Grading for Equity

What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Transform Schools and Classrooms

By: Joe Feldman

Narrated by: Jason Klamm

Length: 10 hrs

Publisher's Summary

Crack open the grading conversation!

Here at last - and none too soon - is a resource that delivers the research base, tools, and courage to tackle one of the most challenging and emotionally charged conversations in today’s schools: our inconsistent grading practices and the ways they can inadvertently perpetuate the achievement and opportunity gaps among our students.

With Grading for Equity, Joe Feldman cuts to the core of the conversation, revealing how grading practices that are accurate, bias-resistant, and motivational will improve learning, minimize grade inflation, reduce failure rates, and become a lever for creating stronger teacher-student relationships and more caring classrooms. 

Essential listening for schoolwide and individual book study or for student advocates, Grading for Equity provides:

• A critical historical backdrop, describing how our inherited system of grading was originally set up as a sorting mechanism to provide or deny opportunity, control students, and endorse a "fixed mind-set" about students’ academic potential - practices that are still in place a century later
• A summary of the research on motivation and equitable teaching and learning, establishing a rock-solid foundation and a "true north" orientation toward equitable grading practices
• Specific grading practices that are more equitable, along with teacher examples, strategies to solve common hiccups and concerns, and evidence of effectiveness
• Reflection tools for facilitating individual or group engagement and understanding

As Joe writes, "Grading practices are a mirror not just for students, but for us as their teachers." Each one of us should start by asking, "What do my grading practices say about who I am and what I believe?" Then, let’s make the choice to do things differently with Grading for Equity as a reference.

©2019 Corwin (P)2021 Corwin

Fabulous food for thought

All teachers ought to give this a read and interrogate their long held beliefs. There are abundant worthwhile ideas and the concrete examples are helpful.

Pushes equity at the expense of equality

Grading for Equity has several good ideas many of which are already in widespread use. But the reader must see through the imbalanced equity agenda and ignore the incorrect handling of grading scales. He oversells the idea that traditional grading systems are “antiquated” in order to justify lowering the bar. He overly deprecates extrinsic motivation which would penalize some types of learners. This book will help teachers that are too strict or too haphazard in their grading to become more equitable, but it is not a panacea. While the narrator speaks clearly and is easy to understand the delivery at times lacks enthusiasm and is tinged with a little bit of condescension, but perhaps that accurately portrays the author's work.

Relevant and Accessible

This book makes the case for transparent, logical grading practices that make sense. Read it!

Changed my grading after 12 yrs in profession

I can be better. I can serve my students better, and represent them better. This book has great ideas on how to do just that.

Enlightening

This book has helped me put to words my philosophy on grading and teaching and how to represent that in the grade book. Self reflection and an open are needed when reading.

Insightful, Well-Researched

This book pulls together research on grading and homework and debunks the assessment habits that many teachers cling to. The book lays a foundation for why and how to grade accurately, without bias, and with learning as the motivator for both the student and teacher. As an educator, I found the message inspiring and frustrating. It is difficult to do what Fledman prescribes in fidelity because the grading constraints of schools, districts, and universities are undermining. That being said, the book outlines a clear path to make positive changes that teachers can implement regardless of the confining policies beyond their classrooms.

If you’ve ever thought a students grade didn’t represent their knowledge, you must read this book

You can’t read this book and not rethink your grading practices as a teacher. It is very thought provoking. If your school is considering making the shift from traditional to standards based grading this would be a great jumping off point to gain support.
It is geared mainly for middle school and high school but as 3rd grade teacher I feel there is a lot that I can implement into my classroom. This book has changed my thinking on several of my grading practices that I have never questioned before.

why do we grade

this book ties the grading conversation together and gives me lots of arguments to move this conversation forward in my children's school and district

Riveting and Revealing

I found myself doing a lot of reflection while reading this book. It was riveting in that it made so much sense and revealing in how the current grading system used was so inequitable.