the Whole Child Network for free at www.ascd.org/wholechildnetwork.
      Visit www.ascd.org/whole-child for more information on ASCD's Whole Child Framework.

      Key Whole Child Indicators Related to Grading

      • Our school collects and uses qualitative and quantitative data to support student academic and personal growth (Challenged, No. 3).

      • Our curriculum, instruction, and assessment demonstrate high expectations for each student (Challenged, No. 4).

      • Our school monitors and assesses extracurricular, cocurricular, and community-based experiences to ensure students' academic and personal growth (Challenged, No. 9).

      • Our staff works closely with students to help them monitor and direct their own progress (Engaged, No. 8).

      • Our school integrates health and well-being into the school's ongoing activities, professional development, curriculum, and assessment practices (Healthy, No. 7).

      • Our school sets realistic goals for student and staff health that are built on accurate data and sound science (Healthy, No 8).

      • Our teachers and staff develop and implement academic and behavioral interventions based on an understanding of child and adolescent development and learning theories (Safe, No. 10).

      • Our teachers use a range of diagnostic, formative, and summative assessment tasks to monitor student progress, provide timely feedback, and adjust teaching-learning activities to maximize student progress (Supported, No. 2).

      • Our school staff understands and makes curricular, instructional, and school improvement decision based on child and adolescent development and student performance information (Supported, No. 5).

      Sean Slade is an education leader, speaker, and author, with nearly three decades of experience in education in the U.S. and globally. He serves as Head of BTS Spark, North America, the social impact arm of BTS focusing on educational leadership development. Prior to BTS Spark, Sean was senior director of global outreach at ASCD, where he launched and grew the ASCD Whole Child Network across 56 countries and led the development of the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model (WSCC) with the CDC. His latest book is The Power of the Whole: What is Lost by Focusing on Individual Things. 

      Learn More

      ASCD is a community dedicated to educators' professional growth and well-being.

      Let us help you put your vision into action.
      Related Articles
      View all
      undefined
      Social-emotional learning
      The Courage to Converse
      Jennifer Orr
      3 days ago

      undefined
      EI: A Bedrock of Thriving Schools
      Sarah McKibben
      8 months ago

      undefined
      Let’s Be Trauma-Sensitive to Teachers, Too
      Jo Lein
      8 months ago

      undefined
      Self-Care Is More Than a Buzzword
      Jennifer Orr
      8 months ago

      undefined
      Tell Us About
      Educational Leadership Staff
      8 months ago
      Related Articles
      The Courage to Converse
      Jennifer Orr
      3 days ago

      EI: A Bedrock of Thriving Schools
      Sarah McKibben
      8 months ago

      Let’s Be Trauma-Sensitive to Teachers, Too
      Jo Lein
      8 months ago

      Self-Care Is More Than a Buzzword
      Jennifer Orr
      8 months ago

      Tell Us About
      Educational Leadership Staff
      8 months ago
      From our issue
      Product cover image 121035b.jpg
      Grade Expectations
      Go To Publication