The primary goal within K-12 classrooms is to help students achieve mastery of intended learning outcomes. To that end, effective grading reinforces a learning-centered classroom, ensuring students’ grades are directly aligned to that learning.
It’s true that grades aren’t at all needed for learning to occur in the classroom, but effective grading, at the very least, shouldn’t hinder or distract from the learning focus of the classroom. However, many traditional grading practices do just that (more on this in the future).
Therefore, learning-centered grading is about using grading practices that make grades exclusively about learning and ensuring practices support this focus rather than distract from it.
I’ve identified the primary purpose of the following nine grading practices as focus on learning. Please see the resources for each practice for a better understanding (many of which I’m currently developing/revising).
Unpack & Prioritize Standards
Blog post (coming soon)
Video (coming soon)
Slides (coming soon)
Develop & Use Learning Progressions
Blog post (coming soon)
Video (coming soon)
Slides (coming soon)
Use Standards-based Grading
Blog post (coming soon)
Video (coming soon)
Slides (coming soon)
Eliminate the Use of Points
Blog post (coming soon)
Video (coming soon)
Slides (coming soon)
Eliminate Late Penalties
Blog post (coming soon)
Video (coming soon)
Slides (coming soon)
Eliminate Cheating & Plagiarism Penalties
Blog post (coming soon)
Video (coming soon)
Slides (coming soon)
Eliminate Effort Grades
Blog post (coming soon)
Video (coming soon)
Slides (coming soon)
Enable Students to Track Their Own Learning
Blog post (coming soon)
Video (coming soon)
Slides (coming soon)
Create a Reassessment System
Blog post (coming soon)
Video (coming soon)
Practical Classroom Solutions to Grading, Assessment, & Feedback 