The Great Grade Debate

There are many schools of thought when it comes to grading. Teacher’s approach to grading can vary widely within the same building. Are there any grading practices that are wrong? Should there be a standard way of grading for all teachers? Is there really a need for grades?

Grading can be subjective. If you give five teachers a copy of an assignment from a student, you will probably get five different scores for that assignment. Teaching philosophy, years of experience, and possibly, the teachers own school experiences, are all factors that sway grading.

I have worked in a district that didn’t require number grades until students reached sixth grade. Student report cards reflected their mastery of topics of study for the marking period. While I understand the logic behind the process, there was a lot of confusion for parents and students alike. I often had to explain what the rankings meant when parents inquired.

There are benefits to a standard based grading system. There is more of a focus on mastery of skills. Yes, it takes more of a time commitment for grading on the teachers part. If done correctly, students will take pride in tracking their progress.

When it comes to grading, I believe, that the goal should be to work towards mastery of the topic of study. If students come up short then it is the duty of the teacher to help students reach their goal. Tutoring and reassessment are two ways to provide opportunities to reach mastery. Reassessments give students another chance to show what they know.

Grading systems that rely on percentages will probably always be around. This is not necessarily a bad thing. If there are solid teaching practices and multiple ways to demonstrate knowledge of a topic of study, number grading systems can be just as effective as standards based grading. The common factor is the willingness of teachers to provide the guidance necessary.

Debates about grading will continue to go on. Whatever side of the debate people fall into, the one commonality should be student learning. Whatever needs to occur for students to make sufficient progress, teachers should find a way to make things happen to benefit learners. Allowing students to fail without adequate opportunities to reassess or make up work is a practice that needs to stop. Let’s all make sure that we give students the very best chances to be successful.