What is the Purpose of Grades in my Classroom?

My first semester of the new school year will be over in eight days.  I have whole heartedly began my journey into using standards based grading this year.  At the halfway point, I want to share some beliefs, insights, and struggles that I have acquired the past few months.

First, I want to begin with my beliefs on the purpose of grades in my classroom:

• I believe that grades are about what students learn not what they earn ASCD Article by Susan Brookhart
• I believe grades do not motivate or provide incentives for students to do well
• I believe one single grade given on a test with multiple learning standards is not an accurate measure of student knowledge and understanding.
• I believe that students should not be punished for taking longer to learn essential skills or standards
• I believe the students should be asking: "What does advanced look like on this standard?"
• I believe students should get credit for showing thinking and understanding in any way that makes sense to them as long as they can explain their thinking and procedures
• I believe students should get full credit even if they did not learn the standard "on time" 
• I believe that Summative Assessments are also Formative because the students know anything they do not score proficient on, they still have to show proof of understanding.
• I believe any work I assign to my students must be tied to a standard

How has my classroom environment changed based on my beliefs?

• My classroom atmosphere encourages thinking and problem solving rather than rule following because students have to understand the process they are using to solve math problems
• Students work and persevere on problems rather than giving up and waiting  for a fellow classmate or the teacher to give them the answer (#1 rule in my classroom - no one will give an answer, we agree to ask questions to guide thinking and learning).
• The students know that proof of understanding requires deeper knowledge and the ability to explain their process/thinking.  So when they don't understand something, they tell me rather than hiding it
• They do more work to show their understanding
• My students know their strengths and weaknesses and  find relief in the fact that I will work with them to improve and show understanding

I feel like I am in my infancy in the standards based grading journey.  I am experimenting with grade book formats and a variety of resistance from my colleagues, parents, and the students who have become comfortable taking the F.  At this point I feel as though I have made a break through with the kiddos that are used to taking the F.  They have learned that failing is not an option and that they have to prove understanding.  I also love the conversations that occur around standards based grading:

"how is advanced different from proficient on this standard"
"what do I need to do to prove understanding of this standard"
"I don't understand this concept/standard"

I am struggling in a few areas:

• providing timely feedback often is challenging
• my grade book and how it informs students and parents
• strong resistance from my colleagues (hence this post to share with them)
• training middle school students who are entrenched in the "old way" of grading to work to prove understanding

What I know for sure:

• my classes have changed for the better of all students
• I have so much work and growth in this area
• I will use my Twitter PLN and especially #sbar for resources, support and learning

I can't believe my school year is almost half over... YIKES!!