MABEI or MABEI not?
By Lynne Bell
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听听听听听听听听听听听 Last week, I went back to school and received a crash course in something called the MABEI assessment scale. The MABEI scale is part of an outcome-based reporting system, which simply put, replaces percentage marks on student report cards with a system that rates a student's progress in each subject by indicating whether they have mastered a subject, or attained most knowledge of a subject, or听 attained some knowledge of a subject, or are experiencing difficulty, or finally, whether there is insufficient evidence whether or not the student has any knowledge of the subject.
听听听听听听听听听听听 As a mom, my report-card signing days are over, and this was underscored in my mind when I asked an area educator what parents thought of the MABEI system. Naturally, this individual couldn't generalize, but the comment they gave me was: 鈥淚t depends on the age of the parents鈥�-which perhaps听 explains my misgivings.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Representatives from the area school district outlined the advantages of the MABEI system in great detail, and stated that it enabled teachers to give a detailed account of a student's progress (or lack therof ) as to whether they were meeting requirements within a subject area. This, along with heightened student involvement in parent-teacher meetings is said to lessen or eliminate surprises (unpleasant or not) for unsuspecting parents.
听听听听听听听听听听听 However, the MABEI method has-to my untutored eye, anyway-some very real disadvantages.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Firstly, the insufficient evidence category seems pretty vague and (I assume) might require a lot of explanatory notes from teachers already up to their elbows in report cards. This category can mean that the subject matter hasn't yet been fully covered in class or that the student hasn't turned in the work. (Are they legitmately absent? Struggling? Skipping class?). This,will require (and I assume again), clarification from the teacher, anyway. And will the MABEI system require even more paperwork for already-busy educators whose most valuable contribution is teaching our kids?
听听听听听听听听听听听 Because the provincial Ministry of Education requires it, students in grades 10 to 12 receive a report card that contains both percentage grades as well as additional reporting which uses the MABEI method of assessment. This, too, seems to me to be a lot of extra work for teachers who are required to ready students for life after high school and prepare many of them for a variety of post-secondary options.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Which brings me to my final point-admission to any type of post-secondary school almost always requires certain grade requirements to be met, and these are reported in percentages. Does the MABEI scale prepare kids for this eventual possibility? And is the system a boon to teachers and parents who want to zero in on a student's areas in need of improvement? Or is it a cumbersome system that adds to the administrative side of an educator's workload?
听听听听听听听听听听听 MABEI or MABEI not...
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MABEI it鈥檚 not the best
By Kelly Running
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听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 In school I strove to have the best marks, I wanted to see those 鈥淓鈥檚鈥� in elementary school where the letter stood for 鈥淓fficient鈥� and I wanted my percentage marks to be in the 90s, although I slipped into the high 80s on occasion.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 These marks I was able to carry throughout high school, except for a low 80s mark in one of my English classes, I wonder what Mr. McLennan thinks of me having become a writer. Heading with very competitive marks into University I had a small life crisis that first year. I started getting C鈥檚 and I felt like I didn鈥檛 belong in university. In my second semester I even dropped two courses and changed my major, and although it was the best thing for me, I felt a little bit like I had failed but only because I expected a lot out of myself.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Today schools are testing out the MABEI scale and the more I learn about it the more I shake my head, wondering if we鈥檙e setting kids up for failure. I understand not wanting to compare kids in the system, but I鈥檓 not sure if this system does it. Every time I got my report card, we鈥檇 start comparing marks, and I鈥檓 sure kids now brag about their M鈥檚.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Going from a system like this to percentages in grade 10 will be a huge change for them. I once felt high school hadn鈥檛 prepared me for university but it turns out I should have done better in high school. I found out I had more in me thanks to a professor who told me I should reconsider taking another course from him鈥� in my head I thought 鈥淗ow dare you tell me that! I鈥檒l show you!鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 He ended up becoming one of my favourite professors there, but he saw my mark from a class the semester before, and he decided I wasn鈥檛 good enough. He wasn鈥檛 judging me based on other students, he was judging me on my own work. So, do percentages really compare students at large?听听听听听听听听听听听听听 I raised my grade by an entire letter that semester and I impressed a professor who was considered by the advising office to be the toughest marker on campus. Would kids that have gone through the MABEI system stick out a class they were told to drop or would they give up?
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 The MABEI system clearly shows outcomes the students have reached, but it can be with percentages as well. Teachers always give you feedback. In math it鈥檚 clear when you get a concept or not, you get marked on your work and the right answer. If you do everything right, you understand the material but there was a one really hard question you walk out with a 90-something.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 In English the teacher tells you if you need to work on your grammar or spelling, or if you misinterpreted a quote that you used. They don鈥檛 just give you a percentage and ignore you; they give you a percentage and give you feedback, or at least my teachers and professors both did.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 For kids having gone through the MABEI system, they鈥檙e pushed through. They can鈥檛 fail. Even if teachers have Insufficient Evidence, which essentially means the kid didn鈥檛 hand anything in or participate.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 听Creating competition with oneself and with others is good. The real world compares people to each other, how else do multiple people apply for one job and the employer chooses? They pick who they think is best for the job, the one that will work hard, and will get along well in the position. They compare people who are competing for a position.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Doesn鈥檛 it make sense to prepare youth and instill in them a work ethic? I planned on being a teacher in university and in Lethbridge you must take a course which includes a practicum before being accepted into the program. I gave a classroom of grade eight kids homework and one came up to me after to tell me he wasn鈥檛 doing it. He didn鈥檛 have to because he would pass anyways; the sad part is the student was smart, and consequences would have pushed him to actually apply himself and better himself.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Therefore, are we not setting kids up for failure by using the MABEI system? They鈥檙e pushed through whether they reach the outcomes or not until they come to a time when they can fail, they will have a difficult time adjusting from can鈥檛 fail to failing because they didn鈥檛 fully understand the basics early in life. Lucky them, they鈥檒l get to go through what my first year university was twice: the first time they can fail in grade 10 and then that transition from high school to university. I don鈥檛 envy this generation coming up at all.
