Are grading practices identical among teachers and schools in the largest high school district in Illinois?  No – but the first steps are being taken in Township High School District 211, which includes Palatine and Fremd high schools, to define and reflect upon effective grading practices. 

District 211 Superintendent Nancy Robb admits teachers have a huge amount of latitude in how they grade their students – and it is more inconsistent than it is consistent within the district. A grading committee was established earlier this year to explore the issue of grades and presented its initial findings at the April 14 Board of Education meeting. 

Pointing to Ken O’Connor’s A Repair Kit for Grading: 15 Fixes for Broken Grades, committee leaders explained how it addresses the 15 problem areas in which a majority of educators grade students and provides them with proactive solutions.  They then put together a framework for District 211 teachers to reflect on how it fits with how they grade their students.

What types of grade fixes could be in store for students?

Whether homework should count toward a grade is one. Teachers are advised not to use information from formative assessments and practice to determine grades.  Only summative evidence such as tests and quizzes should be reflected in the grade.

That makes sense – especially if homework is not checked for accuracy but rather just completion? Is it indicative of what that student knows? Or is the resulting quiz or test more accurate?  

Are we doing kids a disservice by boosting their grades for routinely completing homework or for perfect attendance? Does it give a false sense of accomplishment and an inflated grade point average?

On the other hand, should students be penalized with a zero if they do not complete assignments? Does it pull down the grade so significantly that it no longer represents the true achievement of the student? 

Obviously many questions are being raised and will continue to be raised as this issue moves forward. A subcommittee is in the works to look at more specific target areas.  

Those areas include how final semester grades are calculated, dealing with incomplete or late work, and possibly a dual grading system. One grade measured by the standard that would be used to determine grade point average (GPA) and another to reflect behavior performance. 

Change tends to occur slowly in education. Sometimes that is good. 

As District 211 teacher union president Jason Spoor said that evening “if we are going to talk about this (grades), we need to have all of the stakeholders involved in these conversations because it is going to take a realignment of understanding from all aspects of the community to really address this effectively.”

Absolutely – and let’s start immediately. 

The District 211 Joint Grading Committee’s April 14 presentation to the Board of Education is available online. A transcript of comments and questions from committee and board members can be found at Spotlight on the Board, a Web site dedicated to keeping the community informed of local school board issues. 

Perhaps the next time this committee (or any other) provides information, it can be videotaped, broadcast on local cable stations and available on DVD for those unable to attend.  It has certainly been an effective means of communication in Community Consolidated School District 15 for the past five years. 

Why can’t District 211 do the same?  

There is still time to engage the community in this important conversation.