Is your school is currently implementing social and emotional learning (SEL) and/or standards-based grading (SBG)? Have you wondered how these two frameworks work together or support each other? In our recent paper, we drew parallels between CASEL’s five core competencies of SEL and the guiding principles of SBG. You can access the full article within […]
Following the tradition of previous years here on the blog, it is time to sift through the list of published literature from the 2023 and highlight the top articles of the year. The following is a list of what I believe are the top three articles from 2023 (in alphabetical order by lead author’s last
I teamed up with Jesse Wilcox (former science teacher and current science education professor) to write an article for NSTA’s Science Scope. Standards-based grading (SBG) is an alternative approach to grading that uses standards, such as the NGSS, to communicate what students have learned. While SBG has increased in popularity in the last decade, questions still
In 2022, I published three new articles related to grading. The references and abstracts/summaries are below, and when possible, a link to the full article is also provided. Inequitable grading practices produce inequitable results. Griffin, R., & Townsley, M. (2022). Including homework and employability skills in class grades: An investigation of equitable outcomes in an
As 2022 comes to a close, it time to sift through the list of published literature from the past twelve months. This year’s list is surprisingly short, but I will leave it up to readers to speculate why! Note to returning readers: Once again this year I chose not to include any articles that I authored or co-authored, and
In this paper, we address concerns and provide some strategies for implementing alternative grading practices in secondary science classrooms. Myth 1: “The real world isn’t like this.”Myth 2: “Grading this way will decrease the rigor of my science classroom.”Myth 3: “Grades should be a motivator in my classroom.”Myth 4: “I can use my old ways
When Nathan and I wrote Making Grades Matter, we envisioned it not only being useful for individual teachers or school leaders but also for teams of educators. The end of (nearly) every chapter includes “Assessment Tools for your Journey.” With the help of these tools, departments, leadership teams and entire schools can use the self-reported
By Matt Townsley & Chad Lang A quick scan of news headlines about districts taking a step back from their grading changes suggests parents and/or community members often have reservations or an incomplete understanding of the changes happening inside the district (see examples from the media here and here). We have firsthand experience with grading
One of the things we know about leading second order change — such as when a school transitions to standards-based grading practices — is that it often involves an implementation dip (see McRel’s Balanced Leadership research). For example, we should anticipate that students will initially question the value of completing homework if there is no
How can teachers communicate mastery of learning standards to their students? On a recent Khan Academy Ed Talk, I joined Dr. Kristen Dicerbo to discuss how to create meaningful student grades.