Selecting the Best Grading Adaptation for Your Student

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of making grading adaptations is selecting the most appropriate adaptation to meet a student's needs. Research on the impact of, and satisfaction with, grading adaptations has focused on the impact of personalized grading plans that include multiple grading adaptations (Munk & Bursuck, 2001; 2004), and research comparing different types of adaptations has not been reported. Munk (2003) has suggested that grading adaptations should be selected and designed collaboratively by the student, parent, and teachers to maximize the acceptability, fidelity of implementation, and effectiveness of chosen adaptations. Teams should consider the procedures, potential benefits, and cautions of each type of adaptation prior to implementation.

Munk (2003) has described the PGP (Personalized Grading Plan) Process for collaborative development of personalized grading plans that include specific grading adaptations and monitoring procedures for an individual student. The PGP Process includes the following steps:

1. Review of student's strengths and challenges in the classroom;
2. Clarification of what purpose the grade serves for each team member;
3. Consideration of benefits and cautions for each type of adaptation;
4. Selection of adaptation that "fits" the student's needs and desired purpose(s) for grade; and
5. Development of written plan that outlines responsibilities of each team member for implementing the grading adaptation and a plan for monitoring and reporting student progress with the adaptations.

A more thorough description of the PGP Process and materials used in the process can be found in Munk (2003). Many of the tools available on this website were field-tested in the PGP Process.