Matt Townsley is an assistant professor of educational leadership at the University of Northern Iowa, co-author of the book, Making Grades Matter: Standards-Based Grading in a Secondary PLC at Work (2020, Solution Tree) and author of the forthcoming book, Using Grading to Support Student Learning (2022, Routledge). As a former district administrator and secondary teacher in the Solon Community School District (Solon, IA), he has firsthand experience implementing and leading lasting grading reform. District Administration magazine named Solon Community Schools a district of distinction, and Solution Tree recognized multiple buildings in the district as model professional learning communities during his tenure. Through conferences, professional development and workshops, Dr. Townsley has consulted with thousands of educators and parents across the country on the topics of assessment and grading.
COVID-19 caused many schools to temporarily revise their grading policies and practices. These changes included using “do no harm” grading methods such as freezing previous grades and replacing letter grades with pass-fail. As many schools return to “normal” in 2022, educators have an opportunity to reclaim the purpose of grades to communicate learning. In this webinar, participants will learn about five grading shifts they should consider in their local settings.
