Grading

Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Assessment Letter to the Editor The Truth About Equity Grading in Practice
A high school student shares his perspective of equity grading policies in this letter.
January 30, 2026
1 min read
Image of a woman interacting with a dashboard and seeing marks that are on target and off target. The mood is concern about the mark that is off target.
Visual Generation/Getty
Assessment Online Portals Offer Instant Access to Grades. That’s Not Always a Good Thing
For students and parents, is real-time access to grades an accountability booster or an anxiety provoker?
Elizabeth Heubeck, January 23, 2026
5 min read
Screen Shot 2026 01 17 at 7.17.48 AM
Canva
Student Achievement Opinion When Parents Question Grades, They Aren't Asking About Rigor
Clear expectations matter more to parents than complexity when it comes to student grades.
Thomas R. Guskey, January 20, 2026
5 min read
A teacher talks with seventh graders during a lesson.
A teacher talks with seventh graders during a lesson. The question of whether students should get a redo is part of a larger discussion on grading and assessment in education.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Assessment Should Teachers Allow Students to Redo Classwork?
Allowing students to redo assignments is another aspect of the traditional grading debate.
Jennifer Vilcarino, January 14, 2026
2 min read
Ashley Perkins, a second-grade teacher at the Dummerston, Vt., School, writes a "welcome back" message for her students in her classroom for the upcoming school year on Aug. 22, 2025.
Ashley Perkins, a 2nd grade teacher at the Dummerston, Vt., School, writes a "welcome back" message for her students in her classroom on Aug. 22, 2025. Many times teachers are being asked to change grades by parents and administrators.
Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP
Assessment Grade Grubbing—Who's Asking and How Teachers Feel About It
Teachers are being asked to change student grades, but the requests aren't always coming from parents.
Jennifer Vilcarino, January 5, 2026
1 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Assessment Letter to the Editor It’s Time to Think About What Grades Really Mean
"Traditional grading often masks what a learner actually knows or is able to do."
November 26, 2025
1 min read
A teacher leads students in a discussion about hyperbole and symbolism in a high school English class.
A teacher meets with students in a high school English class. Whether teachers should provide extra credit assignments remains a divisive topic as schools figure out the best way to assess student knowledge.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Assessment Should Students Be Allowed Extra Credit? Teachers Are Divided
Many argue that extra credit doesn't increase student knowledge, making it a part of a larger conversation on grading and assessment.
Jennifer Vilcarino, November 19, 2025
1 min read
A hand tips the scales. Concept of equitable grading.
DigitalVision Vectors + Education Week
Assessment Opinion We Urgently Need Grading Reform. These 3 Things Stand in the Way
Here’s what fuels the pushback against standards-based grading—and how to overcome it.
Joe Feldman, November 5, 2025
5 min read
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
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Making Standards-Based Grading Work in Your School or District: A Case Study
Curious about standards-based grading? Join to get an inspiring, practical look from one California school.
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A student standing on a letter A mountain peak with other letter grades are scattered in the vast landscape.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + DigitalVision Vectors
Assessment Opinion I Don’t Offer My Students Extra Credit. Here’s What I Do Instead
There isn’t anything "extra," but there is plenty my students can do to improve their grade.
Joshua Palsky, August 27, 2025
4 min read
A classroom is seen at Woodmore Elementary @ Meadowbrook on August 15, 2025 in Bowie, Maryland. In a so-called ‘swing move,’ Woodmore Elementary has relocated to Meadowbrook Elementary school until Summer 2027.
A classroom is seen at Woodmore Elementary @ Meadowbrook on August 15, 2025 in Bowie, Md. A new survey shows most teachers have begun to use some elements of what's known as equitable grading.
Pete Kiehart for Education Week
Assessment Here's What Teachers Really Think About Equitable Grading Policies
A new study examines the prevalence of policies like no zeroes or unlimited retakes in classrooms.
Elizabeth Heubeck, August 20, 2025
4 min read
Close up of a schoolgirl showing her C- grade on a test at elementary school.
E+/Getty Images
Assessment Download 6 Ways to Curb Grade-Change Requests From Students and Parents (DOWNLOADABLE)
No one likes dealing with grade-change requests. Here are some tips to help teachers avoid them altogether.
Elizabeth Heubeck, May 19, 2025
1 min read
A student climbs up stairs as letter grades fall around her. In the background a teacher is grading a test.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
Assessment Opinion Our Grading System Was Setting Students Up to Fail—Until This Change
Our first reaction to standards-based grading was despair. Then, slowly, things began to change.
Matthew Ebert, May 13, 2025
5 min read
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
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Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
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