How to Tackle Key Grading Reform Challenges as a School Leader

Grading reform is one of the most positive and impactful changes schools can make for student learning and success. However, it’s often met with resistance and misconceptions that can challenge even the most committed leaders.  

In this webinar, Don Smith from FIRST Educational Resources discusses two key challenges school leaders may encounter during a change of practice and strategies to proactively avoid or effectively address each situation.  

Watch the webinar recording to explore actionable strategies that address these common assessment and grading misconceptions:

• “Can’t I just take someone else’s priority standards and learning targets?” Learn why the process is just as important as the product.
• “My kids don’t care about the test!” Learn how fostering a positive attitude toward a content domain can positively impact student achievement.  

Three Key Strategies for School Leaders Navigating Grading Reform

Prioritize Standards for Clarity and Consistency Across Classrooms

One of the biggest challenges in grading reform is ensuring that educators across different grade levels and content areas interpret and apply standards consistently. As Don Smith explained in the webinar, prioritizing standards is more than just choosing targets to teach—it’s about cultivating a shared understanding of what each standard means for teaching and assessing student learning. When standards are clear and aligned, it not only helps educators provide consistent instruction but also gives students a clear roadmap of expectations.

For instance, in prioritizing standards, educators may encounter situations where grade levels use similar language for skills but with slight differences in the wording. Working through these nuances as a team helps clear up misunderstandings and builds a more unified approach to instruction. By fostering this kind of consistency, school leaders ensure students receive the same quality of instruction across the board.

Focus on Authentic Feedback Over Grades

Shifting from traditional grading to feedback-based assessments is the key to helping students understand their strengths and areas for growth. As Smith shared during the webinar, grades like “85%” often don’t provide students with actionable insights. Instead, solutions like Otus’ rubric assessments can break down performance into specific skills, allowing teachers to highlight where a student excels and where they need support. This change fosters a learning-focused environment where students aren’t solely motivated by grades but are guided by clear feedback on how they can improve.

School leaders play an important role by providing feedback-centered assessment methods and offering training to teachers on how to give constructive feedback. When students understand exactly where they need to grow, they’re more likely to stay engaged and make meaningful progress.

Build a Supportive Culture Around Assessments

A healthy assessment culture starts with school leaders and teachers. According to Smith, students’ attitudes toward assessments are heavily influenced by the adults around them. When teachers demonstrate that assessments are an opportunity to showcase learning, students are more likely to approach them with a positive mindset. Leaders can encourage this by creating supportive testing spaces led by familiar teachers and fostering conversations around the importance of assessments for tracking growth rather than just capturing scores. 

When assessments are framed as part of the learning journey, they shift from being a source of stress to a moment for students to reflect and demonstrate understanding. This culture shift not only improves student motivation but also creates a more positive atmosphere around testing.