Building Blocks of EGAP

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UPDATED OCT 2024

What is this? These building blocks are best practices in advancing equity through grading and assessment. Why is this important? Implementing EGAP is shown in the research to improve outcomes for students. At the same time, how we grade and assess has implications for teachers that we need to address. This just helps us begin the work. How do I use it? Explore these ideas to deepen your own knowledge and determine next steps, like coaching or release time.

Feedback and Reflection...

• requires a culture of feedback and reflection based on trusting relationships
• is embedded throughout the learning unit so students and teachers can determine the best next steps
• allows students to partner in progress monitoring to seek support

Rubrics and Proficiency Levels...

• help students and teachers share an understaning of what success looks like at different levels
• show students clearly how to move from one level to the next
• increases the accuracy and bias-resistance of grades assigned to student work

• should be varied and generate a body of evidence
• enables grades to be based on the story of learning told by that body of evidence rather than a single assessment or simple average
• increases student voice and choice to show their learning in ways that are meaningful and valid

• are aligned to content area standards
• communicate what students will learn by the end of the course
• include why the learning is important
• describe how students will demonstrate their learning

Evidence of Learning...

Student Learning Outcomes...

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Learn more about creating a culture of trust

Feedback & Reflection

How might I build trust to create a culture of feedback & reflection?

Feedback helps students see what they're doing well and where they need to grow in relation to established learning outcomes. Reflection allows learners to think about their academic performance and potential avenues for growth. For feedback to be productive and reflection to be positive, classrooms must have a strong culture of trust.

Considerations for feedback and reflection

• How you deliver feedback matters.
• Feedback can come from the teacher, the student themselves, or peers.
• Reflection should be ongoing and can be embedded into assessments.

Read more about transitioning

From traditional to mastery

Reflecting on my current grading practice, what is my first next step in shifting to grading for mastery?

• Teachers can grade or provide feedback on assignments and assessments using proficiency scales or rubrics
• Students can self-reflect to determine where they are and where they're going
• Students can continue to practice or revise work until they reach mastery

Grading for Mastery

Mastery-based grading is about measuring students' progression toward mastery of a given standard or learning outcome. When done well, both teachers and students can use tools like proficiency scales and rubrics to help with progress monitoring:

Got an idea?

Use this space to add awesome interactivity. Include text, images, videos, tables, PDFs... even interactive questions! Premium tip: Get information on how your audience interacts with your creation:

• Visit the Analytics settings;
• Activate user tracking;
• Let the communication flow!

Learning Outcomes

How do I set and communicate end-of-course goals?

Sometimes called learning goals, objectives, or even SWBAT (iykyk), what we're calling learning outcomes are clearly defined and consistent end-of course success criteria that articulate what students should know and be able to do by the end of the course. Some teachers choose to use the full collection of state-approved standards and others choose to align the standards to a more concise set of competency/proficiency statements that are easier to track for students and teachers.

Some examples of student-friendly competency statements might include:

• I understand mental health and its impact on community

• I am able to conduct research using diverse and reliable sources
• I can establish criteria for congruence based on rigid motions

Got an idea?

Use this space to add awesome interactivity. Include text, images, videos, tables, PDFs... even interactive questions! Premium tip: Get information on how your audience interacts with your creation:

• Visit the Analytics settings;
• Activate user tracking;
• Let the communication flow!

Got an idea?

Use this space to add awesome interactivity. Include text, images, videos, tables, PDFs... even interactive questions! Premium tip: Get information on how your audience interacts with your creation:

• Visit the Analytics settings;
• Activate user tracking;
• Let the communication flow!

Learning Outcomes

How do I set and communicate end-of-course goals?

Sometimes called learning goals, objectives, or even SWBAT (iykyk), what we're calling learning outcomes are clearly defined and consistent end-of course success criteria that articulate what students should know and be able to do by the end of the course. Some teachers choose to use the full collection of state-approved standards and others choose to align the standards to a more concise set of competency/proficiency statements that are easier to track for students and teachers.

Some examples of student-friendly competency statements might include:

• I understand mental health and its impact on community

• I am able to conduct research using diverse and reliable sources
• I can establish criteria for congruence based on rigid motions

Learn more about creating a culture of trust

Feedback & Reflection

How might I build trust to create a culture of feedback & reflection?

Feedback helps students see what they're doing well and where they need to grow in relation to established learning outcomes. Reflection allows learners to think about their academic performance and potential avenues for growth. For feedback to be productive and reflection to be positive, classrooms must have a strong culture of trust.

Considerations for feedback and reflection

• How you deliver feedback matters.
• Feedback can come from the teacher, the student themselves, or peers.
• Reflection should be ongoing and can be embedded into assessments.

Read more about valid evidence of learning

To what extent does my grading and assessment practice tell an accurate story of student learning?

Story of Learning

Suppose three students earned the following on a series of assessments of the same standard, at increasing levels of difficulty. Does a simple average of the points reflect their unique stories of learning?

Learn more about creating a culture of trust

Feedback & Reflection

How might I build trust to create a culture of feedback & reflection?

Feedback helps students see what they're doing well and where they need to grow in relation to established learning outcomes. Reflection allows learners to think about their academic performance and potential avenues for growth. For feedback to be productive and reflection to be positive, classrooms must have a strong culture of trust.

Considerations for feedback and reflection

• How you deliver feedback matters.
• Feedback can come from the teacher, the student themselves, or peers.
• Reflection should be ongoing and can be embedded into assessments.

Read more about valid evidence of learning

To what extent does my grading and assessment practice tell an accurate story of student learning?

Story of Learning

Suppose three students earned the following on a series of assessments of the same standard, at increasing levels of difficulty. Does a simple average of the points reflect their unique stories of learning?

Learning Outcomes

How do I set and communicate end-of-course goals?

Sometimes called learning goals, objectives, or even SWBAT (iykyk), what we're calling learning outcomes are clearly defined and consistent end-of course success criteria that articulate what students should know and be able to do by the end of the course. Some teachers choose to use the full collection of state-approved standards and others choose to align the standards to a more concise set of competency/proficiency statements that are easier to track for students and teachers.

Some examples of student-friendly competency statements might include:

• I understand mental health and its impact on community

• I am able to conduct research using diverse and reliable sources
• I can establish criteria for congruence based on rigid motions

Got an idea?

Use this space to add awesome interactivity. Include text, images, videos, tables, PDFs... even interactive questions! Premium tip: Get information on how your audience interacts with your creation:

• Visit the Analytics settings;
• Activate user tracking;
• Let the communication flow!

Read more about transitioning

From traditional to mastery

Reflecting on my current grading practice, what is my first next step in shifting to grading for mastery?

• Teachers can grade or provide feedback on assignments and assessments using proficiency scales or rubrics
• Students can self-reflect to determine where they are and where they're going
• Students can continue to practice or revise work until they reach mastery

Grading for Mastery

Mastery-based grading is about measuring students' progression toward mastery of a given standard or learning outcome. When done well, both teachers and students can use tools like proficiency scales and rubrics to help with progress monitoring:

Read more about valid evidence of learning

To what extent does my grading and assessment practice tell an accurate story of student learning?

Story of Learning

Suppose three students earned the following on a series of assessments of the same standard, at increasing levels of difficulty. Does a simple average of the points reflect their unique stories of learning?

Got an idea?

Use this space to add awesome interactivity. Include text, images, videos, tables, PDFs... even interactive questions! Premium tip: Get information on how your audience interacts with your creation:

• Visit the Analytics settings;
• Activate user tracking;
• Let the communication flow!

Read more about transitioning

From traditional to mastery

Reflecting on my current grading practice, how do I use rubrics to communicate various levels of proficiency?

• Teachers can grade or provide feedback on assignments and assessments using proficiency scales or rubrics
• Students can self-reflect to determine where they are and where they're going
• Students can continue to practice or revise work until they reach mastery

Rubrics & Proficiency Scales

Grading for mastery is about measuring students' progression toward mastery of a given standard or learning outcome. When done well, both teachers and students can use tools like proficiency scales and rubrics to help with progress monitoring: