The COVID-19 pandemic has posed an unprecedented education equity crisis in California. K-12 schools continue to remain closed and it is yet unclear if they will re open in the fall. Similarly, the University of California and California's Community Colleges have not yet announced a systemwide decision, but the California State University's 23-campuses will resume online for fall. These decisions will continue to require education leaders and administrators to stretch their resources to create or improve distance learning plans, support students' basic needs, and maintain other essential services for students and families. Continued school closures also leave a number of unanswered questions for students and families, including how distance learning will impact grading. The California Department of Education has issued guidance maintaining that during the pandemic, grading policies and practices are a local decision that should be made in consultation with educators and with the understanding that any policy should hold students harmless. As a result, districts and schools across the state have issued differing grading policies that have equity implications for students. Considering the varied grading policies that have been enacted across the state, Education Trust-West shares their amended recommendation for state policymakers, K-12 school leaders, and college and university leaders. [For a related Equity Alert, see "Education Equity in Crisis: How to Address Learning, Promotions, Transitions and Grades in Light of School and College Closures" (ED607550). For an additional related report, see "Grading Policy in the Time of COVID-19: Considerations and Implications for Equity. Policy and Practice Brief" (ED606474).]