All content for Your Morning Boost is the property of AWB Education and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
The Non-Negotiable: How to Partner with Parents on Grading Reform
Your Morning Boost
9 minutes
3 weeks ago
The Non-Negotiable: How to Partner with Parents on Grading Reform
Are your grading conversations stuck in the "old paradigm"? In today's episode of Your Morning Boost, authors and grading experts Dr. Chad Lang and Dr. Matt Townsley (of The Parent's Guide to Grading and Reporting) reveal the most effective non-negotiable communication strategy for districts: equipping parents with new questions. They discuss how shifting parental communication from asking about a grade ("What can my child do to improve their grade?") to focusing on standards ("Which standards can my child still improve upon?") helps students own their learning and fosters a powerful home-school partnership. This shift transforms grades into meaningful communication about specific proficiency, rather than a permanent "tattoo."
Key Takeaways:
Parents typically want to know: "How is my kid doing?" but they often ask the wrong questions.
The critical communication strategy is to provide parents with a "new question bank" (like a T-chart or one-pager) to guide conversations about standards mastery.
This approach reinforces the concept that the grade is a form of communication, not a punitive measure.
It directly ties to research showing student self-identification of learning gaps leads to major growth.
You can find out more about our guests by visiting https://www.awbeducation.org/contributors-lineup. Pick up their book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or bloomsbury.com! Listen, subscribe, and share this episode to build true partnerships with your school families.
Find out more about what we do:AWB Education - awbeducation.orgGrundmeyer Leader Services - grundmeyerleadersearch.comGot a mailbag question? Reach out to us at adam@awbeducation.org