Effective Grading Practices - January 21st PD 

​Google Slideshow 
Time Frame:  
● 7:30-11:00 Effective Grading Practices 
● 11:00-12:00 Lunch 
● 12:00-3:15 Deep Equity (this work not included on this Google Doc) 
Materials Needed: Laptop, writing utensil, example grade report from classrooms 
 
Time  Activity  Person(s) Responsible  Location 

10 min  Introduction/The What? (slides 1-4)     

● Commitment for shared learning  
● Outcomes for the day 
● 5 Effective Grading Practices 

30 min  Gradebook Activity/The Why? (slide 5)     

● Look through a grade report from your class 
● Identify: Is behavior included in your grade report? 
If so, how? What does your reassessment policy look 
like? 
● Discuss results with your group. Are there 
discrepancies? If so, what are they? 
● Whole group share-out? 

15 min  The Purpose of Grading/The Why? (slides 6-12)     

● WDMCS Portrait of a Graduate 
● Priority Six 
● T/F of Effective Grading Practices 

2 Hours  Stations/The How? (slides 13-14)- 30 minutes     

10 Min   ● Reassessment 

Stations/The How? (slides 13-14)- 60 minutes     

● Essential Life Skills Rubric 

Stations/The How? (slides 13-14)- 30 minutes     

● Missing Work and the Zero/Academic Dishonesty 
30 min  Conclusion (slides 15-16)  Alex   
● Write Around/Dear Colleague 
● Google Reflection 

What needs to be completed: 

❏ Meet with the equity committee to set the agenda for January 21st 
❏ Add in piece in beginning where people can ask questions on a notecard 
❏ Determine time frames for the day 
❏ Create a t-chart for the gradebook activity 
❏ Fix slide 5 to better reflect gradebook activity 
❏ Assign activities to presenters 
❏ Create groups for stations 
❏ Plan out details for each station 
❏ Find locations 
❏ Clean up slideshow 
❏ Determine next steps for the February 18th PD day 
❏ Add Danielson components for each station 

Stations: 
1. Reassessment 
a. Learning Targets: I will understand the research behind why we should allow for reassessment opportunities and 
involve students in the process. I will provide suggestions for a junior high reassessment policy. 
b. Activity: Read articles and resources on reassessment and debrief. In small groups, create a potential reassessment 
policy.  
2. Essential Life Skills Rubric 
a. Learning Targets: I will learn about the different parts of the Essential Life Skills rubric and its tie in with PBIS. I will 
create a plan for how to teach, model, and provide feedback on one piece of the rubric and implement in my classroom 
before February 18th. 
b. Activity: Groups match the essential life skill with the descriptor. Everyone will be given a copy of the rubric and 
complete the 3-2-1 graphic organizer (3 key ideas-2 connections-1 question), and there will be a group discussion 
afterwards. Then staff will be given resources and time to create a plan for how to teach, model, and provide feedback 
on one piece of the rubric and implement in their classrooms (workshop model?). 
3. Missing Work and the Zero/Academic Dishonesty 
a. Learning Targets: I will understand the research behind missing work and academic dishonesty . I will provide 
suggestions for a junior high academic dishonesty policy. 
 b. Activity: Read articles and resources on zeros and missing work and debrief. Explain the mathematics behind why 
missing work will be calculated as 50%. In small groups, create a potential academic dishonesty policy.  
Other Notes/Important Information:
● Talking Points / Shared Commitments  
○ This is a learning experience (no punishments if we fail in our attempts)  
○ Taskforce - two years ago met to go this route (parents, teachers, admin, etc.)  
○ Be kind to the committee. Everyone on the committee is directly impacted by these policies as well  
○ Direct frustration towards the practice or the confusion, not at people. If you need to take a break to deal with 
frustrations, please do so.