Author: Josh Kunnath

I am a high school English teacher and department chair at Highland High School in Bakersfield, California, where I have taught since 2008. I also serve as editor of Journal of School Administration Research and Development (JSARD.org). As a practitioner-researcher, my areas of interest and expertise include teacher grading and assessment practices, teacher and student feedback practices, equity in education, and literacy.
communication, grading reform

Communicating Grading Reform Practices and Policies With Parents

Josh Kunnath

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… Continue reading Communicating Grading Reform Practices and Policies With Parents

grading reform

10 Common Grading Concerns And Answers

Josh Kunnath

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… Continue reading 10 Common Grading Concerns And Answers

grading reform

Purposeful Grading Reform: Beginning with a Purpose Statement

Josh Kunnath

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… Continue reading Purposeful Grading Reform: Beginning with a Purpose Statement

grading reform

Helping Teachers to Begin Grading Reform: A Staff-wide Grading Email

Josh Kunnath

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… Continue reading Helping Teachers to Begin Grading Reform: A Staff-wide Grading Email

curriculum, distance learning, instruction

Planning Ahead to Keep Up With the Rapid Evolution of School

Josh Kunnath

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,… Continue reading Planning Ahead to Keep Up With the Rapid Evolution of School

distance learning, grading reform

Motivating Students Without Grades

Josh Kunnath

Image by Gerd Altmann As distance learning continues around the country, teachers may find themselves grappling with the topic of student motivation. Bereft of the traditional tools and strategies commonly used to motivate students in face-to-face instruction, teachers may feel powerless to teach any student other than the most motivated. And for many, the biggest… Continue reading Motivating Students Without Grades

distance learning

Some Criticisms of Distance Learning Packets

Josh Kunnath

I’ve been openly critical of the packets that school districts around the country have assigned en masse as a part of their COVID-19 response plans. So I’d like to provide context for these criticisms. I'd also like to point out that these criticisms are meant to push our schools to continue to do more to serve… Continue reading Some Criticisms of Distance Learning Packets