Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1449741
S A M P E R E I R A is helping his district transition to what he believes is a more equitable form of grading, so that students in the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District are graded based on what they know, rather than on their behavior and ability to meet deadlines. is approach, called "standards-based grad- ing," was piloted at Central Coast High School, a continuation school where Pereira teaches English. e district's four high schools have com- mitted to implementing it in the future. In Monterey's version of standards-based grad- ing, low grades or missing assignments aren't held against students if they can prove they have mastered the material at the semester's end. Instead of the traditional 100-point grading scale, there's a 4-point grading scale, and students have chances to make up missed assignments or even redo a test. is puts the emphasis where it belongs, on learning rather than on rule-following, says the Monterey Bay Teachers Association member. "Under the old system, a student has a zero from not turning in an assignment, then turns in the next one and gets 100," says Pereira. "Even though he understands the material, he has only earned 50 points, which is an F in the class. Our new system motivates kids to not give up and keep trying, instead of putting their heads on the desk and not caring. For me, it boils down to how students can show me what they know — even if they need multiple opportunities." R ethinking how to grade While a number of educators have been vocal in support of a traditional grading system, many districts have opted to change it. Some, like Mon- terey, began this journey before COVID-19. Others found the pandemic to be a perfect opportunity to reform grading, with students facing increased academic struggles, stress, depression and chal- lenges at home. Los Angeles Unified has directed educators to grade students on what they have learned and not penalize them for behavior or missed deadlines. Teachers have been encouraged to give students the opportunities to retake tests, update essays, and demonstrate they understand the material. Santa Ana Unified, Oakland Unified and other districts have considered whether to limit the use of D's and replace F's with "incompletes," according to news reports. And Educators, districts consider a more equitable way to assess student learning By Sherry Posnick-Goodwin Remaking the Grade 30 cta.org Feature Sam Pereira