In recent years, many school districts across the country have shifted to a grading system commonly called “grading for equity” or “equitable grading.”
Traditional grading is based on subject mastery and accuracy, with elements of behavior including class participation and turning in work on time. Grading for equity, however, as the name suggests, seeks to address “inequities” and “bias” in education. In doing so, it incorporates “accuracy” (a misleading term), “bias-resistance” and “motivation”, all of which arguably, supplant measurable outcomes and subject mastery under the guise of “equity”.
Under equitable grading rubrics, a student who misses classes, fails to turn in homework on time, and gets bad grades, may receive a grade similar to that of a classmate who hands in their homework and attends class if the teacher takes into account “bias” and “motivation.”
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Grading for Equity
What is grading for equity? Traditional grading is based on subject mastery and accuracy, with elements of behavior including class participation and turning in work on time. Grading for…
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Understanding Equitable Grading Jargon
Grading for equity, a concept popularized by consultant Joe Feldman, seeks to replace traditional grading concepts which use measurable inputs and outcomes, including class attendance and participation, test scores, and…
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Questions to Ask Your School about Grading for Equity
What is the school’s current grading policy? When did it last change? What prompted the change? Does it include any of the words “accuracy, motivation, and bias-resistance”? If so, describe what each…
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Back to School Checklist 2023-2024
It’s back to school time! We know you have a back-to-school checklist for supplies and forms, but do you have one for advocating for your rights in your child’s education?…
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Cracked Foundations
What is Cracked Foundations? In 2021, Parents Defending Education created the Consultant Report Card as a means to expose how tax dollars were being spent by school districts…
Investigations
Incidents
Fairfax County Public Schools provides teachers with training on “grading for equity”; explains that parents asking for data is “a lack of willingness to accept the narrative in the numbers”
A concerned community member provided Parents Defending Education with documents from a training course on equitable grading intended for teachers at Fairfax County Public Schools. The course and these documents…
Incidents
New Jersey Education Association hosts Nikole Hannah-Jones, David Hogg and Levar Burton as keynote speakers at convention; hosts “Drag Queen Story Hour” for children in attendance
The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) is an organization that is “open to any individual who is employed in a public school or college” and…
Incidents
Sage Ridge School partners with equity consultant “Challenge Success” to replace academic rigor with student wellness
On May 17, 2022, Sage Ridge School, an independent school for grades 3 through 12 in Reno, Nevada, hosted an information…
Incidents
Concord Academy celebrates its centennial with a school-wide “critical social justice” makeover
“As Concord Academy nears its 100th birthday, now proudly inclusive of all genders, the school also marks half a century as a coed institution.”…
Incidents
Oak Park River Forest High School seeks to implement “equitable grading;” denies that grading will be based on race
Oak Park River Forest High School is in the process of developing and implementing equitable grading practices throughout the district. District personnel, in internal communication, claim equitable grading is…
Incidents
Pinellas County Schools appears to support implementing “Critical Race Theory” into the school district along with the idea of “deconstructing whiteness”; tells teachers to keep the “sexual identity” of students a secret from parents
Pinellas County Schools promotes a “Bridging the Gap Plan” on the district’s website. The goal of the plan is “to close the achievement gap between black…
Incidents
Darien Public Schools budgets $45,000 for California-based diversity consultant who co-authored essay titled, “Grading is Capitalist, Racist, and Exploitative”
In November, 2021, the Darien Public School District in Connecticut announced plans to hire California-based diversity consultant, Ken Shelton, to conduct an equity audit and provide training for the district.
Incidents
Media
THE WASHINGTON FREE BEACON: Portland School District Workshops ‘Equitable Grading Practices’ That Outlaw Zeros for Cheating, Missing Work
All schools in Portland system are expected to implement the new guidelines by 2025…
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WASHINGTON EXAMINER: Fairfax trained teachers to disregard objections to ‘equity grading’
Teachers in Virginia’s Fairfax County Public Schools were required to undergo professional development training on equity grading that includes a slideshow on responding to people who oppose equity initiatives.
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