SPECIAL TOPIC What’s Worth Fighting Against in Grading? Four common grading practices can hurt students and erode instructional culture.

Douglas Reeves, Lee Ann Jung, and Ken O’Connor

n his classic book What’s Worth ­opportunities and university admis- Fighting for in the Principalship?, sions, grading remains the wild west Michael Fullan (2008) identified of school improvement, in which a dozen action items for prin- policy coherence is more apparent in cipals and school systems that claims than in practice and anyone Iremain as relevant today as they were armed with a red pen can make deci- almost a decade ago. In particular, sions with devastating instructional his clarion calls was to “de-privatize consequences.­ teaching” and to “elevate and invest Although we don’t encourage in instructional leadership of the micromanagement of school grading principal” (p. 58). But although there policies, we insist that Fullan is right is now no scarcity of administrators, that there are a number of things coaches, and other staff who have school leaders should fight for—or acquired titles suggesting instruc- against. And we are not bothered tional leadership, it is still difficult by the terminology’s suggestion of to find examples of instructors being entering into conflict. No professional led through a coherent set of policies educator would hesitate to fight for the and practices that routinely improve safety of a student, or to protect a child student achievement. from physical harm. Some commonly We find this disconnect particularly used grading policies, we believe, rise glaring in the area of grading. Whether to this level of urgency in that they the issue is classroom scores on daily threaten the emotional well-being work or final report card grades and academic outcomes of children. with consequences for scholarship­ Even the discourse sometimes used to

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Jung.indd 42 3/30/17 12:36 PM justify noxious grading policies—“getting them ready for ­first-line priorities for schools, our aim is to avoid the real world”—is eerily akin to the rhetoric of corporal sacrificing progress on the altar of perfection. punishment. We recognize that educators have a wide range of per- Use of the Average spectives on grading and can often find researchers to There is no assessment in the real world that matters—not support alternative points of view. But we focus here on licensing tests for driving or performing brain surgery, not four areas in which the evidence is clear and the con- professional exams for becoming an engineer, pilot, hair- sequences of inaction are grave (Brookhart et al., 2016; dresser, or nuclear reactor safety official—that relies on an Guskey, 2015; O’Connor, 2011; Reeves, 2016): the use of average of performances. To calculate a grading average the average, or arithmetic mean, to calculate a final grade; across time is to engage in the fantasy that proficient indi- the grading of practice, or homework; the use of the zero on viduals never make mistakes or, more likely, that their mis- the 100-point scale; and the use of grading as punishment takes are counterproductive. Watch any toddler learning to for misbehavior. Individually and collectively, these prac- walk, and it is clear that mistakes are the engine of success. tices result in inaccurate measures and encourage stu- To say the toddler should get a poor grade in walking dents to see school as being about compliance and points because of her many spectacular failures along the way ­accumulation rather than learning. would be ridiculous. She eventually got there. She mastered We realize there are plenty of other questionable grading the skill. practices. But we have seen overly ambitious grading- reform initiatives stopped dead in their tracks because of the overwhelming and threatening nature of the changes. A grading system that persistently In focusing on four commonly used grading policies as punishes mistakes instead of rewarding eventual progress and mastery guarantees the stagnation of learning.

One rationale for the use of the average in calculating a final score appears to be that good students get things right the first time. But this is not true, except in cases where students aren’t challenged. When the curriculum is rig- orous, all students make mistakes, but the most successful students always learn from those mistakes. To average indi- cators of the students’ performance across time is to neglect this facet of the learning process. It’s tantamount to saying that we don’t care whether our teaching had any impact on learning, or that how students performed early on will always matter. Do we really believe this? A grading system that persistently punishes mistakes instead of rewarding eventual progress and mastery guar- antees the stagnation of learning. By contrast, a grading system that emphasizes a student’s current performance or most recent evidence of achievement gives students a reason to keep trying. Not only do students deserve a grade that reflects their achievements, but teachers deserve credit for their accomplishment in delivering effective instruction

ORION-V/SHUTTERSTOCK and interventions.

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Jung.indd 43 3/30/17 12:36 PM Grading Homework for work that earns an A, a B, a C, policies in our work, but, to the best No one questions the value of practice. and so forth. Teachers in the United of our knowledge, even the fiercest Musicians, athletes, geographers, States typically respond with numbers opponents of grading reform have not mathematicians, and poets all practice roughly corresponding to 90, 80, 70, ­suggested this one. their craft and, with coaching and and 60. Why then does the mark for So the solution is simple— support, improve their performance. missing work—essentially an F—drop implement the 4-point scale. We don’t The characteristics of what Anders all the way down to zero? “It’s simple,” often see education reform initiatives Ericsson and Robert Pool (2016) call proponents of the practice contend. that make teachers’ jobs easier, but gold standard practice are consistent. “No work, no credit.” But especially grading on a 4-point scale instead of Students must receive coaching and when combined with the averaging a percentage-based scale is one such immediate descriptive feedback, practices already discussed, a zero for example. Win-win! proceed in incremental steps, and missing work results in a grade that engage in practice that is specifi- Grading Behavior and Late Work cally designed to help them get to the Many classrooms continue to have pol- next level of skill, understanding, or Grading remains the icies that wield grades as punishment knowledge. for behavioral issues, such as absences, The compulsion to grade homework wild west of school tardiness, inappropriate conduct, and, is often based on the conviction that most often, submitting late work. applying a score to practice, even improvement. The fundamental problem with this when done in non-ideal conditions, approach is that it ignores the primary will lead to better performance. In does not accurately represent a stu- purpose of academic grades, which is fact, this approach to homework leads dent’s achievement and from which to communicate information about to two types of negative outcomes— he or she most likely will be unable student achievement with reference blindly compliant students who sul- recover. to learning goals. When grades are lenly work at skills that rarely matter, Recognizing the harm this policy used to punish poor behavior, the true and their even more sullen peers can cause, some schools have meaning of the grade becomes unclear who work at nothing, unable even to responded with the minimum 50 because it is now an uncertain mix of approach the task because they can’t grading policy. The idea is that the achievement and behavior. A student do it independently. The first group interval between different grade levels who receives a C may have learned finds school excruciatingly boring; should be equal, and therefore the the content well but failed to submit the second group finds it humiliating. interval between D and F (60 and homework or submitted assignments Students in neither group engage in 50) should be the same as the other late. Conversely, the student may have authentic learning. intervals between higher grades. But demonstrated compliant behavior As Ericsson and Pool argue, exem- this inevitably leads to the retort that but failed to master the content. plary practice is far from easy. But the students are “getting 50 points for When indicators of behavior and absence of a grade does not imply the doing nothing,” and school adminis- achievement are combined in this way, absence of rigor. Real rigor involves trators and policymakers often beat a we can no longer tell the difference. persistence, determination, resilience, hasty retreat. Not only does including indicators and commitment to improvement— The more appropriate and more of behavior in an achievement grade with the help of expert feedback that is direct way to solve the problem is to cause difficulties with interpreting the far more demanding than markings of return to the time-honored grade- grade; it’s also harmful to students’ A+ or 100 percent. point system in which A is 4, B is motivation and engagement. When 3, C is 2, D is 1, and F is a zero. For grades are lowered because of late The Zero on a 100-Point Scale this system to be mathematically work or missing homework, especially Teachers’ right to give zeros for consistent with the 100-point, zero- if the penalties are severe, students missing work has many staunch for-missing-work measure, a teacher can lose hope that they can catch up, defenders who see it as a no-nonsense would have to contend that while an which reduces their motivation to try. assertion of academic values. The most A is 4 points, a B is 3 points, a C is 2 We believe positive behaviors, direct way to address this position is to points, and a D is 1 point, a student’s including promptness, are important ask colleagues who use the 100-point failure to turn in work should result to teach, but consequences for scale what the minimum number of in a score of negative six. We have col- behavior should directly address the points is that a student should earn lectively seen some outlandish grading behavior and not involve penalties that

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Jung.indd 44 3/30/17 12:36 PM affect students’ academic grades. Stu- These practices result of issues of grading and assessment dents who submit work late don’t need and how they affect student outcomes. a markdown for their indiscretion; in inaccurate measures By staying engaged in the issues and they need our support. If the work is informed by the literature, school important, it is better that it be done and encourage students leaders will be prepared to take on the late than not done at all. next set of grading reform practices as The appropriate response to late to see school as being their schools become ready. Imple- work is to provide places and times menting schoolwide or districtwide where students are required to com- about compliance and grading reform can be demanding plete the work. Some students may work. But the serious problems want to be punctual but have difficulty points accumulation with practices we describe are not with executive functioning. Others controversial among the scholars of may have lost interest in the content— rather than learning. classroom assessment. Without or in school in general. Before we can question, this is the right work address the behavior of turning work to do. EL in late, we must understand why a and school boards. Understandably, student is experiencing this challenge. this leaves other school leaders appre- References Time management and project man- hensive about making changes to Brookhart, S. M., Guskey, T. R., Bowers, A. agement are skills to be learned, not grading policies. J., McMillan, J. H., Smith, J. K., Smith, et al. (2016). A century of grading inherent character traits. Our job is to The need to implement healthy research: Meaning and value in the most use research-based practices to support grading practices is an urgent one; common educational measure. Review of these students, both academically and this action will benefit all learners, but Educational Research, 86(4), 803–848. behaviorally. especially those who are struggling. Ericsson, A., & Pool, R. (2016). Peak: In addition to supports that directly Even so, charging forward in a top- Secrets from the new science of expertise. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. address behavior, schools and districts down fashion to change all grading Fullan, M. (2008). What’s worth fighting for should include a limited number of practices at once can leave educators in the principalship? New York: Teachers behavioral marks in a separate section and families feeling unprepared and College Press. of the report card. This makes the frustrated. It is preferable to establish Guskey, T. R. (2015). On your mark: Chal- clear statement that the behaviors practical starting points. By taking lenging the conventions of grading and are of such importance that they are clear steps to eliminate averaging, reporting. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree. brought to the forefront of the report. achievement grades for homework, O’Connor, K. (2011). A repair kit for And doing so ensures that everyone zeros on a 100-point scale, and grade grading: 15 fixes for broken grades (2nd involved has clear and accurate infor- penalties for late work, schools will ed.). Boston: Pearson. mation about each student’s academic be well on their way to more effective Reeves, D. B. (2016). The elements of achievement and behavior. grading practices. grading: A guide to effective practice (2nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree. As school leaders take on each of Starting Points for these first four steps in grading reform, Copyright © 2017 Douglas Reeves, Grading Reform we recommend that they include edu- Lee Ann Jung, & Ken O’Connor The standards-based grading cators and families in the discussion movement—which calls for the evalu- but remain firm about what is good for ation of student progress with respect students. Educators and families will, to clearly delineated performance rightfully, demand to know why these Douglas Reeves (douglas.reeves@cre ativeleadership.net; @DouglasReeves), standards with a limited number of initiatives are necessary. Teachers will an education writer and researcher levels—has exposed consistent gaps want to know what is so wrong with in Boston, is the founder of Creative between recommended grading prac- current grading practices. Families Leadership Solutions. Lee Ann Jung tices and what is currently happening will want to know why schools are ([email protected]; @leeannjung), a special in schools. The sweeping changes changing from the type of grades they education consultant, is chief academic that are needed have many educators are familiar with. Leaders must be pre- officer for the ASCD Student Growth and administrators wondering where pared to answer these and the dozens Center, which produces GoalWorks progress monitoring software. Ken to begin. But in their attempts to of other questions that will arise. They O’Connor ([email protected]; @kenoc7), implement standards-based grading will need to continue pushing their the author of numerous books on fully and quickly, some districts have understanding forward by examining grading, is a ­consultant and author based faced harsh backlash from parents data and studying the full complexity in Toronto and Florida.

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