Ep 18 | California’s Grading Wars: Grade Inflation, Mastery-Based Grading, and the Future of School Grades

Today's story is about a question schools don't ask out loud enough: What is a grade actually supposed to mean?

We're looking at two connected developments out of California—one focused on grade inflation and the incentives driving it, and another focused on grading reform that's spreading across high-performing districts, even when they avoid naming it directly.

• Don’t blame California’s teachers for inflated grades. Look at school officials (CalMatters, 1/16/26)
• Why some top schools in the Bay Area are rebranding a controversial grading system (SFChronicle, 1/16/26)

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