Standard-Based Grading, Revisited

PUSD administrators and teachers shared a presentation on implementing equitable grading practices with the Piedmont Board of Education on March 22. 

According to a Board of Education memorandum issued on March 22, a small group of teachers at PHS were inspired to try new grading strategies last year after reading Grading for Equity by Joe Feldman. 

Teachers had been expressing concern about student stress due to grading practices for several years prior.

“Grading for Equity”’ establishes three pillars for a successful grading system, according to the Equitable Grading Practices slides presented during the meeting.  The book claims a successful and equitable grading system must be accurate, bias resistant, and motivational. 

More recently, the contents of “Grading for Equity” have been discussed by PHS teachers schoolwide during staff meetings. 

Many of these discussions have centered around the idea of removing the punishment of zeros for missing work. 

“[The book] has been kind of a backdrop for the conversations we’ve been having around grading,” math department chairperson Dr. John Hayden said. 

During the Board of Education meeting, Assistant Superintendent Cheryl Wozniak reminded listeners that California State Education Code § 49066 prohibits the school board and school administrators from forcing teachers to use a certain grading policy. 

Instead, teachers have total authority to determine a student’s grades however they wish, as long as no wrongdoing, such as fraud, is involved. 

“It’s not that the district is imposing a pilot or that we’re trying and enforcing [equitable grading practices],” Wozniak said. “We have teachers who are taking these steps, and we do want to support them in doing so.”

PHS teachers listened to PMS teachers discuss the changes that are being used at the middle school at their April 5 staff meeting.  

Junior and student board member Siddharth Bhatia said that the Board of Education has neither the plans nor the ability to impose a school-wide mandate of any grading strategy. Bhatia said that the Board of Education had some concerns about the presented strategies. 

“Ultimately the consensus [from anonymous student comments] was that this program definitely needs more development before it’s viable. Nobody really likes it in its current form,” Bhatia said.

During the meeting’s allotted public comment time, several community members expressed frustration with the equitable grading strategies presented. 

Freshman Luka Pena, who is currently taking a math course with standards-based grading, was among those who spoke.

“I just wanted to make it clear that, so far at least, the system is not working as intended and is only increasing the stress that students are having,” Pena said. 

In May, PHS will host an informational session for families on equitable grading practices. More information will follow as the event approaches.