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Mathematics Empowerment through Standards-Based Grading (ME-SBG)

January 2025

Mathematics Empowerment through Standards-Based Grading (ME-SBG) empowers students in grades 6-9 to take active control of their mathematics learning. At its core, ME-SBG integrates "reassessment for full credit after further study," fostering self-regulation, a growth mindset, and respect for students’ abilities. The program encourages all students not only to achieve proficiency but to strive for high performance, equipping them with the tools and opportunities to reach their full potential.

 

Building on the success of 21PSTEM’s earlier PARLO project, which demonstrated a 45% increase in math learning among algebra and geometry students (Kramer, et al., 2023), ME-SBG addresses barriers to scalability. The current five-year project provides comprehensive supports for teachers, including integration with district Learning Management Systems, a robust resource library aligned with state standards, and resources to help students adapt to their roles in this innovative assessment system.

 

ME-SBG will serve over 14,000 students across Pennsylvania and Portland, Oregon, through a development phase followed by a cluster-randomized control trial and subsequent implementation in former control sites. 21PSTEM and its partners will work collaboratively to remove barriers to standards-based grading and scale the program regionally.

 

Adolescents, especially those from historically underserved groups, have a critical need for recognition and respect within educational environments. ME-SBG meets this need by empowering students to regulate their own learning and progress from not-yet-proficient to proficient to high performance. Through its innovative approach, the project is reimagining mathematics education for long-term, equitable impact.

 

Principal Investigator: Steven Kramer

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Staff:

21PSTEM

John Baker

Tyrone Dash

Greg Folk

Kylie Doyle

Lead, Mathematics Materials and Assessment Design: hiring now.

Mathematics Materials and Assessment Developer: hiring now.

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Collaborators

Teomara Rutherford, University of Delaware, Student Motivation and Self-Regulation Expert

Jessica Shupik, Private Contractor, Materials Development & Teacher Liason

 

Partners

Westat

Aurora Institute

Pennsylvania Intermediate Unit 12

Portland City Public Schools

Interboro School District

 Jim Thorpe Area School District

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  • Funding Source: Department of Education (Education, Innovation, and Research, EIR)

  • Award Number: S411B240042

  • Start Date:  January, 2025

  • Duration:  5 Years

  • Award: $9,957,410.00

  • Location:  Pennsylvania, Portland, Oregon, other sites to be determined

  • Fiscal Agent: 21PSTEM

 

Reference

Kramer, S. L., Posner, M. A., Browman, A. S., Lawrence, N. R., Roem, J., & Krier, K. (2024). The Impacts of a Standards-Based Grading System Emphasizing Formative Assessment, Feedback, and Re-Assessment: A Mixed Methods, Cluster Randomized Control Trial in Ninth Grade Mathematics Classrooms. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 1–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/19345747.2023.2287594

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