How to grade students struggling to cope academically and how to measure the progress of English learners are two challenges teachers and schools face during the pandemic.
This week we talk with EdSource reporter Sydney Johnson on different strategies to grade students, including giving students more time to finish their work and switching from letter grades to providing feedback to students in the form of more descriptive narratives about their work.
And reporter Zaidee Stavely details the difficulties of assessing language proficiency among students who speak a language other than English at home through a lengthy test not originally designed to be given online at home.
Also this week, in an excerpt from one of the first media interviews he has done since taking office on January 1, new California State University Chancellor Joe Castro shares with EdSource postsecondary education reporter Ashley Smith his plans for reopening campuses and dealing with a recent decline in applications to the CSU’s 23 campuses.
Want to read more about Chancellor Castro’s priorities? Read this report by Ashley.
For more on assessing student progress, read these EdSource stories by Sydney and Zaidee: