Modesto City Schools expands equitable grading. Here’s what could change for students

Modesto City Schools is expanding its equitable grading practices, which means prioritizing learning over tasks, and deadlines and mastering subjects over earning points.

The district currently uses the traditional A, B, C, D or F grading system for seventh- to 12th-graders. In this system, an A signifies a student’s mastery of essential concepts in a subject and ability to apply them in various situations.

This system will not change. The district, however, hopes that students understand that their grades represent their learning and mastery of a standard.

Heather Contreras, assistant superintendent of school leadership, shared insights into the district’s progress in equitable grading as it continues to expand and improve its practices. “As we learn more about education, we need to make sure that we continue to grow to best support our students,” Contreras said during a presentation at the April 15 school board meeting.

Equitable grading is defined as “grading that reflects a student’s academic level of performance,” as outlined by educator Joe Feldman’s 2018 book, “Grading for Equity.” Equity has been a district strategic goal for five years, Contreras said.

Examples of equitable grading practices include prioritizing recent performance and growth rather than averaging work over time, and refraining from subjectively grading behaviors such as “effort” or “participation.”

“It places much more importance on true mastery of a subject than it does simply on earning enough points in a class to receive a good grade,” said MCS Chief Communications Officer Sharokina Shams.

During public comment at the April 15 meeting, Aaron Anguiano, a parent with a child at Roosevelt Junior High School, expressed optimism about the new grading system. He said he felt his son currently is not being graded fairly.

Anguiano highlighted teachers’ heavy emphasis on participation and effort, rather than focusing on test scores.

“I think that this is the right direction and eventually I’d like to see some more policies and procedures,” said Anguiano, a former president of the Latino Community Roundtable of Stanislaus County. He added that he wishes teachers would grade like college instructors do, focusing on the student’s test scores.

Trustee Abel Maestas later highlighted that grading practices are not typically covered in teacher preparation programs at universities. Instead, teachers often rely on how they were graded by their own educators or adopt the grading methods of veteran teachers.

“My son in high school has six different classes with six different grading structures. Consistency would be helpful for everyone, so I’m looking forward to where we move from here,” Maestas said.

“It can be scary, I mean if you’ve done it for so long a certain way to change all of a sudden. I hope we continue on that path and inviting and encouraging a lot more teachers to participate on it,” said Trustee Homero Mejia.

Modesto City Schools’ journey with equitable grading

In 2014, MCS began adopting equitable grading practices, starting with elementary school report cards featuring a standards-based grading system that uses a scale from 1 to 4 instead of 0 to 100. A score of 1 indicates that the student has not met the standard, while a 4 signifies mastery.

Teachers and students are clear about what standard mastery means, and teaching supports students in reaching that mastery, added Shams.

In 2020, MCS involved high school site administrative teams and others in the district to study Feldman’s book, setting the groundwork for new grading practices.

A group of 50 teachers formed a grading task force to review current grading methods and consider new ideas to enhance student learning. They focused on improving graduation rates and have since witnessed significant student success as a result of their efforts, Contreras said.

This has been especially prominent at Beyer High School, which has seen a lot of growth in both math and English language arts scores in state testing for two years in a row, Contreras said.

“We’re seeing change results in students and their performance as a result,” Contreras said.

Expanding equitable grading

Next year, the district intends to expand its equitable grading practices to encompass subject areas beyond English and math. This expansion will involve forming an equitable grading committee, comprising teachers and parents who will help determine how best to implement equitable grading practices.

Furthermore, they aim to maintain their collaboration with California Education Partners, an organization dedicated to supporting schools and districts in California and aimed at improving educational outcomes for students, while extending it to include Davis High School and Roosevelt Junior High.

“The teachers have said this is challenging work, but it’s rewarding work and they’re seen a difference in students,” Contreras said. “When they engage in this work, the students become more engaged and really understand the expectations that their teacher has for them and then how to meet it.”