0:00:22.660,0:00:25.660 Our school terminology is certainly not easy to understand. 0:00:26.760,0:00:32.100 Perhaps you have been in a development talk and heard us say that your child reads fluently, 0:00:32.439,0:00:37.060 has a well-developed argument and that we make assessments based on the knowledge requirements. 0:00:38.320,0:00:42.300 We who work in the schools are required to explain how we work 0:00:43.480,0:00:46.700 and you play an important part in your child's education. 0:00:46.700,0:00:52.880 Therefore we want you to understand how we work with assessment and grading. 0:01:01.220,0:01:06.120 It's difficult to avoid all the negative reports in the media about today's school. 0:01:06.940,0:01:12.040 The media has stated among ather things that our students do not have the same knowledge as students in other countries. 0:01:14.180,0:01:18.500 One of the solutions has been to create a new curriculum 0:01:18.720,0:01:24.260 which will be clearer for us teachers and will give us better results. 0:01:24.920,0:01:29.280 So in 2011 we got a new curriculum and a new grading system. 0:01:30.120,0:01:36.040 This explains what we will work with, a little about how we will work with it and what we will evaluate. 0:01:36.740,0:01:42.400 Among other things, we have got a list of subject content in every subject we will be working with. 0:01:43.340,0:01:47.620 It also includes which skills we want your child to develop. 0:01:48.640,0:01:53.200 And we also have knowledge requirements, perhaps you know them better as grading criteria, 0:01:53.640,0:01:56.100 which explain what we will be assessing. 0:01:56.400,0:02:02.680 Knowledge requirements exist for Grade 3, Grade 6 and Grade 9. 0:02:04.160,0:02:07.960 Today we have a goal and knowledge based grading system. 0:02:08.500,0:02:14.400 But I believe parents and guardians are recognizing the relative grading system. 0:02:14.880,0:02:22.520 And the bell curve- do you remember that? The number of those who received a grade of 5 could be limited. Only seven percent could receive a 5. 0:02:23.240,0:02:27.380 In that system a student didn't want to help a classmate because what if that classmate got better results? 0:02:27.380,0:02:30.180 Then maybe I wouldn't get a 5. 0:02:30.180,0:02:33.380 Because we are compared to the other students. 0:02:33.600,0:02:37.900 No, today we have the goal and knowledge based grading system. 0:02:38.380,0:02:43.720 That means that we have definite goals and knowledge requirements that we teachers work to reach. 0:02:44.420,0:02:49.480 And all the children, regardless of their classmates can reach those goals. 0:02:49.700,0:02:53.560 And it is our responsibility to get each student to reach the highest goals possible. 0:02:53.880,0:02:59.140 And then we assess the quality of the goals they have reached. 0:02:59.460,0:03:07.780 Today we have a new grading scale. Not a new grading system, but a new grading scale. 0:03:08.700,0:03:12.760 It was we teachers who wanted this. We wanted more grading levels. 0:03:13.600,0:03:17.820 We had G or Satisfactory, VG or Very Good, and MVG or excellent, but we thought that wasn't enough. 0:03:18.540,0:03:29.300 So we started to use VG++ and G- to more acurately show where certain students were in the grading levels. 0:03:29.760,0:03:34.080 But now we have got a new scale and more letters to use. 0:03:34.420,0:03:41.960 From F to A. And the passing grades are E to A. 0:03:41.960,0:03:50.020 F is considered a failing grade. And that means that if we assess a students knowledge to be at the F level 0:03:50.020,0:03:53.960 then we must consider how we can support that student 0:03:53.960,0:03:59.680 so they can reach as far as possible and receive a passing grade. 0:03:59.680,0:04:04.800 And if you as parent or guardian have a child in danger of receiving an F 0:04:04.800,0:04:10.740 then the school will inform you and discuss what support is being planned 0:04:10.740,0:04:15.060 to help your child reach as high a result as possiible. 0:04:17.399,0:04:25.920 Some of you parents attempt to translate our new grading letters, especially E to A, to the old 1 to 5 0:04:25.920,0:04:33.740 where an E would become a 1. But that's not correct. 0:04:34.720,0:04:41.800 That is a completely different grade today. Quite a bit is needed to receive a grade of E. 0:04:42.780,0:04:52.940 But if you´re stubborn and insist on translating then an E is more like the old 3. 0:04:54.780,0:04:58.160 Here is what the knowledge requirements look like in the curriculm. 0:04:59.020,0:05:02.940 These are the knowledge requirements for geography in Grade 6. 0:05:02.940,0:05:08.220 Knowledge requirements for the different grading levels are based on these same texts. What is changed is 0:05:08.220,0:05:13.300 for example development from basic to excellent knowledge 0:05:13.300,0:05:17.740 and from simple to well-developed reasoning. 0:05:17.740,0:05:21.920 And this structure is the same even for Grade 9. 0:05:23.320,0:05:30.060 If we look at for example E, it says that "The student has the basic knowledge of the interaction between 0:05:30.060,0:05:35.980 people, society and nature and demonstrates that by presenting simple and partly developed reasoning 0:05:35.980,0:05:43.320 about causes and consequences of population distribution, migration, climate, vegetation" etcetera. 0:05:44.640,0:05:50.280 If we look at C: "The student has good knowledge about the interaction between people, society and nature 0:05:50.280,0:05:54.720 and demonstrates that through a relatively well-developed 0:05:54.720,0:05:57.500 reasoning about the causes and consequences of" 0:05:57.500,0:06:01.300 And if we look at A: "The student has very good knowledge about 0:06:01.300,0:06:04.420 the interaction between people, society and nature 0:06:04.420,0:06:07.520 and demonstrates that through a well-developed and structured reasoning." 0:06:09.300,0:06:14.880 So if we go back and look at E again: "The student has a basic knowledge about..." 0:06:15.640,0:06:20.860 What is that then? Well, the key is "demonstrates that through simple 0:06:20.860,0:06:23.980 and partly developed reasoning about..." 0:06:23.980,0:06:28.700 We teachers should get the student to show how they can reason 0:06:28.700,0:06:32.980 so that we can assess the quality that they do it. 0:06:32.980,0:06:37.800 And that is so we can later decide what grade the student will receive. 0:06:39.080,0:06:41.860 But what about now. We were going to have more grading levels. 0:06:41.860,0:06:45.800 But we have text only for E, C and A. 0:06:46.140,0:06:50.940 Well, the idea is that for these in between levels one must think 0:06:50.940,0:06:55.200 to get a D- every goal on the E level should have been reached 0:06:55.200,0:06:59.060 and the majority of the C level goals. 0:06:59.060,0:07:00.720 Then one receives a D. 0:07:01.200,0:07:07.960 If one reaches all the E goals, all the C goals and the majority of the A goals, one receives a B. 0:07:12.780,0:07:17.800 These knowledge goals do not only control how we assess a student's knowledge, 0:07:17.800,0:07:21.620 they also control our teaching. 0:07:21.980,0:07:27.560 If a student is to be able to reason about causes and consequences 0:07:27.560,0:07:31.000 then our teaching has to be about that. 0:07:31.000,0:07:35.600 We have to discuss different causes and consequences 0:07:35.600,0:07:39.940 so that the student can develop their reasoning about them. 0:07:39.940,0:07:43.420 And that is how our knowledge requirements are structured. 0:07:44.540,0:07:49.320 This was the knowledge requirement for Grade 6 as an example. 0:07:49.320,0:07:53.120 And we also have knowledge requirements for Grade 9. 0:07:54.620,0:08:00.360 But how does that work? Do we not have knowedge requiremenets for Grade 4 and Grade 5 or Grade 7 and Grade 8? 0:08:00.800,0:08:07.040 No, we will use the knowledge requirements in Grade 6 when we make our assessments in Grade 4 and Grade 5. 0:08:07.040,0:08:12.580 And we will use the knowledge requirements from Grade 9 when we make our assessments i Grade 7 and Grade 8. 0:08:13.200,0:08:15.960 But there is a progression in these texts. 0:08:15.960,0:08:20.500 That is to say that when we assess a simple argument in Grade 4 0:08:20.500,0:08:24.360 then it is not the same as a simple reasoning in Grade 6. 0:08:25.280,0:08:27.720 It is a little simpler. 0:08:28.240,0:08:32.120 Because one can only expect reasoning from the teaching 0:08:32.120,0:08:37.240 one has had as a 10 year old or as a 14 year old. 0:08:38.000,0:08:43.720 But what is a simple reasoning and a well-developed reasoning? How are they different? 0:08:44.720,0:08:51.840 We teachers have received a few hints in regards to this. One usually says 0:08:51.840,0:08:56.000 that simple reasoning is recognized by a few connections to the content 0:08:56.000,0:08:58.400 and shorter reasoning connections. 0:08:58.400,0:09:01.520 A leads to B. 0:09:02.240,0:09:05.840 And well- developed reasoning- 0:09:05.840,0:09:10.480 has several connections to the content and longer reasoning connections. 0:09:11.240,0:09:17.040 A leads to B which leads to C and maybe back to A. 0:09:18.600,0:09:24.400 That is how we teachers know if reasoning is simply developed or well developed. 0:09:25.280,0:09:33.760 The important think is not how much content a student can recite, but what they can do with that content. 0:09:33.760,0:09:38.320 In this case, how well one reasons with the content. 0:09:38.320,0:09:40.880 Simply or well-developed. 0:09:48.480,0:09:55.160 We are working towards developing your child's ability to lead and follow reasoning in mathematics 0:09:55.160,0:10:00.980 to communicate in speaking and writing in Swedish and and we are assisted by the knowledge requirements 0:10:00.980,0:10:05.120 which we use to assess how well your child is developing. 0:10:05.120,0:10:09.200 And then we have the central content which is the basis of our teaching. 0:10:10.120,0:10:15.840 Because we believe that a child who can reason, argue, 0:10:15.840,0:10:20.800 discuss and analyse will make the content their own 0:10:20.800,0:10:27.320 and in that way be familiar with it. Instead of only learning something by heart and reciting it on one occasion. 0:10:28.000,0:10:33.600 - a familiarity which we believe can lead to a better result in school. 0:10:37.600,0:10:40.640 Then how can you parents and guardians help at home? 0:10:41.000,0:10:44.680 preferably by working with how and why questions at home. 0:10:44.680,0:10:51.800 Talk to your child about: Why is it so? How does a seed become a tree? 0:10:51.800,0:10:57.480 Because then you bring out the reasoning abilities that we can develop at school. 0:10:58.040,0:11:06.880 Because this reasoning about how a seed becomes a tree requires not only that a student has learned about photosynthesis by heart 0:11:06.880,0:11:10.120 but it demands an understanding of the entire process. 0:11:11.560,0:11:16.760 And glossaries- I believe it is customary for parents to test these at home. 0:11:16.760,0:11:21.320 But we are not judging how many glossaries a student can recite 0:11:21.320,0:11:25.800 but what one does with those words, how one communicates. 0:11:25.800,0:11:28.440 Because that is what is important at school today. 0:11:31.560,0:11:34.640 We have undeniably a communicative curriculum. 0:11:34.640,0:11:41.560 And many parents and guardians wonder what happens to a child who is shy 0:11:41.560,0:11:45.240 when one is communicating and discussing all the time? 0:11:46.520,0:11:50.640 It is important to remember that are several ways to demonstrate knowledge. 0:11:50.640,0:11:58.440 One can reason and discuss in writing. One teacher i met had chosen to chat online with the students 0:11:58.440,0:12:04.240 to assess how well they had reasoned in a discussion and how they led the discussion forward. 0:12:04.800,0:12:07.980 He had a student who he perceived as being very shy 0:12:07.980,0:12:13.560 and when he chatted with the student he learned the student had a lot of knowledge. 0:12:13.560,0:12:17.800 And that is a completely natural way for a 12 year old to communicate. 0:12:21.120,0:12:23.920 How do we teachers grade really? 0:12:24.720,0:12:31.760 It is important that it is my overall assessment of a student's knowledge when I give a grade. 0:12:31.760,0:12:35.480 And that I do in relationship to the knowledge requirements. 0:12:36.960,0:12:38.400 What does that mean? 0:12:39.080,0:12:43.340 If I decide that a student should receive a grade of E 0:12:43.340,0:12:48.360 then I know that the student has the basic knowledge of... 0:12:48.360,0:12:54.280 and can lead a simple and partly structured argument of... 0:12:54.280,0:12:57.920 If something is missing in this list 0:12:57.920,0:13:00.700 in spite of the fact that the student got a chance to show this in several different ways but has not reached that goal 0:13:00.720,0:13:03.360 then the grade is an F. 0:13:04.200,0:13:08.360 If I decide, however, to give a grade of A 0:13:08.360,0:13:13.840 then it means that the student has very good knowledge about 0:13:13.840,0:13:19.000 and can lead a well structure argument that is well-developed. 0:13:19.600,0:13:23.800 But that doesn't mean a student has to show that all the time. 0:13:24.400,0:13:29.660 One can practice at school and one can certainly have simpler arguments at times 0:13:29.660,0:13:34.320 and still get a final grade of A. 0:13:34.320,0:13:39.080 Because that is my overall assessment of what I know about the student that is important today. 0:13:39.120,0:13:43.880 And that is how we grade in the schools. 0:13:44.680,0:13:49.840 All of the grades up to Grade 9 are called term grades. 0:13:49.840,0:13:56.280 That means that we will use the entire grading scale every term -from F to A. 0:13:56.280,0:14:03.000 And it is of course possible to receive an A already in the autumn of Grade 6 or in Grade 7 or Grade 8. 0:14:03.640,0:14:07.160 But that is not a guarantee that one will receive an A in Grade 9. 0:14:09.560,0:14:12.400 Imagine it is the autumn term in Grade 6. 0:14:12.400,0:14:19.320 We have worked on the areas in the course plan and those are the parts we will assess a grade. 0:14:19.320,0:14:23.840 Let's say that the student has done the work with an A in quality. 0:14:25.400,0:14:29.560 What should the student get? An A of course. 0:14:29.560,0:14:34.320 Then comes the spring and now we have to work on the other parts of the course plan. 0:14:34.320,0:14:37.800 So we work with these in a different way and the student gets to try. 0:14:37.800,0:14:42.640 And yet for different reasons the student produces work of E quality. 0:14:44.880,0:14:51.960 What will the grade then be for Grade 6? Some parts reach A and some reach E. 0:14:54.320,0:15:03.400 If some of the parts reach only E, one can never receive a C. Instead that will be a D. 0:15:05.160,0:15:11.160 What kind of school lowers my child's result from an A to a D? 0:15:12.560,0:15:19.360 Students usually say, "Why is it that my worst performance pulls down my overall grade?" 0:15:19.360,0:15:24.320 But the principal is this- to reach an A must all the goals for A be reached. 0:15:26.520,0:15:31.620 That influences us teachers of course. We must plan our lessons to meet 0:15:31.620,0:15:35.100 the knowledge requirements at different times and in different ways 0:15:35.100,0:15:40.040 during one's studies from Grade 4 to 6, and from Grades 7 to 9 0:15:40.040,0:15:42.880 to avoid those large grade swings up and down. 0:15:44.840,0:15:52.480 But this principal allows one to progress from an A to a D since we make new assessments each new term 0:15:55.840,0:16:01.560 We hope that you hae now got a better understanding about how the teaching curriculum is designed. 0:16:01.560,0:16:07.520 and how the new grading scale works and how it affects our teaching 0:16:08.280,0:16:16.720 Together we can get the students, your children, to reach as high as possible.