Grading From the Inside Out

“Grading From the Inside Out is a model of authentic professional learning. In this immensely practical book, Tom Schimmer gives hope to educators who might fear that grading reform is great in theory but impossible in practice. By countering many of the myths of grading reform, Schimmer provides a thoughtful way to reconcile conflicting points of view on this emotionally volatile subject. This is not a book merely to be read; it deserves to be studied and applied by teachers, parents, and administrators.”

“Grading From the Inside Out eloquently weaves analogy and practicality together to create a clear pathway to high-quality grading and reporting practices focused on learning. Educators will find clarity and depth to bring grading practices to life in powerful ways. This is an essential resource to create a culture that empowers learners, teachers, and administrators to make grading a rich communication tool for students, families, and educators.”

“This is an important book that adds much of value to the literature about how to grade effectively in schools today. Schimmer provides a strong rationale for the necessity of teachers, students, and parents developing a standards-based mindset, and he consistently uses accuracy and building confidence as the touchstones for decision making about assessment and grading. He comprehensively addresses key issues about grading and provides readers with practical and reasonable advice about how to transition from traditional grading to hybrid grading to standards-based grading. Every chapter is well organized with a clear explanation of the topic supported by useful figures, teacher vignettes, grading dilemmas, personal reflections, and questions for learning teams to consider. Every teacher should read this book, and it should be in every school and district professional development library.”

“In Grading from the Inside Out: Bringing Accuracy to Student Assessment Through a Standards-Based Mindset, Tom Schimmer offers simple steps to support the challenging move to standards-based grading.”