ANTIRACIST GRADING

Spring Cooper, Aug 3, 2021

C

How do we grade?

• First let’s just talk a bit about what we do when we grade…
• What do we think about?
• What are our primary concerns?
• Do we have various forms of grading we use?
• How do we make choices about grading?

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• Methods traditionally used for essays/presentations/reports
• Rubrics created by and then graded by the Instructor
• Peer feedback (though usually not used for a final grade on a project/paper)
• Pass/Fail
• Others?

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Challenges in Grading

• What do you find troubling about grading?

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• What challenges do we face in grading?
• Grading with fairness
• Grading with accuracy
• Grading with reliability across students
• What does improvement count for?
• (What is really most important to us in each product that we are grading?)

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Are traditional ways of grading racist?

• Distribution Gap Method (gaps in scores define where the A vs B vs Cs are delineated)
• Grading on the Curve (using quotas to determine where the lines are between letter grades)
• Percent Grading (pre-set percentages earn specific letter grades)
• Relative Grading Method (standard deviations are calculated and grades based on those)
• Absolute Standard Grading Method (grades are based on pre-defined competencies being met; students re-do assignments to meet the criteria; grades are based on criterion scores)
• Evaluation (vs Grading)
• What about racism in other items that are sometimes used in grading? Attendance? Participation? Mechanics (neatness/spelling)? Personality?

Traditional Forms of Grading Are Racist

• For discussion: “The reality is that every white-centered, dominant-culture-defined school and workspace is grooming students for rewards through compliance, conformity, and submission.” (Ken Shelton, MA in Ed.)

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• Bias and race can influence grading in both unforeseen and predictable ways
• Study: https://edworkingpapers.org/sites/default/files/ai20-241.pdf
• (From abstract): “This study offers relevant evidence through a randomized web-based experiment with 1,549 teachers. On a vague grade-level evaluation scale, teachers rated a student writing sample lower when it was randomly signaled to have a Black author, versus a White author.” [Authorship was signaled by the name of the author’s brother’s name in the essay, which was either Connor or Dashawn.] … “Contrary to expectation, I found no evidence that the magnitude of grading bias depends on teachers’ implicit or explicit racial attitudes.”
• Just reminders of stereotyped inferiority hurts test scores (not influenced by instructor grading): https://www.apa.org/research/action/stereotype

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• How do we make an inherently inequitable system more equitable?

Alternative Methods of Grading

• Focusing on feedback
• Allowing for reflection/revision/resubmission/retake
• Focusing on performance/progress/process (related to a student’s previous work)

Students Grade Themselves

• My method, based in Susan Blum’s method (https://www.chronicle.com/article/grades-can-hinder-learning-what-should-professors-use-instead/?cid=gen_sign_in), with adjustments:
• Students complete their final project after receiving feedback over the course of the semester
• A rubric is posted for them to work toward
• Reflection questions and process are included on syllabus and we go over what is happening and why at the beginning of the semester
• Students complete a reflection of their work over the semester and their final project including a suggested final grade for the project (https://forms.gle/nUaKwGJkGX6j5dmu5)
• Students meet with me (the instructor) to discuss their final project (15 mins)
• I offer verbal feedback, telling them what I’m seeing as strengths and weaknesses in the project
• I ask them to explain why they think their suggested grade makes sense and would they adjust it after talking about their project
• I ask them if they would like to work on any part of the paper anymore before choosing a final grade for themselves after hearing the last round of feedback
• If not, we choose a final grade then. If so, we set up another (briefer) meeting.
• Students verbally reflect back how the process was for them.

Verbal Quotes from the Process

• It felt more communal than traditional grading
• I felt less anxious than just submitting the paper
• It helped me look more critically at my work
• It feels awkward but helpful to address your own weaknesses
• I’m still struggling with “how do I know if it is good?”

(Written) Quote submitted on the process/style

• I thank you for creating a classroom environment that aligns so fittingly with the principles of the research methods you taught. There was space to be the unique individuals we are, room to voice oneself and also ponder within, as well respect to deconstruct the social constructs and dynamics of an academic environment and create a human experience. This intentionally created environment set up the course and our mindsets to be present in the learning process. A lived experience, so to say. The simulation to a live classroom environment was immaculately executed – breakout rooms, ice breakers, the workshop session.

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My Experience

• Pros
• Rewarding
• Feels productive and constructive
• Overall, student experience was high
• Cons
• Time for meetings is extensive; hard to plan since some students need several meetings (forgot to complete reflection; want to work on assignment more)
• Different class experiences
• Masters Qual (Summer/Hofstra)
• Doctoral Qual
• Masters Health Equity Course
• What was really happening when students graded themselves
• Learning; reflection; grading based on their OWN skill level and improvement

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What I really want to talk about:

• Thoughts/questions/concerns with the grade themselves method?

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• Obviously this style of grading is not appropriate for every purpose. What other practices can we use to decrease racism in other grading methods?
• (brainstorm and then get specific with next slide)

Choosing Grading Methods for the Objective

• Why do we really want to grade a specific assignment?
• Checking the students’ understanding of a topic
• Checking ability to implement/apply learning
• Have students understand where they rank in relation to peers
• Give students an opportunity to learn the material
• Have students reflect on their understandings of the material
• Give students feedback on their learning
• Motivate students

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• Which of these align with students grading themselves?
• What grading methods might we match to other objectives?
• How do we decrease racism in other styles of grading?