69ý

Opinion
Assessment Opinion

The 4 Common Myths About Grading Reform, Debunked

Grading reformers and their critics all want the same thing
By Sarah Ruth Morris & Matt Townsley — November 20, 2023 5 min read
Venn diagram over a macro shot of A- on white results sheet. Extremely shallow focus. Letter grades are highlighted.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

Consensus in education, especially on grading reform, is elusive. But inside this heated debate, we’re really arguing for the same thing.

The goal of grading reform is to better reflect students’ true learning and comprehension, aligning students’ grades with their actual academic performance. In contrast, traditional grading combines academic achievement with behavioral factors by assigning points to assignments, irrespective of their intended purpose. For example, a student’s effort in completing a math assignment or their level of participation in English class discussions often influences their grades. While these behaviors are important, they may not directly reflect the student’s understanding of the academic material. Grading reform seeks to make grades a more accurate reflection of student mastery and knowledge.

But let’s consider the recent discourse that has ignited education circles. August ended with the . Writing in Forbes, Rick Hess (who also writes an opinion blog for Education Week) suggested as drivers behind grade inflation. An Annenberg EdWorkingPaper in September linked student outcomes. This crescendoed last month, when a New York Times opinion writer for their , and a teacher’s echoed the cautionary tone.

Amid this cacophony, , minimizing concerns over grade inflation and advocating a greater cultural shift in grading, a concept expanded upon by Jack Schneider and Ethan Hutt in their latest book.

Education stakeholders are clearly aware of the criticism that often accompanies traditional grading practices, including , , and the disconnect between grade point averages and standardized test scores. But here is a hot take: Grading reformers agree with critics on these points.

To move forward together, we need to debunk several myths and acknowledge a common goal: grades that truly represent student learning.

Myth 1: Grading reformers want everyone to earn an A.

Recently, when the Office for Education Policy at the University of Arkansas began disseminating for 9th grade students, there was a misconception among some educators that the aim was a universal A with no failures. That’s not the case.

Grading reform isn’t a push for ; it’s about matching grades with actual learning, not conflating achievement with behavior. Anecdotally, classroom educators have shared with us that some students find it harder to earn high marks when they are graded only on content knowledge. Grading reformers’ goal is to make grades clearer, so an A truly reflects deep understanding, not just gaming the system by accumulating extra-credit points or earning participation points from pleasing the teacher.

Myth 2: Grading reformers eliminate the use of a zero to inflate grades.

Within the heated grading debate on the use of zeros, that eliminating zeros and using 50 as a minimum grade is an attempt to boost grades and pass underperforming students artificially. However, this interpretation misses our intent and the underlying issue with the traditional 100-point scale. We fellow grading reformer and high school teacher Josh Kunnath’s graphic when describing the proportion mismatch of how A-D all encompass roughly the same 10-point numerical range while an F can mean anything from zero to 59.

Opinion graphic. Minimal grading scale is 50 to 59% for an F grade. Traditionally the range is 0-59%.

Adopting “minimum grading” practices such as replacing zeroes with 50s within a 0-100 percentage scale is an attempt to create a fairer and more rational scale where the consequences of a single zero aren’t disproportionately punitive when averaged in with other scores. , a long-standing grading reformer, has suggested that transitioning to a different scale, such as 0-4, is an even better solution. A 0-4 scale reduces grade variability and measures student learning and performance more equitably. on such a scale but doesn’t carry the disproportionate weight of a percentage scale.

The debate around the zero is not a battle over points; it’s a and the true meaning of grades as a measure of learning.

Myth 3: Grading reformers want to burn up the system.

The rhetoric around changes to grading policies can sometimes be radical, with a for their elimination. This has fed the myth that grading reformers want to throw out every grading policy and start over. Not necessarily.

Grades have long intended to serve as the student proficiency to students and their families. The problem isn’t with grades themselves but with how grades are determined and what grades communicate. Reformers argue that grades should solely reflect student mastery of the learning goals, not an amalgamation of point-accumulating activities such as earning points for extra-credit holiday crossword puzzles, essay drafts, and correct responses on tests. When , they can serve as , too.

Myth 4: Grading reformers should be able to snap their fingers and make it happen.

Effective grading reform is not a quick fix or a silver bullet. It’s no surprise that some critics view grading reform through a skeptical lens, suspecting that new grading practices are failing when they don’t immediately work.

Grading reform is a call for systemic change, and, like any change, it is a slow and iterative process. It’s about evolving the very purpose of grades from mere point accumulation to genuine reflections of student learning. This reformation demands a cultural shift among students, educators, and all educational stakeholders in understanding and valuing grades as learning rather than grades as earning.

Attempts at rapid changes in any education context have shown that without the and enhancing educators’ assessment literacy, reforms don’t last. It’s a persistent march toward a grading system that truly aids student development, not an immediate remedy.

As the old adage goes, “garbage in, garbage out.” Our students’ grades will only be as meaningful as the evidence educators use to determine them. Educational stakeholders and grading reformers all want to see grades that truly represent student learning. It’s time for the education community to both reassess what factors determine grades and champion grades that are reflective of learning rather than earning.

Hot take or not, our students’ true academic abilities aren’t reflected accurately in the traditional grading system. Educators, researchers, and journalists should all be able to agree. It’s time for a change.

Related Tags:

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in 69ý
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Assessment Massachusetts Voters Poised to Ditch High School Exit Exam
The support for nixing the testing requirement could foreshadow public opinion on state standardized testing in general.
3 min read
Tight cropped photograph of a bubble sheet test with  a pencil.
E+
Assessment This School Didn't Like Traditional Grades. So It Created Its Own System
Principals at this middle school said the transition to the new system took patience and time.
6 min read
Close-up of a teacher's hands grading papers in the classroom.
E+/Getty
Assessment Opinion 'Academic Rigor Is in Decline.' A College Professor Reflects on AP Scores
The College Board’s new tack on AP scoring means fewer students are prepared for college.
4 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Assessment Opinion 69ý Shouldn't Have to Pass a State Test to Graduate High School
There are better ways than high-stakes tests to think about whether students are prepared for their next step, writes a former high school teacher.
Alex Green
4 min read
Reaching hands from The Creation of Adam of Michelangelo illustration representing the creation or origins of of high stakes testing.
Frances Coch/iStock + Education Week