How do we communicate learning in ways that are accurate, meaningful, and actionable?
Shifting to competency-based education requires rethinking traditional grading and reporting practices. In this virtual session, participants will explore approaches to communicating student learning through competency-based grading, portfolios, capstones, and demonstrations of learning.
We will examine key tensions, including progress vs. proficiency and academic achievement vs. behaviors, and consider how reporting structures can better reflect what students know and can do.
Framing Questions
- How can grading and reporting practices more accurately communicate what students know, understand, and are able to do?
- What tensions emerge when shifting from traditional grading practices toward competency-based approaches, and how might schools navigate them?
- In what ways can portfolios, capstones, and demonstrations of learning provide more meaningful and actionable evidence for students, educators, and families?
Presenter: Matt Townsley
Dr. Townsley is an associate professor of educational leadership at the University of Northern Iowa (Cedar Falls, IA). He has authored over 30 articles and books focused on grading including Making Grades Matter: Standards-Based Grading in a Secondary PLC at Work, Using Grading to Support Student Learning, and A Parents’ Guide to Grading and Reporting: Being Clear about What Matters. As a former district administrator and teacher in the Solon Community School District (Solon, IA), he has firsthand experience implementing and leading lasting grading reform. Through conferences, professional development and workshops, Dr. Townsley has consulted with teachers, administrators, and parents across the globe on the topics of assessment and grading.
In recognition of his K-12 leadership, Matt was named Iowa’s Central Office Administrator of the year and he was recognized as an ASCD Emerging Leader. He has been featured or quoted in the following media outlets: The Christian Science Monitor, CNN.com, The Washington Post, USA Today, California and Kansas public radio, the Center for Digital Education, Education Week, Khan Academy Ed Talks, as well as presented at national conferences such as the Learning Forward Annual Conference, National Conference on Education (AASA), and the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) Annual Conference. Matt’s energetic approach to engaging audiences has earned him the moniker “The Sportscaster of Alternative Grading.”
