Secondary Grading Teacher Resources

If you have been honing equitable grading practices for a while, perhaps you will choose to skip this tab.  If you are still honing equitable grading practices, or grading that allows for recovery, this tab might help frame next steps.  Until new practices are established, changing grading practices may feel overwhelming.  It may feel like it is more work.  So as you get started it is suggested to keep a couple starting tips in mind.

Aim for change, not additions

If we think of recovery learning and equitable grading as in addition to other practices, it will always be more.  If we think of equitable grading as rethinking practices we then have to let go of some previous practices.  The promise of equitable grading as described by authors such as Joe Feldman, Grading for Equity, is based in finding new practices that are more professionally fulfilling, more empowering of teachers and students, and that prevent failure.  If you are really struggling to understand how equitable grading can be more efficient and fulfilling, consider reading Feldman's book as he synthesizes years of research on the mindsets and practices of Grading for Equity. 

Consider Tier 1 & Tier 2 practices

There is no equitable system where we do the SAME for every single student or situation.  There is no grade book formula or scheme that will capture the achievements of all students. To reach all students we need to consider Tier 1 and Tier 2 practices.

Tier 1	Tier 2
Universal: For ALL students	Targeted: Typically less than 20% of students need Tier 2 options and supports.
If more than 20 percent of students need recovery support or another grading practice, that is a Tier 1 challenge, consider a class-wide approach.  For example: if more than 20% would benefit from a retake, consider doing the retake in a regular class session.	What works for 80% may not work for or be enough for some students.  Consider more personalized or targeted supports.  For example, if a recovery plan is working for most, but the plan isn't working for a few students' achievement, consider applying another strategy for those who need an alternative approach so that their best learning is reflected in their grade.  The posted recovery options can be the Tier 1 recovery, but is not meant to limit your ability to add supports for the few exceptions.

 

Multiple opportunities is so much more than retakes!  Ideally a team's assessment plan provides teachers Tier 1 structures that provide all students with an opportunity to demonstrate mastery, receive feedback, and then have another opportunity to demonstrate mastery.  Additionally, some students will need more, so providing teachers with a tool-kit of strategies empowers teachers to meet individual learning needs.  Equitable grading combines clear, consistent practices AND professional judgement in support of student success.  Resource: CAST UDL Tips for Assessment

Note: to avoid grade inflation, it is critical that grading be criterion-referenced.  Clearly articulated success criteria should be used to assign grades, multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery should not undermine grade integrity. (see rubric tab below)

Here are examples of strategies, most currently used in Issaquah School District effectively.  

Formative - Summative / Stacked Assessments

This is the most common structure for assessment that can easily be adjusted to ensure multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery for ALL students (Tier 1 assessment plan).  In this structure students complete shorter assessments throughout the unit (quizzes or other mastery checks), by the end of the unit all key learning targets have been assessed at the expected depth of knowledge at least one time, and students have reflected on their performance and received feedback.  At the end of the unit the summative assessment is the second opportunity to demonstrate mastery, essentially combining all the shorter assessments into one test.  The key is that if the students perform highly on the assessment in an area where they scored lower on the previous assessment, the previous assessment is adjusted so that the assessment grade reflects the learning at the end of the unit.

Corrections and Error Analysis

For some assignments and assessments, student learning can be enhanced by having students correct errors and explain how they went wrong and how they came up with a better response.  UDL it: student could do corrections and error analysis in writing, on video, in person....  UDL Connection: 6.4, 9.3 

Accumulation of Evidence: Student led

Some skills and knowledge learning objectives are frequently used or revisited.  Setting up grading in a way that a student students know the missed skill or knowledge creates the opportunity to revisit work that demonstrates mastery of the skill or knowledge later.  The student would have the opportunity to come back and state their case showing the teacher how they persisted and eventually learned and used the skill or knowledge in future work.  If they can show their work the teacher would amend the past grade. UDL Connection: 6.2

Accumulation on Evidence: Teacher driven

In this case the teacher has a clear description of skills and knowledge look-fors or success criteria.  Knowing that learning objectives are frequently used or revisited the teacher lets students know (for example) that ...
A) If you complete your classwork / homework at 90% or above
B) If you are within 2% of the next grade
C) I (the teacher) will look at your body of work to see if you demonstrated that you eventually acquired the skills and knowledge from earlier in the semester as applied in work later in the semester, and then...
D) Will adjust prior test scores final course grade so your grade reflects your accumulation of skills and knowledge by the end of the semester.  UDL Connection: 8.4

Trend Grading

Much of what students learn builds on itself.  Even if specific missed skills are not retested, in some cases, if students score better over the course of the semester it may indicate that earlier learning was recovered and the student eventually reached a higher level of mastery of skills and knowledge.  Teacher may consider, for student within a couple points of a grading cut score, whether an upward trend in assignment and test scores merits a grade adjustment.

Pre-Takes

Often teachers schedule a few days of review at the end of a unit.  In this model, the multiple opportunities on the summative assessment is baked in.  Steps include:

1. First day of review is a pre-take assessment (under the same conditions as the unit assessment)
2. After taking the test, students mark whether they want to submit it as a first-take
3. Teacher only scores/grades those submitted as first-takes
4. Day 2 the pre-take is reviewed and corrected in class for review
5. Day 3, the second take is completed by all (though some may already have earned their targeted grade and won't need take the test - so can work on alternative assignments, next steps, ...)

Those who have used some version of pre-takes report less test anxiety and often less work than re-takes.

Re-Takes (with conditions)

Using flex time or other arrangements, students may request a re-take or resubmission of a project.  Commonly students may be required to show they have completed formative work and homework, and may even need to attend a tutoring session to ensure re-learning has occurred, before being allowed to re-take a test.

Spiral Assessments

Especially effective when more than a few students miss a key idea from an early assessment, future assessments can be designed to circle back on earlier ideas.  Teachers can use portion to determine if some needing recovery have earned a higher grade on previous assessments.  For other students, spiral assessments encourages retention of key learning outcomes.

Follow-up Mastery Checks

Much like Spiral Assessments, adding in some mastery check quizzes on skills or content where either students need recovery, and/or to encourage retention can be an effective way to provide multiple opportunities for demonstrating mastery.

Mid-Term Summative Learning Check 

To avoid re-learning going on too long, provide a quarter final (summative assessment at the end of the quarter) used to check on learning mastery in areas previously assessed.  

Final Exam as Final Mastery Check

A growing practice in ISD is to use the final exam as a final mastery check option.  In this scenario, the final is a no-penalty experience where students are given a chance to demonstrate a higher level of mastery to earn a higher grade.

Performance Task with Near-Final Draft (UDL best practice!)

Whether it is a single task or a range of tasks from which a student can choose, assessment by performance task (paper, presentation, blog, ....) offers multiple means of expression.  By setting due dates for steps along the way the task can be scaffolded and feedback used to help keep students on track.  Near the deadline the student can submit their near-final draft, reflecting on the rubric or success criteria used for grading.  The teacher can provide final feedback and an assessment of what grade the student would get if they turned it in as-is.  Then the final submission IS the opportunity for recovery, based on the near-final feedback. UDL Connection: 8.4

Academic Contract

There are many academic contracts used in the ISD.  In this case it refers to the clear written plan between student and teacher where the student determines the target grade (as high as an A) and the student and teacher agree on an a plan to reach that grade.  This is primarily used when it is clear that what is working for most, is not working for this particular student.

Mastery Gradebook

See below how some teachers in ISD have been piloting the Mastery Gradebook.

Do you have another option you would like to see added to this list? 

Share your best thinking by completing this form (Click Here). 

 

Our policy is to provide multiple opportunities to achieve mastery.  So, what is Mastery?  Below is one example of a progression toward mastery. 

Progression toward Mastery

Level of Mastery

	Description (examples - may vary by level of content / course expectations)
Mastery	With little to no additional teacher support, accurately (ex: 90% accuracy or better) demonstrates (1) conceptual understanding in detail and with clear real-world examples, (2) procedural knowledge and skills, (3) application or transfer of learning to new contexts, and (4) ability to show reasoning and/or engage in discourse consistent with the depth of knowledge (DoK) described in the standards and/or course learning goals.
Partial Mastery	Demonstrates more than proficiency, but not yet demonstrating mastery.
Proficiency	Per the standards and goals associated with the course, the student... Demonstrates understanding of key or core concepts and procedures in at least general terms Can apply understanding to real-world problems Can engage in reasoning /discourse Qualifications:  The student is typically accurate with lower DoK tasks while less accurate or demonstrating misconceptions in higher DoK tasks.  Student work may include minor errors (ex: accuracy errors rather than core concept errors), may include some major / conceptual errors, &/or may rely on additional teacher scaffolds or prompts, while meeting the criteria above
Basic Understanding	Demonstrates a general understanding of core concepts and procedures.  Student work indicates the significant gaps, or errors with concepts, procedures/processes, applications, and reasoning tasks.   Student has difficulty describing their reasoning, engaging in reflection.
Below Basic	Demonstrates little to no understanding of concepts, skills, applications or reasoning.

 

How students demonstrate mastery: A student demonstrates mastery through authentic expressions of knowledge, skill, reasoning, and application.  Learners differ in the ways they express what they know. [CAST UDL].  Mastery is best measured through multiple means of expression.  Mastery is not synonymous with performance on a test. A single test or task will not provide all students the opportunity they need to authentically express mastery or leveraging their personal strengths and cultural assets. 

 

What is meant by Multiple Opportunities

Multiple opportunities implies the use of effective, action-oriented feedback to engage in re-learning and at least 1 opportunity to demonstrate mastery after re-learning. There are many ways that this cycle of try-reflect-try again can play out in formative and summative work. 

This feedback loop can be broken down into 4 steps.

1. A first opportunity to learn, then demonstrate Mastery.  The student was given the opportunity to take part in the instruction and complete the first attempt at an independent task or assessment.
2. Action-oriented Feedback [CAST description]. The student receives feedback on their errors and what they need to do to correct the errors.  This could include teacher notes, use of a rubric, a whole-class test review, or other written or verbal strategies.  Actionable feedback is considered one of the teaching strategies with the highest impact-size in research [Impact size = 1.01].
3. Opportunity for re-learning or finishing learning. The student is given time and/or resources to reflect on their errors and study or receive support in order to learn the skills and knowledge needed to complete the task accurately and independently.  In literature on grading, some recommend that re-learning or completion of missing work be integrated in class time or to find a way to require the second opportunity, when-ever possible, to remove barriers for students.
4. Opportunity to demonstrate re-learning. Only after feedback and re-learning does a student have a genuine opportunity for demonstrate their full learning.  Consider, in selecting the opportunity, learner variability AND consider only having the student demonstrate re-learning in the areas below mastery on the first opportunity rather than the entire original task.  Save time and energy for you and the student!

FAQ: Do I give one opportunity for recovery or multiple opportunities for recovery?

That is a teacher decision.  In an MoU with IEA for the 2024-25 school year, it states:

Secondary educators will offer recovery opportunities for grades below 80% on coursework that substantially impacts the student’s course grade. Educators will use their professional judgment and equitable practices to determine what coursework substantially impacts the student’s overall grade that is recorded on transcripts. These opportunities may have conditions that include but are not limited to time-bounded, initial test corrections, reflection assignment, complete missed unit homework.

On such an assignment, a student may earn up to 80% of the assignment’s original value.

Educators may offer students recovery opportunities if they score 80% or higher on work that substantially impacts their grades as well.  In pursuit of our district goals, we encourage our educators, in collaboration with the student’s caregivers, to promote student participation in recovery opportunities if they are at risk of failing a course and/or represent a group from our district’s disproportionality data.

 

The Learning Mastery Gradebook is a version of a Canvas gradebook that focuses on outcome standards. Teachers will import outcomes (standards) into their course and attach these to assignments via rubrics or to quizzes. ​

Teachers are then able to view their gradebooks in the traditional assignment view or in the Learning Mastery view which provides an overview of student scores by outcome.  In this way, a teacher can monitor how students have demonstrated mastery for each standard they are monitoring.

Click here for access to a PowerPoint with more information.  Please contact your TLS Educational Technology TOSA if you are interested in support in using the Learning Mastery Gradebook.

 

In ISD we sometimes talk about one aspect of the work at a time, referencing research or priorities such as...

• Universal Design for Learning
• Equitable Grading
• Inclusion
• Culturally Responsive Education
• Student Growth Goals
• High Leverage Practices
• Trauma Informed Practices

If we treat these as unique, separate bodies of work, we will quickly be overwhelmed.  In reality, all these aspects of the work of teaching are built on decades of educational research and high impact practices.  Each may highlight certain aspects or draw attention to specific needs.  So how do all these bodies of work fit together?

All seek to proactively plan for LEARNER VARIABILITY.

Each start with the jagged learner profile, and the understanding that we have predictable variability around which we can plan. Each student brings unique strengths, assets, needs, styles, interests and aptitudes to their learning experience.  Students are not one-size and neither is learning. CRE highlights cultural and linguistic diversity.  Inclusion focuses on neurodiversity.

All are ASSET-BASED.

Each sees variability as leading with assets.  To know students' strengths and their cultural, social, and cognitive assets creates opportunities to leverage assets for learning and engagement.

All set STUDENT AGENCY AND PATHWAY at the center of our purpose in education.

UDL provides a framework of research-based practices that help students become expert learners. Inclusionary practices encourage structures, systems and practices that empower neurodiverse students to learn at their best, with their peers. Culturally Responsive Education empowers students to embrace their identity and connect it to learning.  Student Growth Goals focuses on processes for students to set, own, and achieve their learning goals.  Each of these bodies of work are meant to support students in their goals for themselves, and empower teachers to support student along the way.

There are many other common themes in these practices that support equitable outcomes.  The point is, they are deeply interwoven.  A universally designed learning classroom will naturally focus on actionable feedback, which insists leads to multiple opportunities to demonstrate high levels of learning, or mastery.  For a classroom to be inclusive, it requires UDL practices and equitable grading.  Nearly every equitable grading practice is linked to a UDL strategy, or an inclusionary practice, or to Culturally Responsive Education.  

These practices are more the same, than different.