Disqus - Latest Comments for mctownsley

Re: Check out 2026 schedules!

Matt T. — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 17:25:18 -0000

"Luther left the American Rivers Conference and really did leave the ARC behind"

Is this an intentional play on words?

Re: We also considered ...

Matt T. — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 14:12:18 -0000

As a Wartburg fan, two of these games brought up 😭 moments from recent years. So close to making the Stagg Bowl.

Fantastic list, thank you for compiling these games!

Re: The NCAA playoff bracket is out!

Matt T. — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 19:19:37 -0000

Re: Wartburg's potential path to the Stagg Bowl. Do you see the geography-based top 8 seed switch (UW-RF and JHU) as being advantageous to the Knights?

Re: D3football.com Top 25, 2025 Week 11

Matt T. — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 18:33:28 -0000

Agree.

Re: bybmg: Camping with Kids - Keeping It Simple

Matt T. — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 21:30:52 -0000

Fun!!

Re: bybmg: High Five for Friday 4.26 - Monster Trucks, Easter, and Beautiful Weather

Matt T. — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 21:07:32 -0000

So much fun!

Re: Standards-based grading & student information systems: The beginning

Matt T. — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 15:58:50 -0000

Hi Michelle. The online grade book (and student information system) used in this blog post is PowerSchool. You can find out more information at https://www.powerschool.com/

Is this information helpful?

Re: bybmg: 10 Things I Love About My Home

Matt T. — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 21:58:00 -0000

You have a very nice home, sister!

Re: Standards-based grading & student information systems: The beginning

Matt T. — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 22:32:52 -0000

Hi @@Mary Ruegge - This post was written about eight years ago when I was a math teacher. At the time, I did allow unlimited retakes as long as students completed the pre-requisite relearning plans (i.e. completed extra practice, met with me for a 1 on 1 tutoring session, etc.).

Could you email me? (matt@mctownsley.net) I would be happy to share additional details, plans, schedules, etc. from my current experiences working with a broader group of teachers now that I am a district administrator.

Re: bybmg: 33 Facts for my 33rd Birthday

Matt T. — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 22:23:42 -0000

So much alike, sister! 2, 8, 9, 16, 21, 24, 30, and 32 stood out right away.

Re: bybmg: High Five for Friday 12.30 - Christmas Week

Matt T. — Sat, 31 Dec 2016 17:31:45 -0000

Can't wait to see you sometime soon, sister!

Re: When I Wait, You Strengthen my Heart – Psalm 27:14

Matt T. — Wed, 06 Apr 2016 22:53:07 -0000

Can't wait to meet these boys!

Re: Standards-Based Grading: Converting to Letter Grades

Matt T. — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 11:27:58 -0000

Ken!
Good point about subjectivity and consistency.
I agree our scale is actually a five point scale. Our use of 3.5 was a local decision with a long history. It may not be ideal!

Thank you for reading and for all of the writing you've done around grading.

Re: Standards-Based Grading: Converting to Letter Grades

Matt T. — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 07:36:00 -0000

Hello, @@kfh7! Were you able to view the video embedded in this post? The piecewise/logic function method is described around the 1:25 mark.

Re: Get the Raspberry Pi Zero Cable Bundle and The MagPi 40 with a subscription

Matt T. — Mon, 30 Nov 2015 12:52:35 -0000

I called this morning and the representative confirmed the US subscription will include issue #40.

Re: How to get The MagPi 40 and your free Raspberry Pi Zero

Matt T. — Mon, 30 Nov 2015 12:51:00 -0000

I called the U.S. distributor this morning and ordered a 3 month subscription, which includes issue #40.

Re: Get the Raspberry Pi Zero Cable Bundle and The MagPi 40 with a subscription

Matt T. — Fri, 27 Nov 2015 21:36:45 -0000

I was afraid of this as well. Can anyone confirm the US subscription would include issue 40 as of 11/27/15?

Re: Father writes check using Common Core math

Matt T. — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 13:56:24 -0000

I did some fact checking using the Common Core state standards and did not find anything supporting this type of math instruction. Perhaps a math textbook publisher suggested this strategy, however it is clear after reading the standards this type of writing is not a required instructional approach. (Details: http://mctownsley.net/fact-...

Until educators begin to discern the differences between the intent of the standards and textbook publishers who freely and with absolutely no regulation stamp “Common Core aligned” on their materials, we’ll continue to see more of these types of uninformed news stories.

Re: bybmg: High Five for Friday 7.3

Matt T. — Sun, 05 Jul 2015 17:38:59 -0000

Hooray for July! We were lured into the Starbucks deal as well.

Nice job on the play set remodel.

Re: Standards-based grading: Assessing AND grading 21st century skills

Matt T. — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 15:02:56 -0000

Tom, you bring up a good point about collaboration vs. group work. Susan Brookhart's book on grading and group work (ASCD) suggests a nice framework for "group work." Explicitly teaching collaboration skills, providing feedback and ample opportunities for assessment appears to be of the utmost importance in this distinction as well.

Re: Standards-based grading: Assessing AND grading 21st century skills

Matt T. — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 13:20:29 -0000

I appreciate your thoughts, Ken.

I agree reporting separately is the ideal.

Re: bybmg: 9 Years Ago Today & Family Photos

Matt T. — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 07:55:55 -0000

Great photos!

Re: Doctoral program: 12 month update

Matt T. — Wed, 27 May 2015 22:50:47 -0000

Thanks, Tony!

Re: Doctoral program: 12 month update

Matt T. — Mon, 25 May 2015 22:21:41 -0000

Hey Karen. Thanks for taking the time to read about my not-so-exciting graduate school journey.

I have a feeling during this next semester, we'll go through some serious exercises in order to brainstorm a viable dissertation topic. With that in mind, here's my off-the-cuff thinking...I am a central office administrator and although certified to be a principal, have never served in that role. Yet, my task is to work alongside principals and teachers to help them do their jobs even better. The longer I work in this role, the more I am realizing I need to pour into principals so that they can pour into their teaching staff. Yet, I do not hold the "principal supervisor" card. (For the record - the previous statement is not meant to sound negative as if the principals I work with are in need of serious improvement!) In other words, I see myself in a supporting role for principals although I do not evaluate them and have never walked a mile in their shoes. As I think about the Iowa educational context, I see others around me in a similar role -- 3A and sometimes 4A central office administrators who may or may not have been principals themselves, trying their best to support principals' instructional leadership in a non-evaluative way. As I've started to scour educational databases, I have read studies (https://docs.google.com/spr... many of which focus on urban school district central office administrators. These central office administrators typically play a dual role: supporting and evaluating site administrators. I have a hunch a gap may exist in the literature capturing the perspectives of folks like me: central office administrators supporting principals' instructional leadership in a non-evaluative context. I think interviewing these central office administrators and perhaps some of the principals they support to find out what's working and what's not working could be positive contribution to the field. It's sort of self-serving, but I'd like to figure out how I can do a better job at my current role and a dissertation might be an avenue to help out!

I have a plan B in mind if my hunch is incorrect or if a future dissertation committee struggles to get excited about the value of this study, but I'll leave that for a future post.

P.S. Thanks for encouraging me to put all of this down in writing. It will be fun to reflect back twelve months from now to see how accurate all of it was.

Re: Standards-Based Grading: Converting to Letter Grades

Matt T. — Sat, 28 Feb 2015 22:18:01 -0000

Dr. Guskey,
Thanks for taking the time to read and respond. 1) I agree 100%. Tradition is probably the reason most schools continue to do it. Do you see any better ways to convert to letter grades from a measurement perspective?

2) Yes, a few of our teachers have piloted weighting standards. How does this impact #1, if at all?