As 2021 comes to a close, it time to sift through the list of published literature from the past twelve months. This year’s list includes a combination of articles written for practitioners as well as articles published in academic journals. Note to returning readers: This year I chose not to include any articles that I authored or co-authored, and will instead highlight those separately in the near future.
The following is a list of what I believe are the top five articles from 2021 (in alphabetical order by lead author’s last name) related to standards-based grading.
- Guskey, T. R. (2021). Undoing the traditions of grading and reporting. The School Administrator, 78(5), 32-35. [Available online]
Dr. Guskey discusses how some schools revised their grading practices during COVID-19 and how this might continue in 2021 and beyond. Specifically, he suggests schools should use fewer grade categories and report multiple grades to enhance the meaning, reliability, and accuracy of communicating student learning. - Lehman, E. E. (2021). Leading leaders in rethinking grading: A case study of implementation of standards-based grading in educational leadership. Journal of Research Initiatives, 5(3). [Available online]
The purpose of this paper is to share the process of how one university instructor worked toward a shift to standards-based grading (SBG) in a graduate Educational Leadership program. Dr. Lehman shares best practices in grading as well as the challenges of implementation of standards-based grading. - Link, L. J., & Kauffman, K. D. (2021). Are your grading policies legally sound? How to avoid court entanglements when student grades are challenged. School Administrator, 5(78), 45- 48. [Available online]
In this article written for the national school superintendent professional association (AASA), Link and Kauffman offer five guidelines derived from relevant court rulings to help school leaders establish grading policies and practices that not only are legally sound but also equitable and meaningful. - Percell, J. C., & Meyer, B. B. (2021). Resolutions for a new paradigm: Addressing common issues in standards-based grading. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 57(4), 185-190. [paywall access]
After implementation of a new standards-based grading initiative in one school district, the authors’ research revealed five prominent issues, and corresponding resolutions were developed to address needed changes in standards-based grading. - Wakeman, S. Y., Thurlow, M., Reyes, E., & Kearns, J. (2021). Fair and equitable grading for ALL students in inclusive settings. Inclusive Practices. Available first online at https://doi.org/10.1177/27324745211055398
In this article, the authors examine the four criteria for high-quality inclusive grading outlined by The William & Mary Training & Technical Assistance Center for grading within the inclusive classroom: (a) grades are accurate, (b) grades are meaningful, (c) grades are consistent, and (d) grades are supportive of learning and discuss how these criteria could be applied to provide a more fair and equitable grading system for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
What grading articles from 2021 would you add to this list?
Also, see my previous “top” articles lists: