Dr. Josh Kunnath, teacher, coach, consultant, writer, researcher
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Grading. Assessment. Feedback.
That’s what this site is about. And that’s what a big part of teaching is about.
3 Focal Points, 3 Guiding Statements:
Grading
For over a century, American educators have struggled to make grades accurate and equitable. It’s time we finally do so.
Assessment
Whether formative or summative, the continual gathering of evidence to determine students’ current level of learning is crucial to the success of classroom teachers and their students. We must be creative and innovative in our creation and use of assessments.
Feedback
Feedback is the lifeblood of teaching and learning, with close connections to formative assessment and rubrics; effective feedback is specific, timely, actionable, and continuous.
Dr. Josh Kunnath is an 11th grade English teacher and department chair at Highland High School in Bakersfield, California, where he has served since 2008. He teaches, writes, researches, coaches, and consults on his areas of expertise, which include 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.
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…
For those looking to either begin grading reform or continue some initial work they’ve begun, an important early step is to create a grading purpose statement. Such a statement allows students and parents to better understand your grades. It also helps you to make consistent and focused grading-related decisions. But Why Is This Necessary? A…
If you’ve taken steps to improve your own grading practices to be more accurate and equitable, then hats off to you. But a big part of a teacher’s grading reform work should also be helping other teachers to do the same. Few teachers, if any, receive any education on effective grading in their teacher preparation…
Like it or not, our schools are rapidly changing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When schools first closed in March, educators had little time to prepare for the precipitate transition to distance learning. Perhaps most challenging was the unknown: not knowing what effective distance learning instruction looks like, not knowing exactly how to do it,…
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Practical Classroom Solutions to Grading, Assessment, & Feedback 