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Drawing on a May 2024 convening of the California Collaborative on District Reform, it analyzes how grades can mirror students’ circumstances more than mastery, and how teacher subjectivity and inconsistent policies produce variation across classes and schools. 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Between Grades and Student Learning  \nJULY 2025  \nAuthor  \nJoel Knudson  \nAmerican Institutes for Research  \nAbout the California Collaborative on District Reform  \nThe California Collaborative on District Reform was formed in 2006 to join researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and funders in ongoing, evidence-based dialogue to improve instruction and student learning for all students in California’s urban school systems.  \nIntroduction  \nWhen the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to transition rapidly to a model of distance learning in spring 2020, it also highlighted many aspects of student learning environments that stand in the way of academic success. One of these was the criteria by which teachers assign grades to assess student performance in their classes. Without physical access to teachers, peers, and instructional resources, new barriers to student learning emerged almost overnight. At the sametime, without in-person student interactions that inform perceptions of student participation, and with typical approaches to completing homework and tests severely disrupted, teachers and students alike recognized a misalignment between student learning and the marks that might appear on student transcripts.1 Although most school systems adopted short-term fixes to immediate challenges with respect to grading, underlying challenges that predated the pandemic remained.  \nA growing body of research and practical experience highlights key problems associated with traditional approaches to grading. The systems of point accumulation used in many classrooms have only loose connections to student learning. At the same time, inconsistencies in grading practices across and even within classrooms and schools raise questions about fairness. Meanwhile, outcome gaps among student groups reveal disparities in opportunities among students both inside and outside of school that have important consequences for their trajectories during and after high school.  \nAwareness of these problems is growing, and educators are increasingly seeking solutions that better align grading practices with goals for student learning.2 A May 2024 meeting of the California Collaborative on District Reform explored some of these solutions by examining efforts underway in Sanger Unified School District (USD) and other districts around the state to fundamentally rethink the purposes and  \npractices of grading. Dialogue throughout the meeting emphasized that isolated pockets of progress are insufficient for addressing the underlying and widespread challenges that stand in the way of more meaningful approaches to grading. A systems approach—one in which school districts play an active role in providing guidance and support—is vital to promote consistent, appropriate, and sustainable grading practices. This brief identifies important areas for districts to address in their pursuit of conditions that honor student learning and open doors for all young people to achieve their full potential.  \nUnderstand the Problem  \nAn effective approach to improving grading practices requires a shared understanding of the problem tobe solved. Several aspects of traditional grading practice raise questions about whether all students have appropriate opportunities to demonstrate their learning and whether their grades accurately reflect their academic progress.3  \nChallenge: Grades Reflect Student Circumstances More Than Student Learning  \nFirst, grades often reflect students’ access to resources and the contexts in which they live that are loosely related to learning. Students with stable home environments and limited responsibilities outside of school may find it easier to earn the points awarded for homework completion or to pursue opportunities for extra credit. In contrast, students with jobs or childcare responsibilities or who lack dedicated space at home to complete schoolwork may","cbCaipdoJqNMaweK","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaipdoJqNMaweK","pdf",262450,12,"English","# Introduction\n# Understand the Problem\n## Challenge: Grades Reflect Student Circumstances More Than Student Learning\n## Challenge: Subjectivity and Variation Threaten Fairness","[{\"question\":\"Why does the brief argue that grades may not accurately reflect student learning?\",\"answer\":\"It states that grades can reflect students’ access to resources and home contexts rather than mastery, especially when learning opportunities and support differ across students.\"},{\"question\":\"How do subjectivity and variation in grading affect fairness?\",\"answer\":\"The brief explains that different teacher policies for point accumulation can disadvantage students even when they demonstrate the same understanding of course material.\"},{\"question\":\"What systems-level solution does the brief recommend for improving grading?\",\"answer\":\"It recommends an active district systems approach that provides guidance and support to promote consistent, appropriate, and sustainable grading practices aligned to learning goals.\"}]","Policy and Practice Brief - Making the Grade - A Systems Approach to Strengthening the Connection Between Grades and Student Learning | PDF",1792046091]