The right number of levels is a lot
closer to 2 than to 100—which is why
we should eliminate the percentage
system because it’s incompatible with a
standards-based system. The two most
highly regarded high school programs
Contrary to the emotional baggage so often
applied to grades, grades are not full descriptors.
in the world only use levels—advanced
placement uses five levels and the Inter- got a B in mathematics. Brian’s report
areas of strength and areas that need
national Baccalaureate uses seven. Level- card indicates he got a B in number
improvement. This type of standards-
based systems should become the norm. sense, a C in calculation, and an A in
based grading should be the norm from
Once there’s agreement on the num-
measurement. Marilyn’s school uses a
kindergarten to grade 12 (and beyond!)
ber of levels, schools and districts need four-level scale: 4 for excels, 3 for profi-
because it gives students, parents, and
to develop and publish clear generic
cient, 2 for approaching proficiency, and
teachers the valuable information they
descriptions of each. These would then 1 for well below proficiency. Her report
need to help students achieve at higher
form the basis for the performance stan- card indicates the following1:
levels.
dards used in the classroom—marking
Teachers traditionally have organized
schemes, rubrics, exemplars, and so
Number Sense
their grade books with categories for
forth.
Identifies place value to 1000s: 4
tests, projects, and assignments; the
Teachers must also have frequent
base has been assessment methods or
opportunities to collaboratively assess
Reads and writes
activities. However, in standards-based
student work so they develop common common fractions:
3
systems, the base should be some struc-
understanding of the performance stan- Reads whole numbers
ture coming from the standards. The
dards. A common frame of reference
through four digits:
3
level of specificity may vary from grade
decreases the subjective, relative, and
Writes whole numbers
level to grade level and from subject to
inferential nature of grading and helps
through four digits:
3
subject. The categories may be broad,
departments and grade levels recalibrate
as illustrated by Brian’s report card,
their common expectations when these Orders and compares whole
or specific, as illustrated by Marilyn’s
expectations drift over time.
numbers through four digits:
1
report card.
Through Clear Policies and Procedures Computation
According to Carifio and Carey (2009),
Supportive of Learning
“Many schools lack a coherent and
Addition:
4
uniform grading policy, resulting in
Subtraction:
3
Grades are small symbols used as
extensive variations in student assess-
Multiplication:
3
shorthand for much larger descriptors.
ment from teacher to teacher, and
Contrary to the emotional baggage so
even between students taking the same Division:
1
often applied to each one, they are not
course with the same teacher” (p. 25).
Uses calculator to add or subtract
full descriptors themselves. To support
It’s therefore crucial that all schools and numbers with 4 or more digits: 2
students’ learning, they must be infor-
districts have public, published poli-
Estimation skills:
4
mative. We’re mindful of each symbol’s
cies and procedures that all teachers are
purpose in the learning process and, in
expected to follow and for which they
It’s obvious that Marilyn’s report card particular, whether they refer to forma-
can be held accountable if students, par- has much more meaningful information tive or summative assessments.
ents, or administrators identify concerns than John’s and Brian’s report cards do
Because we don’t want to diminish
with their grading practices.
and that Brian’s report card provides
more meaningful information than
the powerful effect that formative assess-
ments bring to students’ learning, we
Meaningful
John’s does. Single-subject grades—
John’s B in math—provide little useful
use scores only from summative assess-
ments to determine grades. Formative
information. Providing standards-
assessment uses symbols or narrative
Let’s look at three hypothetical report
based grades makes grades meaningful
commentaries that are not included in
cards. John’s report card indicates he
because they clearly show the student’s determining grades.
