At a March 12 School Board meeting, staff proposed that the division continue its current grading policy for another five years without changes. Since the division’s shift in focus to an “equitable grading” approach five years ago, questions about its effectiveness have sparked significant debate among Albemarle teachers and families, but the board’s sole voiced concern has been whether the policy is being implemented consistently across teachers and classes. New board member Jim Dillenbeck (Rio) was the lone member to suggest a more substantive review.
“In talking to a number of veteran teachers,” said Dillenbeck, “they have some pretty serious concerns about the unintended consequences of, for example, the [test] retake policy, which in their opinion creates a lot of work for them and doesn’t really address the underlying issues. Will we have an opportunity to discuss what we’re hearing from parents and teachers regarding the specifics of the policy?” The board subsequently pulled the policy approval from the Consent Agenda for further review.
Policy vs. Practice
The grading policy itself is short and nonspecific, asserting that grading practices will be “accurate,” “supportive of student learning,” and “consistent.” The day-to-day requirements for teachers are outlined in a set of grading guidelines developed by school division staff during the pandemic years. The guidelines are based on a concept of “equitable grading” popularized by education consultants such as Ken O’Connor and Joe Feldman, whose work was largely the basis of a “white paper” that supports current practice in Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS).
These advisors assert that inconsistent and inequitable grading practices inhibit student learning, and they encourage school districts to adopt strategies such as these to align grades with achievement:
- No grading of homework or practice work, and no awarding of extra credit;
- No grade of zero for work that is not turned in—instead award 50% of total points so that the impact of a zero is reduced;
- No penalties for late or incomplete work, and no points given for class participation, attendance, preparedness, or classroom behavior;
- Allow multiple retakes of tests and other assessments throughout the semester;
- Collect multiple pieces of student data to show learning, and use only individual achievement evidence (not group work grades).
These strategies were adopted by ACPS five years ago, and the policy is currently overseen by Director of Professional Learning Megan Wood, who supports the continuation of its grading practices largely “as is” with a new committee to enforce its use by teachers. Wood noted at the board meeting that the homework rule has been recently modified so that homework can count for up to 10% of final grades…