Dr. Josh Kunnath, teacher-coach-consultant-writer-researcher
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Grading & Assessment.
It’s what this site is about. It’s among the hardest parts of the teacher’s job. It’s also the area of passion and focus in my professional life.
2 Focal Points, 2 Guiding Statements:
Grading
For over a century, student grades have largely lacked accuracy and equity. It is time we take practical action steps to fix this problem.
Assessment
Whether formative or summative, assessment is essential for successful teaching and learning. Thus, educators must be proficient in developing and administering assessments, along with interpreting and using the results to make effective instructional and decisions.
Dr. Josh Kunnath is an 11th-grade English teacher and instructional coach at Highland High School in Bakersfield, California, where he has served since 2008. He teaches, writes, researches, coaches, and consults in his areas of expertise, including grading, assessment, and feedback. He also serves as editor of the Journal of School Administration Research and Development (JSARD), an open-access academic journal focusing on K-12 educational leadership.
This article advocates for “ungrading” student practice, emphasizing its role in improving grading accuracy and fostering a growth mindset. By eliminating grades for classwork and homework, students can focus on learning without the pressure of points. It also presents strategies to motivate students intrinsically and extrinsically, ensuring their engagement in practice.
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” — Dan Millman, Way of the Peaceful Warrior With the coming of 2026, I’ve decided that enough is enough! It’s time for me to return to my website and blog. For the last three…
If nothing else, I encourage teachers to simply begin talking about grading. Because if you’re like many educators across the country, grading is a practice that is often kept private and even considered semi-sacred. But this mindset is exactly what has largely prevented the growth and improvement of teacher grading practices around the country for…
Communicate by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Alpha Stock Images As an 11th grade English teacher using equitable grading practices (including a four-point scale, standards-based grading, report card grades created exclusively from summative assessment, and a comprehensive retake policy), I recognize it’s my responsibility to inform students, parents, administrators, counselors, and other teachers about these practices that can…
As a high school English teacher, teacher coach, and grading and assessment consultant, I hear lots of teacher concerns about grading reform. Below are 10 of the most common grading questions/concerns that I hear from teachers, along with my short response to each. Isn’t minimum grading just giving lazy students something for nothing? A: Minimum…
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Practical Classroom Solutions to Grading and Assessment 