Dear Colleagues, 
There are few subjects more controversial –or more misunderstood— than grading. As you are probably aware, over the summer, there was a change in state law which addresses the grading practices of teachers. FWISD is working actively to ensure that our student grade reporting systems are revised to reflect the spirit and letter of the new law. This is taking some time but will be in place by second semester.
As your superintendent, I think the time has come to put the subject of student assessment on the table and to examine grading procedures and practices in the Fort Worth ISD.
Several developments have influenced this decision. In addition to the change in state law, the adoption of a District-wide curriculum and curriculum-based assessments provides us with an opportunity to take a fresh look at grading. We also find there is a significant disconnect between student grades and student performance on state and national assessments. To address the evolving contexts of our work, I have directed the formation of a special working group to systemically examine student grading in the Fort Worth ISD.
This Superintendent’s Working Group on Student Grading will be asked to develop recommendations for common expectations for grading practices –by grade level and content area. Recommendations will be reviewed and, after a field-test implementation, we will further revise the recommendations and present them to the Board for formal adoption.
The Working Group will be representative of who we are as educators. Membership will reflect the diversity of the students of the District and more than half must be classroom teachers. Working Group members will include campus and district administrators and content specialists. I will also ask that there be representatives of our primary teachers’ associations. We will organize into two groups, one elementary and one secondary. Each group may have additional work groups tasked with examining the unique grading needs and characteristics of specific content areas.
Over the next six months, the group will look at best practices, gather input from the broader teaching community and submit recommendations. Over the summer, we will present those guidelines to the District and implement field testing in August 2010. In February, 2011, the procedures will be reviewed and revised before being taken to the Board the following month.
This is a very big job and will require an unflinching and thorough examination of what we do and why we do it. It will demand the development of best practices that can work for everyone, but particularly our students. Lastly, and most importantly, it will mean listening to the experts – you who lead instruction every day in the classroom and evaluate student outcomes.
If you would like to participate, please access a brief application on the Curriculum and Instruction page of the FWISD Web site. Applications will be reviewed by a panel of representatives from our central office staff and teacher associations. Applicants will be notified of their selection by November 20th, 2009.
Accountability is one of the pillars of our work. It can be both an instrument to measure and a means to inspire even greater success. By working together, we can strengthen its ability to do both.
With every good wish,
Melody Johnson