Grading for Learning

Grading for Learning and the School District of Baraboo

The Baraboo School District believes the purpose of grading is to provide students and guardians with a snapshot view of a student’s proficiency on academic and behavioral/life skills at a particular time. 

What is Grading for Learning?

A standards-based system in which teachers report what students know and are able to do relative to district adopted standards. The foundational beliefs of this system include:

  • Academic grades are dependent upon student proficiency against identified standards and are not influenced by non-academic factors.

  • Academic grades will reflect the student’s level of proficiency attained on identified standards, as measured by specific assessments aligned to the standards and rubrics.

  • Behavioral/life skills grades will also be assessed and reported using defined rubrics.

  • Students will receive a separate grade for current academic scores and behavioral/life skills scores.

The use of most recent evidence rather than averaging

Unlike traditional grading systems, Grading for Learning measures a student’s mastery of grade-level  standards by prioritizing the most recent, consistent level of performance. Thus, a student who may have struggled at the beginning of a course, when first encountering new material, may still be able to demonstrate mastery of key academic skills/concepts by the end of a grading period.

In a traditional grading system, a student’s performance for an entire term is averaged together. Early quiz scores that were low would be averaged together with more proficient performance later in the course, resulting in a lower overall grade than a student’s current level of performance indicates.

The research behind Grading for Learning

Years of research connected to grading and reporting best practices are highlighted here. Read the following to learn more. 

  • Feldman, J. (2019). Beyond standards-based grading: Why equity must be part of grading reform. Phi Delta Kappan, 100(8), 52-55.

  • Feldman, J. (2018). Grading for equity: What it is, why it matters, and how it can transform schools and classrooms. Corwin Press.Campbell, C. (2012). Learning-centered grading practices. 

  • Dueck, M. (2014). Grading smarter, not harder: Assessment strategies that motivate kids and help them learn. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

  • Guskey, T. R. (2006). Making high school grades meaningful. Phi Delta Kappan, 87(9), 670-675. doi:10.1007/s11092-014-9191-4

  • MARZANO, R. J. (2017). NEW ART AND SCIENCE OF TEACHING: More than fifty new instructional strategies for academic success. S.l.: SOLUTION TREE.Marzano, R. J. (2000). Transforming classroom grading. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

  • O'Connor, K. (2010). A repair kit for grading: 15 fixes for broken grades. Portland, OR: Pearson Assessment Training Institute.

  • Wormeli, R. (2011). Redos and retakes done right. Educational Leadership, 69(3), 22-26. Retrieved from www.ascd.org

  • Bradburd-Bailey, M. (2011). A preliminary investigation into the effect of standards-based grading on the academic performance of african-american students. (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. (3511593)

  • Pollio, M. & Hochbein, C. (2015). The association between standards-based grading and standardized test scores as an element of a high school reform model. Teachers College Record, 117(11), 1-28.

Last Updated: 12/10/25