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GRADING for Impact

Our Approach to Grading Actions

Grading Actions Must Align With Research

Grading practices far too often misalign with research and vary significantly between classrooms, sending mixed messages to students. While we often encourage to be curious and take risks, most grading systems frequently reward compliance and completion, punishing those who stray from predetermined paths. This creates a frustrating environment where students must continually adapt to new grading expectations, sometimes even within the same day. Such inconsistency undermines teachers’ efforts to provide meaningful instruction and assessment, hindering their ability to positively impact student learning and development. Ultimately, a more coherent and supportive grading system is needed to align with educational goals and foster student engagement.

Grading For Impact©

Grading for Impact© is a research-driven framework designed to aligned high yield instruction and assessment strategies with grading practices. The framework prioritizes monitoring grading and feedback to ensure they effectively boost student learning and encourage desired learner behaviors, empowering actions that enhance truthfulness and consistency.

Read More About Each Element of the Framework

Unfortunately, many schools neglect professional development related to grading, as they juggle numerous competing priorities. Often grading professional development produces minimal gains, falling short due to two main reasons:

  • Focuses on policies and which actions don’t align rather than genuine professional learning
  • Development tends to focus on superficial adjustments rather than evidence-based, adaptable practices

Professional Development for Grading for Impact©

Transform your grading and assessment practices into powerful tools for student success When we implement a grading system that prioritizes completion and compliance and penalizes students who take risks, we disrupt the learning journey—not further it. It’s time to align how we grade with what we know from research works best and help move learning forward for all students.

 

In our new book Grading Visible Learners we introduce the Assignment / Task Grading Matrix©. The instrument guide teachers and PLC teams when considering and student task how it will impact their grade and more importantly student learning

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“Dave’s approach to grading practices has revolutionized the way we assess and communicate student learning. His workshops on standards-based grading provided our team with a clear framework to evaluate student performance against specific learning objectives. Through his tailored support, we learned to prioritize formative assessments and meaningful feedback, which have significantly improved student outcomes. Parents have noticed the change as well, reporting clearer understanding of their child’s progress. We’re grateful for Dave’s ability to simplify complex concepts and create a supportive environment for professional growth. His insights are invaluable for any team looking to refine their grading practices.”

Krista Thomsen
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Lancaster School District, CA
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“This book has revolutionized our approach to grading! Through Visible Learning, we learned to connect assessment to student progress. Our educators now see grading as a pathway for success, rather than a roadblock in the learning journey! It truly adds clarity to grading!”

Patrick Peters
Principal
Diamond Valley Elementary School, CA. Former Principal, Silver Stage HS. NV.
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“Grading Visible Learners is a Game Changer! We had done so many great things through our visible learning work…but grading was always the flat tire that slowed us down. NOW my teachers feel empowered to ensure grading supports our visible learning journey!”

O’Shean Moran
Director of Professional Development, Billings Public Schools, MT
Former Principal Castle Rock Middle School--Visible Learning Accredited School

SI2TE Model for Supporting Equitable Grading

We believe that grading, as a form of feedback, should align with the goal of supporting all students in their growth and development as learners within an equitable environment. This requires accurately assessing student progress to meet each learner where they are in their educational journey.

Schools, teams, and individual teachers can use the SI2TE model Framework when determining grading actions and approaches to increase student academic performance as well as cultivate desired learner traits.

Element Brief Description
Support Students must feel supported in taking risks in their learning leading to confidence they can overcome challenges they face in their learning journey.
Intervention Teachers and collaborative teams do not wait when they notice student(s) struggling in their learning. Systems are in place both at the school and classroom levels to be decisive in instructional moves and approaches to intervene and adjust to student learning needs.
Incentive Teachers develop systems of actions to incentivize students towards achievement and desired behaviors vs. a system of consequences. This is different from rewards in that adult actions focus on deepening student motivation for a fuller understanding of topics and content.
T-I-M-E Teachers and collaborative teams always view time as the variable and learning as the constant. Progress and growth are always primary drivers vs. focusing on achievement goals that their merit is based primarily in how fast they were reached!
Evidence Teachers and collaborative teams are relentless in their pursuit of supporting students in their next steps of learning. This requires making adjustments in assessment strategies and tools to ensure the best and most accurate evidence of student learning is the focus of student work and performance expectations.

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