Superintendents and teachers should recommit to grading accurately and fairly. New research warns that grades often don’t align with a student’s standardized test performance.
That’s according to a new study from the Equitable Grading Project, a nonprofit research organization that advocates for fair grading practices. While administrators can be quick to implement new curricula and or professional learning based on research, most districts continue to leverage practices that date back to the Industrial Revolution, according to the report.
These outdated practices often result in inaccurate results. The grades students receive don’t accurately reflect what they’ve learned, and they’re impacting big decisions about their future.
The study of nearly 33,000 grades in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years found that nearly 60% of students’ teacher-assigned grades did not match their standardized test scores. Two-thirds of inaccurate grades were “inflated,” meaning they were higher than their test scores. This occurred more frequently for Black and Hispanic students, as well as those whose families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
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Another one-third of those grades were “depressed,” meaning their grades were lower than students’ knowledge of the course content as measured by the standardized tests. This occurred more evenly across all student populations.
“Even if we acknowledge that test scores are not the perfect measure of knowledge for some students—whether because of the limitations of the test design or because students may have test anxiety or simply had an off-day—that cannot explain away that 60% of the teacher-assigned grades were inaccurate,” the report reads.
How to improve grading
The good news here is that administrators can begin instilling better practices in their teacher workforce. Here’s what the researchers recommend:
- Leaders must start by addressing the knowledge gap among teachers: Teachers must learn to use grading practices that are more equitable and motivating. Leaders can plan a multi-year effort to educate school board members, students and parents about updates to district and school policy regulations and adjustments to grading software and student information systems.
- Leaders need research that analyzes the impact of improved practices: What was not included in this study was significant qualitative data, testimonials or experiences of educators who used improved grading practices. Voices of teachers and students, including those who have often received low grades in school, are important to guiding improved grading practices.
