'Skills practice' replacing homework

Math homework is on its way out in Sisters schools. But students shouldn't start celebrating liberation from hard work; expectations are actually getting higher. Hard work isn't enough. Students are expected to master their subject.

The math departments of Sisters' elementary, middle and high schools made their annual presentation to the Sisters School Board Thursday night and received enthusiastic support for their innovative efforts in working toward a standards-based (mastery) grading system.

Superintendent Jim Golden simplified this approach to student evaluation with the analogy "Can you fly the plane?" Not "have you had lots of instruction, or have you completed lots of practice" but, "can you fly the plane? Yes or no?"

The Sisters High School (SHS) math department appears to be furthest along in this process. At SHS the homework, now called "skills practice," is only one percent of a student's grade. Ninety-nine percent of the student's grade is based on mastery tests covering each of the key standards for the course that they are taking.

Skills practice is suggested, but it is meant to be just that - practice for the test of mastery of a given key standard. It can neither help nor hurt a student's grade. Students can do as much or as little of the skills practice as they believe they need. If they fall short on the mastery test they will be allowed to retake the test - but only if they rework each failed problem in detail, and document their reflections and complete skills practice work.

This approach puts a great deal of the responsibility on the student to honestly evaluate not just what he or she knows, but what he or she understands. It also relieves students that do understand from having to repeat practice on learning concepts that they have already mastered.

Traditional grade structure is also becoming fluid at all three schools with students "walking to math" in classes based on proficiency level rather than grade level. For example, a number of fifth grade students are in what was traditionally sixth grade math, and a number of eighth grade students are taking their math at the high school.

The changes are seen as excellent preparation for the new "Common Core" standards that will become the norm for student teaching and evaluation in at least 45 states including Oregon in 2014.

"We see the math department pushing to constantly improve," said board member Cheryl Stewart. "They are modeling our superintendent's message of improvement: 'No shame. No blame. No excuses.' They are insisting that students learn and will only move forward when they exhibit they understand the concept."