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What It Is, Why It Matters,
and How It Can Transform
Schools and Classrooms

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July 18-21, 2023

Grading for Equity Virtual Summer Institute

When a teacher assigns a final grade, it is a high-stakes reporting of a student’s performance and has major implications for our students’ identity and sense of self, but also is used to make high-stakes decisions about them—course placement, extra-curricular eligibility, scholarships and financial aid, college admission, etc. Our grades are the most formalized expression of our professional judgment and expertise, yet unfortunately, and ironically, we teachers receive almost no education or training in how to grade.

  • How do many of our common grading practices unintentionally reward students with more resources and penalize those with fewer supports, thereby perpetuating achievement and opportunity gaps?
  • How can teachers dedicated to equity and using culturally-sustaining and liberatory instructional practices for their classroom ensure that their grading practices align with, rather than undermine, their beliefs?
  • How can we grade in ways that support the range of instructional models as well as reduce students’ (and our own) stress?
  • How must we not revert to pre-pandemic “normal” grading when those practices have always harmed our students of color, those with special needs, whose first language is not English, and whose families have fewer resources and privilege?

What to Expect

Participants of this Institute will:

  • Understand the history of our current approaches to grading, and recognize the ways in which our continued use of those practices undermines equity, teaching, and learning
  • Learning about equitable grading practices that are more accurate, bias-resistant, and motivational
  • Envision the challenges of implementing more equitable grading practices into our classrooms
  • Reflect on previous experiences and beliefs with grading
  • Find connections and disconnections between prior grading experiences and more equitable grading practices
  • Envision ways to begin to use more equitable grading practices in our classrooms, schools, and districts

What this is NOT:

This is not a Train the Trainer workshop, but instead an opportunity for you to progress further on your own journey to understand and implement equitable grading. While you won’t be prepared to lead this work at your own site, you will become more fluent and confident explaining and discussing equitable grading with colleagues, caregivers, and students. 

Design

This remote event will blend online and offline experiences so that participants have time and space to learn, reflect, pause, and engage meaningfully with the content and colleagues. The 4-hour sessions each day will include online synchronous breakout groups and short presentations as well as offline readings, exercises, and videos. After an extended break, a 1-hour session is for assigned groups to work together to understand and apply content, and to prepare for the next day’s learning.

Credit

The Grading for Equity Institute translates into a 2-unit course (or approximately 15 hrs of professional development), although it is up to each school or district to make the final decision to credit this learning. Each participant will receive a Certificate of Completion to apply for potential credit with their institution.

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