Credit: Allison Shelley / EDUimage
Grading in most classrooms is tied to rubrics designed by individual teachers and rooted in centuries-old practices. In recent years, as the national trend has expanded, schools' grading systems have come under greater scrutiny as educators and policymakers debate how best to support students. The movement has gained increased attention during the COVID-19 pandemic as educators try new grading methods to help students.
Traditional grading systems evaluate students through tests, homework, and projects combined with a single class grade and other more subjective factors such as behavior, attendance, and class participation.
However, standards-based grades measure academic achievement without taking these subjective indicators into account. Standards-based grading provides students with multiple opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge by measuring achievement against specific content standards. It still involves assigning grades, but these grades are based on the student's mastery of the content, making the process more transparent and individualized.
For example, when a friend of mine took a math class that used standards-based grading, he was assessed on specific learning objectives, such as solving quadratic equations, without considering participation or behavior. In a traditional grading system, his final grade consists of quizzes, tests, homework, participation, and behavior. Therefore, low test scores at the beginning of the semester can have a big impact on your final grade. Standards-based grading, on the other hand, gave him multiple opportunities to retake the test and demonstrate improved understanding, so his final grade reflected his highest level of mastery. Traditional grading methods boost grades through attendance and participation points, even if you don't fully understand the material. Standards-based grades demonstrated his actual academic achievement.
Although nationwide data is not available, individual states across the United States have begun to adopt standards-based grading. A 2021 Wyoming statewide survey found that more than 63% of middle schools and 35% of high schools have started or fully implemented standards-based grading. Schools in Delaware and Mississippi have been actively working to support the use of standards-aligned, high-quality instructional materials in K-12 classrooms.
Districts in California, including Lindsay Unified District in Tulare County, have switched to standards-based grading systems. Auckland's high schools are also transitioning to a more objective grading system, emphasizing a progressive and comprehensive approach to grading reform.
In my own Dublin Unified School District, individual teachers had institutionalized standards-based grading on a pilot basis, but nine months ago the district discontinued its standards-based grading system, affecting nearly 13,000 students.
But even though an overwhelming 85 percent of the student body voted in favor of standards-based grading, the school board suspended it district-wide, preventing teachers from using any form of standards-based grading.
The reason for the committee's decision was simple. The board believed that standards-based grading harmed students' chances of success after high school by reducing academic rigor and introducing a new grading system. Their concerns, largely due to parental pressure, centered on how the performance of top students might fluctuate due to the introduction of a new grading system.
I acknowledge that standards-based grading is a new concept and may pose risks to perceptions of high school students' academic achievement. (I agree. I know the competitive nature of high school all too well.)
However, I believe the concern that standards-based grading hinders academic progress is misplaced. For traditionally high-performing students, this grading system allows them to focus on mastering concepts and skills like other students. Rather than encouraging memorization to pass a test, we assess students' ability to understand concepts, ensuring that their performance continues to be strong under this new system. Rather, standards-based grading improves academic performance. This is evidenced by research showing that students in schools that use standards-based grading are nearly twice as likely to score proficient on state assessments compared to students that use a traditional grading system.
Our district's efforts to transition to a standards-based grading system were ultimately thwarted by misinformation and lack of teacher training. This lack of support left teachers feeling forced to choose between supporting individual student needs and maintaining academic rigor. Even if it isn't necessary.
If our district had provided more support to parents and teachers, we could have developed an effective curriculum that helped our students and maintained rigor. Larkspur's multi-year transparent process, which included teacher training and parent seminars, allowed for a smooth transition from traditional grading to standards-based grading. Similarly, in New York City, the district successfully transitioned to a new system after training teachers and holding city halls with parents.
The transition to standards-based grading or a similar system requires changes in grading practices and cultural and cognitive changes in how we view education and student success. This requires strong teacher training, substantive communication with parents and students, and a collective commitment to redefining academic achievement. We must provide teachers, students, and parents with the resources they need to succeed in this new grading paradigm. If we truly want to make education more equitable, school districts must fully support educators in this important change.
I hope that our schools and the adults responsible for decisions about education can set aside partisanship and truly reevaluate their grading practices. Because fairness has never been and never will be the enemy of achievement.
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Akrishit Mehra I have just completed my third year in the Dublin Unified School District.
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