Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1449741
Monterey Peninsula Unified School District's 4-point grading scale, left, and an explainer for parents, right. Lindsay Unified School District in the Central Valley assigns stu- dents to classes and projects based on what they know and not their grade level — with a 1-4 grading scale designed to foster a "growth mindset." The reasoning behind grade reform is that students living in poverty, who are more likely to be students of color, have more challenges. ey may be working to support their family, caring for siblings, or even homeless. Penalizing them for turning in late assignments or their behav- ior creates bias against students and may even unwittingly promote racism, say proponents. "Our traditional grading practices have always harmed our traditionally underserved students," said former teacher Joe Feldman, author of Grad- ing for Equity and a consultant with districts nationwide on grading reform, in a Los Angeles Times interview. "Now, because the number of students being harmed is so much greater, people are ready to tackle this issue." ALHAMBRA: Points go by the wayside Joshua Moreno, an English teacher at Alham- bra High School, did away with points entirely because some students fell so far behind, they stopp ed tr y in g. O th ers had s o many p oint s they stopped working, knowing they would still receive an A. "I went into teaching so students could learn and not chase points," says the Alhambra Teachers Association member. "It's nobody's fault. It's been part of the system since the turn of the century. But now it's outdated. e 100-point system is really 50 ways to fail. What we call 'equitable grading' is part of a larger district initiative led by our new Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Task Force." For examples of how traditional grading can go wrong, he created a profile of Student A, who has turned in every assignment on time, is never tardy and writes in a mediocre manner. Then there's Stu- dent B who writes in an exemplar y style but is frequently tardy and doesn't turn in ever y assignment, which may be due to work, family obligations or other challenges. "Under the old system, student B would have a C or be failing, and student A might have an A in the class. But it's time to look at the skills and not penalize Student B for other factors, some of which may be beyond his control. For student A, the point system is masking skills he's deficient in." Moreno gives students second chances to submit work and retake tests. He considers home- work "practice" without grading it painstakingly. "Some may say this doesn't prepare students for the real world, but it does. In the real world you get second chances. You can retake your driv- er's license, the SATs and the bar exam." He will even retroactively change a first-semes- ter grade if a student does well by the end of the second semester. "What matters is that they get there — not how long it took." SAN DIEGO: R eform is controversial When San Diego Unified updated its grading policy in 2020, allowing students to turn in late work and resubmit assignments, not everyone was happy. Some educators 31 F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H 2 0 2 2 "Some may say this doesn't prepare students for the real world, but it does. In the real world you get second chances. You can retake your driver's license, the SATs and the bar exam." —Joshua Moreno, Alhambra Teachers Association