The Great Debate: Grading

By Andre J. Wicks, President of Everyday Principal and middle school principal at Carla Olman Peperak Middle School.

My purpose in life is making every effort to help others become their best self. I carry that purpose in my front pocket wherever I go. In my role as a K-12 administrator I relish the opportunities I get to do just that everyday, in a wide variety of ways. One of the ways I take seriously is that of helping teachers grow their professional practice. Over the years I have found a way to take a system that gives many teachers a feeling of dread and have turned it into one that feels like and is a system of a clear continuum of learning. My hope is that we can do the same for students when it comes to grading.

Let me share a story with you. A few years ago I had the distinct pleasure of working with a teacher, we will call her Miss G, who each year strives to be scored as innovative on Marzano's framework for teacher evaluation. In the first year I evaluated Miss G she, and others I evaluated, wanted to know how to be scored innovative. She wanted to know what it took to get an "A." She had been conditioned to think that way since she was in elementary school. Essentially, wanting to know, what do she have to do, or how many points will it take. What I told Miss G, and the others, is where you land on Marzano's continuum at any given time is a representation of what you know and how that translates in the classroom. I went on to say that what innovative teaching looks like according to the Marzano framework (whether everyone agrees or not, it is a consistent definition) is clearly laid out for all teachers to see in advance of being evaluated. As a learner, it is nice to know that sort of thing ahead of time, right?

That being said, it is not unusual for teachers to believe that being scored innovative means everything you do or try when attempting to increase student learning must work perfectly, or work at all. I quickly dispelled that misconception, and clarified that learning is not always perfect - in fact some of the best learning would be, as many of us have experienced ourselves, considered messy. You try stuff and it doesn't work just right, so you adjust and try again, then again and so forth. Or, the stuff you try does work, and you still adjust to see if you can make it work even better next time. Innovating is not assuming you have created and executed the perfect plan. If it were, there would be nothing left for us to innovate!

Miss G and I spent 4 years as partners in learning. Partners because she got to challenge my thinking, too. We got to help each other become our best self. Over the course of our four years as learning partners, a few things emerged as paramount. Learning is maximized on an open continuum; supported with consistent feedback on clear, realistic, and appropriate expectations.

I have been a K-12 educator my entire professional career. 28 years, and counting. Over the course of those 28 years I have seen philosophy and practice come and go. Grading and reporting of student learning is one such topic that seems to be a revolving door of philosophy and practice. Matters of equity have surfaced at a rapid pace in K-12 education. Equitable grading practices is a matter of equity that begs our attention. In this case, not equity between student to student, but between educator to student. As educators, what better lens to compare student grading practices than those practices intended to evaluate and report what we, the adults, know and understand?

Mind you, this comparison is not intended to be polarizing. Though when discussing matters of equity for students we typically compare “they” and “them” [student/student] groups based on race, demographics, and other identifiers; we oft not compare “us” and them” [educator/student] groups. Maybe we should. Should not matters of equitable grading and reporting be based on universal truths and ethics of what works and what is right when it comes to learning?

Interestingly enough, if you query most districts there is no standard for how students are graded from school to school, or classroom to classroom for that matter.

Why is that? We have standards for the growth and evaluation systems we use for the adults in K-12 education. And, whether or not everyone agrees on the ins and outs of the system their district uses, the system is clear and can be reviewed at any time before, during, and after the evaluation (or grading) process begins. Adults in K-12 education know where they are on a continuum of learning and what it takes to move along the continuum. Isn't the purpose of K-12 education to educate students? No one would argue that. So, why is it that when it comes to grading and reporting on the learning process for students there is so much obscurity?

There are mountains of literature on the philosophy and practice of grading and reporting. The devil’s advocate would argue, when it comes to grading in the K-12 system, can you really rely on research? There is research available to support just about any grading approach or rationale; from zero's or no zero's, to 4 point scale to 100 point scale, no late work, extra credit, and re-takes. Every single one of these aspects of grading in the K-12 system is cause for debate. So much so, that often times, even though whatever grading system is being used may be confusing, inequitable, or down right unethical, we (the adults) will routinely choose to avoid the topic rather than engage in the heavy conversations that may fix it.

Think about it. From 5 years old to 18 years old and through college, students are led to believe that learning is finite - beginning and ending when the teacher starts and stops teaching - and that learning has to happen within "this" window of time, and if it doesn't then you are a failure. And, thus, primary age students begin forming survival behaviors, if they can, that they carry with them into adulthood. If you can master chasing the proverbial grade then you will accumulate enough points to achieve a letter on a piece of paper that indicates you pass!

It is only after college, particularly for those working in K-12 education, are there opportunities to engage in a clear "grading" process that is open-ended and well supported for growth and learning. Why doesn't that happen sooner?

Let's face it, there isn't a teacher (or principal) association in existence that could manage the number of grievances filed if, as adults, we used the same practices that claim to encourage, support, and measure learning like the ones we use on kids. So, why do we do it? Why do we erase the invidible line between empathy and accountability when it comes to students when the line for adults is very clear. Not only do we provide, what seems like, an unlimited amount of space and grace to learn for each other - the adults - but limit students? Why do we create erroneous constraints, rules, and regulations for youth - those whose brains are still developing - but provide nearly infinite flexibility for ourselves?

Regardless which evaluation system your school district uses for adults, it is made very clear; the goal is getting on and staying on the continuum of learning. Not only that, you will be recognized for being innovative; for trying new things, even if they don't work with every student as long as you are reflective about what you tried and you adjust for next time! So, why do we tell students to get it right now, at all costs, or lose the opportunity to demonstrate you've learned the material?

Why do we do that?

Why do we assume scare tactics will motivate and teach accountability? Why do we say things like "sometimes a kid needs to fail" or "when a student sees the zeros in the gradebook they will be motivated to work harder?" If scare tactics and "opportunities" for failure are the keys to learning, why is that not part of Marzano's or Danielson's frameworks for teacher growth? Has any administrator tried or teacher had these tactics used on them and it produced the desired result of increased learning?

Why do we do that to kids, then?

As adults we enjoy the luxury of knowing we either aren't using a standard, are beginning to use a standard, are applying a standard, or are using a standard innovatively. These feedback are predictable, describable, and replicable. They are motivating, and they provide direction toward continuous improvement. Students in grades 6-12 have up to 6 different teachers, who may use up to 6 different grading systems, each with a variety of grading practices; which can make things [at least] 6x as confusing. Adults typically use a learning scale that really has no beginning or end - a true continuum. Students typically use a 0-100 point scale where 59%, 0-59, is failing and the other 41 percent is where you start - and end - demonstrating your learning.

As adults we are privileged to have a reporting system that accurately depicts where we are in our learning process; confirming where we are on the continuum of learning and provides valuable feedback so we can adjust and try again. There is no indication on this continuum that your learning is over. Students, however, are faced with systems that are so fixed and peculiar that students may have multiple missing assignments and several failed assignments; and still be passing. Or, another student may have earned all the points on 12 out of 12 assignments, but be missing a test, and be failing. Other students may only have symbols or icons in the grade book. Who knows what those mean.

Why do we do that?

While working as a high school assistant principal in Washington State I had countless conversations with students and their caregivers about grades. K-12 students have been and continue to be conditioned to question what they have to do to get a grade, with no real concern about what they are learning. I had a conversation with Tyler, one of my former students, once. He was completely frustrated, overwhelmed, and on the brink of saying "F" it. Literally. In fact, he did say it while sitting in my office one day. The impression teachers had on him varied from an engaged learner to an unmotivated student that was aloof and unorganized.

While schools and school districts go back and forth about grading, students fade into the background patiently and desperately hoping they can figure it out.

Sadly, Tyler really liked to learn. The problem? He was having a terrible time deciphering what was expected of him in one class, he was questioning why not writing in only blue or black ink would count against him in another class. He was baffled by why his opportunity to learn was turned off on a certain date in another class, and he was angered by the fact he was failing a class because he performed poorly on one test when everything he did for homework prior to the test showed he knew the material in, yet, another class.

Tyler went on to tell me that he regularly had to sacrifice true learning because there is so much "noise" at school. He told me stories of him and friends copying each others work in the lunch room right before class or while on Face Time with each other at midnight in order to avoid failing. Tyler mentioned in this conversation that he just wished he knew what he needed to know from the beginning of a unit. He also said he just wished he had more time.

The thing that was really weighing Tyler down was the shear amount of work; he was exhausted, anxious, and depressed. His words. And he looked the part. The bags under his eyes and disheveled hair were indicators that he was not making up the way he was feeling.

By now you, surely, are beginning to see my point.

Why are we using systems and practices with our students that we would never use ourselves?

Why are we, the ones with advanced degrees and life experience, creating expectations for our youth that we would not dare impart on each other? Would not the rational, ethical, and equitable voices in us begin to see we have it wrong? So, what should we do?

For starters, let us fully acknowledge that evolving from a way of thinking, that is not good for kids, that is generations old and deeply ingrained, is a heavy lift. A very heavy lift. Let's just get that out there. And, while a school or district may not be able make systematic changes overnight, there are certainly a handful of shifts that we can make that require little more than just deciding. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Own it. Students do what they have been trained to do. The reason why students gather in the lunch room to copy each other's work to get the points necessary to get a grade is because we, and those educators before us, have created and continue to contribute to a system that implies the grade you get is more important than what you can show you know. We MUST own that and stop complaining about what kids are doing in a system when the system faulty and rigged against them. And we wonder why they try to cheat it? The only thing to do to fix that is shift from what is implied as the priority to what actually is the priority.

2. Make learning the priority. When a student asks what they have to do to get a grade, be prepared to tell them, and their caregivers, "show me what you know!" That statement is foundational of learning being the priority at school, to what degree has a student demonstrated they have met standard(s). If the adults are going to lead the charge of learning being the priority, that means we have to strip away all the "stuff" that act as distractors; like grading behavior, attendance, whether or not the camera is on (when learning was remote during the pandemic). Or, giving credit for things dissociated with learning, disconnected formative work, and test weighting. The "stuff" that act as distractors are also the culprit for the very predicament we are in of having created a whole slew of frantic point chasers. When learning is clearly the priority, students will more eagerly jump on the continuum of learning.

3. Motivation and the Continuum. Daniel Pink is an award-winning author that has written some masterful literature on motivation in his book, Drive. Pink writes there are ways to motivate ourselves and others other than the fear of what will happen if we don’t do what we are supposed to. Autonomy, mastery, and purpose are the keys to establishing a drive for learning. Autonomy is an individual’s choice for learning (like choosing HOW you demonstrate your understanding) and purpose is an individual’s knowledge of why for learning; but for the idea of learning being a continuum I want to focus on the idea of mastery. The opportunity for mastery of any skill is the continuum. The notion that you are not bound by learning except by your own will of how many attempts you will make over time is the opportunity for mastery – and that is the continuum of learning. Now, that is motivating.

4. Tell students what they need to know, ahead of time. I remember when I was a student in school, back in the late 70's through the early 90's and even in college. What you needed to know was a secret; only to be revealed to you in small, or large, chunks by the one all knowing teacher. What you needed to know, and which knowledge took priority, was a mystery; a guessing game at best.

5. Feedback is the key to learning. A student takes a test and sees his grade written at the top of the page. A gymnast sees her score after dismounting from the balance beam. A musician receives a gesture of “thumbs up” after playing a few notes. Each of these individuals received a grade, affirmation, or rating, but none of them received feedback. A student reads an email explaining where he made an error with the quadratic formula and where to make the correction. A gymnast and her coach watch film and critique her dismount from the balance beam. A musician and her teacher work on finger and elbow placement after she plays a few notes of the piece she is working on. Feedback is the key to learning. Without feedback we are left to our own devices to determine where to adjust. Lack of feedback is the “dagger to the heart” of learning. Granted, providing quality feedback takes time. But the results of providing feedback are unparalleled. Admittedly, teachers are caught in a tough place when it comes to providing quality feedback. Secondary school teachers may have upwards of 150 students and they may be teaching multiple content areas. Frankly, how do you balance quality of life with the amount of time it takes to provide quality feedback? The answer to that is in the workload. The formula for better results can be simplified by adjusting work load to allow for feedback. Fewer Priority Assignments + Quality Feedback = Increased Learning.

6. Manage workload. An inch deep and a mile wide or an inch wide and a mile deep? Is there such a thing as too much? Students, particularly those secondary grades, will tell you, yes. Students report, at staggering rates, they are overwhelmed and stressed - in normal conditions, let alone conditions that are unique or unusual. Take a moment and consider teacher evaluation. A teacher on a Focused (terms may vary depending on model) Evaluation chooses one aspect of teaching to hone in on for the year; one of dozens of options to choose from. The teacher has full autonomy to choose a goal that resonates with them and they get to choose the plan for how they will demonstrate their learning. The teacher may actually choose to work on the same goal with a colleague or the entire department. Shoot, the teacher even has the option of focusing on the same learning, the same individual aspect of teaching, for multiple years! Is there ANY other way to motivate and inspire learning than that?! The student experience is often very different, though. It is not a dramatization that a majority of students are absolutely overwhelmed with the amount of content, standards, tests, and assignments we give them. If examined closely, the workload expectations placed on students can be absurd. An emphasis on the quality of learning should be paramount over quantity. To do so, schools and district curriculum directors need to work together to determine what priority learning looks like for students, make it clear what that is, and provide opportunities for extended learning for students that are able and eager to work beyond.

7. Report accurately. There are some stark realities when it comes to making major shifts in the world of K-12 grading. One of those realities is, until a more complete shift is made with grading practices, letter grades will still be assigned to students at the end of grading periods; which is not inherently the problem. It is how learning is reported between the beginning and end of a grading period that is typically the problem. We, the adults in control, absolutely must make it explicitly clear that a grade is not simply the result of some mathematical formula - it is a representation of what you have learned and/or know. Many of the systems/tools that schools use for reporting make it incredibly difficult to do this because they force you to enter something that may or may not be an accurate representation of what the student knows. On top of that, external influences place unnecessary pressure on teachers and students to rush through content and make learning finite. The truth is, as unorthodox as it may feel to do what I'm suggesting (because of the deeply ingrained nature of grading) we actually have more control than we give ourselves credit for. Envision a sliding continuum that either remains static or slides forward as an individual gains and demonstrates knowledge; and we (e.g. teacher, student, parent, and other stakeholders) track the "slider", if you will, over time and make determinations of what the student knows based off any number of demonstrations of learning (in other words, assignments) the student has provided. Sound familiar? Yes! This is very similar to how teacher and administrator evaluation works.

8. Adjust the Timeline and Determine Priorities. 180 school days, broken up into four grading periods, is the amount of time schools have to completely move through massive amounts of content with fidelity. Really? Who says? Why is more emphasis placed on fidelity of how much instead of how well? How much content is covered should not take precedent over how well we cover content and, most importantly, how well a student has learned the content. While the COVID-19 pandemic presented some significant challenges, it has also been a catalyst for somethings that may have never occurred without it; like a reason to slow down and focus on what matters most. If data is actually used to inform decisions, why hasn't a common key data point caused changes like the ones suggested here? That key data point is that of the 15.5 million high school students in the United States, about 3.7 million students are were expected to graduate in 2020. However, about 380,000 seniors in 2020 did not graduate (www.educationdata.org). That is a lot of students. The irony is, there are millions more students who were [for years] at risk of or [in the ninth hour] on the cusp of not graduating that we manage to help to the finish line. What is done for these students? The timeline and priorities are adjusted. What would happen if flexible timelines and clear priorities were established from the onset of high school; perhaps in 9th grade, where studies show most struggling high school students have begun to be off track for graduation (www.consortium.uchicago.edu), and throughout the rest of high school?

9. Anticipate the Struggle. Inevitably, for reasons we may or may not understand, there will be points in time where a student has not provided [enough] evidence of learning, thus presenting a challenge for the teacher to accurately report. This may be the biggest concern for a teacher using the continuum of learning as a means of assigning grades. Making a persistent and consistent commitment to the practice of prioritizing learning, like we do for teachers and administrators in education, does not mean there will never be students that fail to provide evidence that they are moving along the continuum of learning. Students struggling to evidence learning is perfectly normal and it will always be a reality. It is best to anticipate this reality as we remove the aforementioned barriers so we can more thoughtfully and proactively exhaust resources on the interventions we put in place to support students on the continuum of learning.

10. Stay out of the weeds. If a grading and reporting system like the one I'm suggesting is used for students, like it is for adults, we eliminate the need to get caught in the weeds. When learning is the priority, and it is clearly communicated with all stakeholders, we do not unnecessarily spend time on why a student is not engaged, or not attending, or behaving inappropriately, etc. What we do instead is focus that energy on asking questions, providing support, and redirecting students back to the priority. Learning. When we do get caught in the weeds, we - the adults - have in-fact made something else more important than learning.

How we grade and report on adult learning is not perfect. No system is. In fact, I often dissect and examine pieces of different evaluation tools to extract the pieces I like best, wishing they were all together in one perfect tool. I can say though, without hesitation, the tools we use to evaluate ourselves are much better and much more aligned with what research tells us about best practice (e.g. motivating, accurate, bias resistant, reliable, predictable, describable, and replicable) when it comes to evaluating and representing our learning. There are countless research based articles and books [and data] at ones finger tips that confirm the way most students are being graded is wrong at best and unethical at worst. For any argument that suggests otherwise; for those who say things like zeros motivate, that students need to be held accountable and therefore allowed to just fail from time to time, that students need to be ready for the real world, and that we must hurry and get through the curriculum...I would ask two questions: 1) if that is the way to do it, why isn't that philosophy and practice working for more students, and 2) if that is the way to do it, despite not working for more students, why don't we use the same philosophy and practices on ourselves?

No one can argue against making learning the priority. Maybe it is time to wage a serious commitment to ensuring our K-12 students also have quality systems in place to make it so.

Needing help navigating grading changes in your school or your district? Everyday Principal can help. Contact us today at support@everydayprincipal.com for expert professional development and consultation opportunities that will help your school or school district turn the curve with grading, creating strong culture, leadership coaching, and more.