Grading for Equity--A New Grading Scale in the Middle School
As you are already aware, here at St. E’s we believe in equity! This year we have revised our grading scale and made some changes to ensure that our grading protocols are also taking into account equity. Grading with equity in mind leads to more transparency and accuracy in a report card and provides families with a clearer picture of how to support their student.
In a traditional letter grade scale as many of us know it A,B,C,D, F, teachers give points on assignments and then calculate those points into a percentage scale and then convert that scale into one of the 5 letters listed above. Using these traditional scales can lead to students learning how to get more points rather than focusing on what they are learning and how to improve their skills and knowledge. In a traditional system one missing assignment that is late or missing can create a low score and cause a grade to fluctuate wildly. Educational research shows that zeros don’t motivate and can leave a student feeling overwhelmed with the very prospect of ‘digging out.’ Students from marginalized backgrounds can particularly be harmed by a traditional system. In a system that grades for equity, an assignment is marked as incomplete, but the zero isn’t factored into a percentage and students can continue to be encouraged and persevere even when they encounter failure.
Instead of a student receiving a grade in a subject like Math or English Language Arts (ELA) and having that grade represent both behavior and academic achievement, feedback is separated and provides feedback on skills and behaviors separately. This feedback leads to high levels of success for both school and life.
In our new grading scale this year we strive to be:
- Mathematically Accurate - representing students academic performance
- Transparent - What can a student do well and what can they improve?
- Motivational - Students encouraged to persevere in face of setbacks.
In speaking with local area high schools, Ms. Poulsen, our Middle School Division Head, states that “many schools around the city are already providing non-traditional grades and they are familiar with interpreting these kinds of report cards. Admissions directors around the city were enthusiastic about how this new report card will give them insight into both behaviors as well as more accurate assessment of students academic readiness.”
As many schools have started adjusting their grading practices in response to the research regarding Grading for Equity, these types of changes have become more common in mission-aligned schools. These changes aim to make the path toward success much more tangible for middle school and help students persevere in their learning.
