What is accurate and equitable grading?

Equitable grading is a highly effective yet underutilized strategy that is proven to improve student grades and minimize grading biases. In this practice, districts remove non-academic performance from final grades so that GPAs only reflect learning mastery.

What is the meaning of equitable grading?

Equitable grading means accurately describing their achievement and channeling empathy for students—not into reduced expectations but through actions that truly improve their learning: additional supports, relevant and engaging curriculum and instruction, and multiple pathways to access and demonstrate learning.

What are the three pillars of equitable grading?

Pillars of Equitable Grading Defined

Feldman then introduced what he called the three pillars of equitable grading: accuracy, bias-resistance, and intrinsic motivation.

How do I make my grading more equitable?

By contrast, more equitable grading practice looks like: Mathematical approach; instead of using a 100 point scale, using a 0-4 grading scale instead; avoid giving them a zero score. Recent student's grades should carry more weightage than averaging performance over time in the final grade in their report cards.

Why is standards based grading more equitable?

Supporters of standards-based grading often cite that it is more responsive to learning. Teachers present base materials for each new target skill and provide feedback, reteach, and offer quiz and test retakes in order to help students achieve mastery. Standards-based grading is almost entirely based on assessments.

Effective and Equitable Grading with Joe Feldman

What is an example of equity grading?

Under equitable grading rubrics, a student who misses classes, fails to turn in homework on time, and gets bad grades, may receive a grade similar to that of a classmate who hands in their homework and attends class if the teacher takes into account “bias” and “motivation”.

What are some equitable grading practices?

Which type of students does equitable grading benefit?

Schools in Iowa, Virginia and California have started adopting the new policy. Proponents have said this will help students who have challenges outside school, while critics have said students can take advantage of the system.

What are the four pillars of equitable grading?

Equitable grading has three pillars: accuracy, bias-resistance, and intrinsic motivation. Grades must accurately reflect only a student's academic level of performance, exclude nonacademic criteria (such as behavior), and use mathematically sound calculations and scales, such as the 0–4 instead of the 0–100 scale.

How is equitable grading different from traditional grading?

Equitable grading practices separate the behavior from the assessment of knowledge. These practices emphasize the belief that all students can learn and meet learning targets. According to experts, traditional grading with the well-known bell curve and 100-point scale is inherently inequitable.

What are the benefits of equitable grading?

Equitable grading helps keep student evaluations and scoring more objective and less prone to unconscious biases. For example, teachers may unintentionally let non-academic factors-like student behavior or whether a student showed up to virtual class-interfere with their final evaluation of students.

Is the grading system fair?

Traditional grading is confusing and inaccurate

But my research has found that it's very rare that all teachers in a district, or even a school or a grade level, use the same grading policies and procedures. The variation among teachers' grading policies and practices causes confusion for students and their parents.

What is an equitable curriculum?

Being equitable means acknowledging and addressing structural inequalities — historic and current — that advantage some and disadvantage others and providing access to resources for success. ( Source: UIowa) Inclusion is an outcome to ensure that students of diverse backgrounds are treated fairly and respectfully.

Is standards based grading equitable?

Standards-based grading systems that do not simply translate a B into a 3, but accurately capture student learning across concepts and skills, promote equity and fairness in schools.

What is equitable quality?

Equitable: Providing care that does not vary in quality because of personal characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, geographic location, and socioeconomic status.

Is extra credit equitable?

Additionally, because equitable grades do not include behaviors and extra credit, grade inflation is also reduced, particularly for more privileged students.

What is the 4 pillar method?

What are the criteria for an equitable school?

The equitable school: 1. Has a clear mission that is committed to equitable access, processes, treatment, and outcomes for all students, regardless of race/ethnicity, gender, English Learners, disability status, gender identity/sexual orientation or socioeconomic status.

What does an equitable math classroom look like?

What does equitable math instruction look like in the classroom? Equitable math instruction is the simple understanding that students and communities come from different backgrounds and may have different ways of being and thinking, even in math. Math problems, of course, have correct answers.

What is equitable use in the classroom?

In the context of education, equity can be defined as ensuring each student “receives what they need to develop to their full academic and social potential (National Equity Project, 2022).” Access… is tied to the social organization of participation, even to belonging.

Why 2 districts say moving to equitable grading gives students more hope?

A shift to a more equitable grading in Nothern California is reducing students' fear of failure and, proponent says, providing a clearer picture of the specific skills students have mastered.

What are examples of equitable practices?

Equality: Providing equal support to all students. For example, this support could include the same guided instruction, scaffolded materials or additional time to complete an assignment. Equity: Providing unique support according to individual needs, through a process called differentiation.

What strategies could a teacher use to make graded assessments more fair and equitable?

How do you create a fair and equitable classroom?

What does equity look like in the classroom?

Providing equity in the classroom requires considering each learner's needs. Some students may require individualized supports to help overcome their own specific barriers to learning, such as socio-economic status, access to resources, systemic racism, or neurodiverse learning styles.