Struggling With CBH (Cart Before Horse) - What’s in a Grade?

One challenge for principals leading the learning in a standards-based school is ensuring parents are informed and understand how well their child is progressing. Likewise, to remain motivated and focused on learning, students need to consistently receive feedback on how they are doing in class. One way teachers give feedback and report student progress is through grades. Parents and students understand the school’s grading scale. What remains unclear to students, parents and some teachers’ is the purpose of a grade or what a grade represents.

Annually, teachers are asked to develop a classroom grading system that “reflects their best judgment” of a student’s academic performance for the subjects they teach and share the grade with the students and parents. Because there is no common agreement on the purpose of a grade or a standard for teachers to compare their invented grading systems with (peers, set of criteria, rubric, or commercial set of standards) multiple grading systems can be found in any given subject offered at a school. This inconsistency of grading systems confuses and frustrates students and parents while at the same time it presents a challenge for school leaders when a student’s academic performance comes into question.
 
Developing a grading system without understanding the purpose of a grade is a case of putting the cart before the horse. One way to guide educators to come to a consensus about the purpose of a grade is for principals to facilitate discussions on the best practices for grading. There should be open discussions on the methods and philosophy regarding grading practices. Once teachers understand the purpose regarding grading practices, this will create a meaningful grading system that is aligned to teaching, learning, and one that guides instruction.