Making the Grade

How can we design a fair grading system?

Grades
6-12
Subjects
ELA, Math
Key Content
averages, data analysis, ratios & percentages, informational text, expository writing
A freshly graded report card—featuring an A +, A and B + grades—with a felt-tip pen laying beside it.

Students explore ideas about fairness, growth mindset, and learning, and work together to design and test grading policies that best meet identified criteria. Students use sample data to calculate grades for proposed grading policies and create presentations to key stakeholders to show how their policy better promotes learning.

Note: This project was designed for a school system in which traditional grading methods are in use. If you are in a system where competency-based grading structures are in place (or if you want to work with your students to advocate for this), adjust the data sets and learning experiences accordingly.