Instead of asking how many points they need to earn an A, Homewood High School students in some classes are being asked a different question: What skills have they mastered?
Homewood High School is moving toward what district officials believe is Alabama’s first evidence-based grading framework at the high school level, replacing traditional point-based calculations with a system centered on student proficiency.
The grading model, known as Evidence-Based Grading, shifts the focus away from earning points and percentages and toward demonstrating proficiency in specific course skills. School officials say the change is intended to help students better understand their progress and take greater ownership of their learning.
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With the new system, student learning is tracked through three measures: preparation, academic progress and proficiency.
Preparation tracks practice and readiness for class, academic progress measures whether students are on track toward course milestones and proficiency evaluates students’ mastery of key skills.
According to the district, Homewood High School is believed to be the first high school in Alabama to move toward an evidence-based grading framework.
“Various grading systems are utilized across the state. While Oxford City Schools employs a standards-based grading model, Homewood High School is, to our knowledge, the first in Alabama to move toward an evidence-based grading framework,” said McCall Hardison, director of communications for Homewood City Schools.
Hardison said Homewood High School is in the midst of a five-year rollout of the new grading system, with no districtwide changes currently planned.
One of the biggest changes is that homework and practice assignments no longer factor directly into final course grades. Instead, those assignments are recorded in a Preparation Log that tracks completion, readiness and work habits.
School leaders said the change separates practice from mastery, allowing students to make mistakes, receive feedback and improve before demonstrating proficiency.
The final course grade is based on evidence of proficiency in designated course skills rather than an average of assignment and test percentages. Students are evaluated using four proficiency levels: Exceeding, Meeting, Approaching and Developing.
According to the school, grades are determined through a combination of consistency and recency. That means students who struggle early in a semester have opportunities to demonstrate growth and improve their proficiency levels through later assessments.
Homewood officials say the approach is designed to answer questions such as, “What do I understand?” and “What skills still need development?” rather than focusing on how many points a student needs to earn.
The grading framework is built around three major skills in each subject area.
In math, for example, students are graded on solving problems, using different ways to represent mathematical concepts and explaining their reasoning. English focuses on reading, analysis and writing, while science courses focus on investigation, reasoning and communicating scientific ideas.
Homewood High School’s transition builds on years of standards-based grading practices in the Homewood City’s elementary schools, Hardison said. Standards-based grading focuses on the specific skills and knowledge a student has mastered.
Hardison said Homewood High School began exploring evidence-based grading two years ago, and a team of volunteer teachers launched the initiative in select classrooms this school year.
Hardison added that the new grading system provides clearer feedback and helps students develop college and career skills needed after graduation.
“We believe evidence-based grading empowers students to be more resilient and to master important college and career skills, such as critical thinking, reasoning and communication,” she said.
Students will continue receiving traditional letter grades and GPAs, as evidence-based grading changes how learning is measured but does not alter how final grades are reported to colleges, universities or scholarship programs.
Still, the transition has generated pushback from some students and parents.
A Change.org petition calling on district leaders to return to the previous grading system has garnered more than 675 signatures. The petition argues that the new approach has increased stress for students and teachers and made it more difficult for families to understand grades.
Comments posted on the petition, by people just using their first names and location, describe the system as confusing and express concerns that students may have fewer opportunities to recover from low proficiency ratings. Some commenters also questioned whether the changes were necessary in a high-performing school system.
“As a special education teacher in a different school system, this sounds like it would be discouraging to students that try their best despite their learning differences. The typical grading system allows them to improve and pass without such rigid criteria,” Jordan, of Pelham, wrote.
Jack, of Birmingham wrote, “I have many issues with the EBG system. The main complaint I have is that it tried to solve something that never really needed fixing, and in doing so it worsened that very thing.”
As the rollout continues, Homewood High School has worked to educate families about the transition through student presentations, parent information sessions and online resources.
School officials said students in evidence-based grading courses have attended informational sessions during study hall, while parents can attend ongoing coffee talks and access updated materials on the school’s grading website.