Promoting District Office and Family Collaboration to Support Teaching and Learning: Scaling Standards-Based Grading in Highline Public Schools

Abstract

In 2018, Highline Public Schools set an ambitious goal of district-wide implementation of standards-based grading by the fall of 2022. This includes the use of common rubrics and assessment strategies, shared grading scales and aggregation methods, and standards-aligned report cards. In 2021-2022, the superintendent and chief academic officer invited me to take residency in the district to further their efforts towards this goal. I joined Highline in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, when educators were relying on families more than ever and online video conferencing was creating both challenges and opportunities for collaboration.

By mindfully integrating into a team of leaders, I was able to promote the identification of clear short- and long-term goals, increase collaboration across departments, and lead the district’s efforts to engage families in the design of a new report card. Leadership strategies I employed included using choice architecture to influence educator behavior, triangulating data and stories, incorporating an equity lens in decision making, and transforming power dynamics between staff and diverse families.

This capstone explores the relationship between teacher practice and technology platforms and the equity issues inherent in both engaging diverse families and grading non-academic behaviors. I address the need for ongoing collaborative, iterative processes for selecting the academic standards and non-academic skills to prioritize in teaching and feedback. Recommendations also include establishing multiple mechanisms and strategies for gathering meaningful family feedback at all stages of an initiative.