The Guam Department of Education is inviting parents, students and community stakeholders to information and policy input sessions this week on GDOE’s Standards-Based Grading Initiative.
Standards-Based Grading (SBG) is a system of assessment, grading and reporting that measures student achievement of identified standards, skills and topics at each grade level and course taught in the GDOE.
Although SBG is currently allowed by the Guam Education Board, GDOE would like to have it implemented throughout the district in every school, in every grade level, and in every course.
During the sessions, a short overview of Standards-Based Grading will be provided followed by a discussion and question/answer period regarding the initiative and the proposed policy changes.
The schedule for the sessions are as follows:
* North: Tuesday, November 19th from 6 pm-8 pm Simon Sanchez High School;
* South: Wednesday, November 20th from 6 pm-8 pm Inarajan Middle School;
* South: Thursday, November 21st from 6 pm-8 pm Oceanview Middle School;
* Central: Friday, November 22nd from 6 pm-8 pm GDOE Central Office, Tiyan Barrigada; and
* North: Monday, November 25th from 6 pm-8 pm Liguan Elementary School.
According to GDOE public information officer Isa Baza, this week’s round of information and policy input sessions are just the first of two rounds of regional community sessions meant to give interested parents and community stakeholders an opportunity to ask questions and provide input directly to the district office.
These sessions are offered in addition to the quarterly informational and input sessions provided by all schools this school year.
“This initiative is probably one of the largest and most consequential efforts ever made in this department with regards to curriculum and instruction,” Deputy Superintendent of Curriculum and Instructional Improvement Joe Sanchez said in a news release. “It pulls together everything we do to raise student achievement including our curriculum standards work, improving instructional quality, our interventions, and our assessment systems.”
The second round of regional sessions will be scheduled for January 2020.
For more information on Standards-Based Grading, contact your child’s school. For additional questions, comments or concerns regarding Standards-Based Grading, email the project office at sbgi@gdoe.net or call the SBG Hotline at 300-1363 (voicemail active, so you can leave a message). You may also contact the Division of Curriculum and Instruction at 300-1635 or 1247.
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