Remaking the Grade-Pathway
Remaking the Grade
Case Overview
In 2021-2022, Arlington, VA, faced criticism from teachers and parents when the district announced a plan to make homework more equitable by eliminating deadlines and other requirements.
How can schools address inequalities in the resources available to students when it comes to homework completion? What can schools do to level the playing field between students who have ample family, social, and financial resources to support their educational success and students who have access to fewer such resources?
You can find and download the full case study below.
Key Questions You Will Explore
- How can educational leaders balance their many responsibilities to different stakeholders, including students, educators, parents, school board members, and the broader community?
- How can leaders help other stakeholders understand the ways that they use values to make decisions?
Hear from the Experts
Why is this issue a real dilemma? Watch short video commentaries to explore the complexities, challenges, and values at stake in this case.
As you watch each video, consider the following questions:
- What resonates with you in this video?
- What questions does this video raise for you?
- How does this video impact your understanding of the dilemmas in the case?
On Evolving Values
Frank Barnes, Faculty Director and Senior Lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Education, answers the question: How can leaders balance their individual values and the community's values?
On Rebuilding Trust
Caitlin Sullivan, CEO and Co-Founder of Leading Now, answers the question: How can district leaders build and rebuild trust with their community?
Additional Resources
- Jay Matthews of the Washington Post brought national attention to the homework controversy in Arlington, Virginia, with his December 26, 2021 opinion piece. Click here to read his article on the homework controversy (redirect).
- Click here to read the full text of an open letter teachers at Wakefield High School wrote criticizing Arlington's revised homework policy (redirect).
- On October 19, 2021, the school board received a presentation on the homework and grading proposal from the working group. You can see that school board presentation here (redirect).
- Arlington drew heavily on Joe Feldman’s book Grading For Equity when designing their revised homework policy. This written interview with Feldman in Harvard’s Ed Magazine (redirect) provides an overview of his vision for equitable grading practices, along with a link to a longer podcast interview.
- This piece from Education Next (redirect) examines the impact Grading for Equity has had in schools and explains what standards-based grading looks like in practice.
- San Francisco attempted to implement a policy similar to Arlington’s and also experienced opposition. Learn more about why San Francisco schools backed down on their “grading for equity” plan following a backlash (redirect).
- If you want to learn more about how issues of racial and economic inequality play out in wealthy suburban schools, consider reading the book Race at the Top: Asian Americans and Whites in Pursuit of the American Dream in Suburban Schools (redirect).
Case Reflection Questions
- What do you believe is the purpose(s) of homework?
- Has your district ever faced pushback to a new policy? What happened?
- Which stakeholder(s) in this case are you curious to learn more about? What more do you want to know about their views?
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What's Next? Exploring the Other Cases in this Pathway
This pathway contains five cases and supporting materials that explore dilemmas related to educational leadership in K-12 settings. Click on each case below to learn more and to access the resources.
An instructional coach in a charter network with five schools faces challenges as she attempts to roll out a new culturally-responsive curriculum. While the curriculum was developed and implemented successfully at the network's Downtown campus, it has drawn concerns from both parents and teachers at the Coastal location. Should the instructional coach heed these concerns and modify or delay the rollout of a curriculum she deeply believes in?
How can instructional leaders balance their own values with the values and concerns of the communities they serve?
A pair of seventh graders in Madrid take a topless photo of a female classmate using WhatsApp and forward it to the rest of the class. While the girl in the photo hopes never to hear about the situation again, members of the teaching and administrative staff wonder whether the incident should serve as a learning opportunity for the whole student body.
When the entire school community is affected by behavior that happens at home, how should teachers and school leaders respond? What responsibilities and limits does the school have to discipline students for out-of-school behavior?
Want to Learn More?
Full Normative Case Study Library
Check out more normative case studies related to dilemmas in education.
Ethical Leadership in Polarized Times: A Brief-Cases Suite
Explore this collection of normative “brief-cases.” Each one-page case is designed to help educational leaders discuss ethical challenges wrought by social and political polarization.
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EdEthics | Values-Driven Leadership Video Playlist
Watch all the videos in our series of expert commentaries on values-driven leadership from school and district leaders, researchers, and leadership coaches.
