Ken O'Connor (The Grading Doctor) Professional Development

Ken O'Connor, widely known as 'The Grading Doctor,' offers professional development that has transformed grading and assessment practices in schools across 47 US states, nine Canadian provinces, and 25 countries worldwide. With 33 years of classroom experience as a geography teacher, department head, and curriculum coordinator responsible for student assessment and evaluation, O'Connor brings unmatched practical credibility to his work on standards-based grading reform. His foundational contribution to the field—the development of eight grading guidelines in 1995, later refined into fifteen fixes for broken grades—has provided educators with a clear, research-informed framework for ensuring that grades accurately reflect student learning. O'Connor's professional development sessions draw on his influential publications including 'How to Grade for Learning K-12,' 'The School Leader's Guide to Grading,' and 'A Repair Kit for Grading: 15 Fixes for Broken Grades,' all published through Corwin and Solution Tree. His workshops help educators and school leaders examine their current grading practices, identify where grades may be distorted by factors unrelated to learning, and implement changes that make assessment more equitable, accurate, and meaningful for students.