Let's Talk About Grades & Grading

As educators, it is our responsibility to create safe, inclusive, and equitable teaching, learning, assessing, and grading systems. In order to achieve this, we must shift our thinking and adopt new mindsets that prioritize student growth and 21st century values. We also need to develop a deep understanding of the systemic barriers that impact academic performance and achievement. 

Equitable grading practices require a fundamental shift in the culture of grading and how we perceive our roles within the education system.  To achieve this we must critically evaluate our policies, procedures, and practices for alignment with 21st century educational values.  Shifting the culture of grading involves broadening our perspectives, dismantling harmful beliefs and inequitable practices that disproportionately affect our marginalized and vulnerable students hindering their educational advancement. 

Much of the initial work towards equitable systems of grading centers around examining our own belief systems and reflecting upon how our beliefs about students’ abilities, potential, and with impact the learning environment and our ability to create a safe and equitable space for student learning. By examining and challenging our own beliefs, we can ensure that our practices are bias resistant, and promote equitable outcomes for all students. 

In this section of the toolkit, we will examine mindset shifts necessary to transform our teaching, learning, assessing, and grading systems and to challenge traditional norms and assumptions within our educational system.  We hope our Tools to Support Developing Equitable Grading Mindsets will help you question long-standing ways of thinking and practices that perpetuate inequities and create barriers for students’ learning, shift to a culture of learning, and empower students to develop a sense of ownership and responsibility for their academic growth. 

Coming Soon!