The era of grading reform is in full swing. Teachers throughout the country are critically analyzing their grading practices and the effect grading has on student learning and productivity. As an educator who implemented alternative grading over a decade ago, I am thrilled to see this movement gaining steam as more and more teachers are implementing grading systems not based on traditional 100-point scales and percentages. In fact, several teachers have gone , and are sharing their experiences through social media communities like Teachers Going Gradeless (@TG2) and Teachers Throwing out Grades (#TTOG).
If you are weighing the possibility of going gradeless in your own classroom or adopting some other alternative grading system, allow me to present some of the issues at stake, address some common hesitancies teachers typically relate, and offer some tips for success that I have gleaned in my fifteen years of alternative grading.
The Problems with Traditional Grades
This brief list of issues with traditional or "toxic" grading practices is by no means exhaustive. Still, these are three main, problematic outcomes of traditional grading:
Grades Are Demotivating
Within a points-based system, it may seem that students value the accumulations of points. But points are only a means to an end; students develop intrinsic motivation and prefer classrooms that are learning oriented . Furthermore, students who fall behind in the points race can find themselves mathematically eliminated from their desired letter grade or even their ability to pass the class at all. If your class solely rewards accumulating points as the only measure of success, those students' motivation will fall to zero.
Point-based Grades Inhibit Creative Thinking
Traditional grading systems may constrain student's creativity because some will stop working once they have achieved a satisfactory level of points—whatever they determine that to be. Especially on specific assignments or projects that allot a certain amount of points for completing specific components, students will typically (although not always) only do what is asked of them. Once point values are removed, students are free to imagine their assignments any number of ways. Time and time again, I have witnessed students demonstrating their understanding of concepts in ways that exceed parameters I might have outlined in points-based system.
Grades Stifle Lifelong Learning
Once the value of a classroom is ascribed to the pursuit of points, course content takes a backseat. Instead of developing the habits of lifelong learners who are driven by a desire to enrich knowledge and understanding, students become focused on their score. Detaching content from grades and points allows students to engage with content more intrinsically, which will give them the opportunity to pursue their passions later in life.
Common Hesitations
There are many reasons why a teacher may choose not to take up the banner of grading reform. Here are the common roadblocks to reform and how we might work around them.
Averaging Hides Students' Abilities
Even though averaging of scores is so commonplace that it is almost synonymous with the entire concept of grading, nothing will mask students' true abilities faster than adding up their cumulative scores and dividing by the total. No matter what grading system you employ, I strongly discourage you from using mean averages to determine a student's overall grade. Since traditional grades have been shown to vary from teacher to teacher, class to class, and school to school, the value of averaged scores is, at best, consistently inconsistent. If you are a teacher who believes that a student's grade should reflect their ability level in your subject area, then you need a better grading system than a mean average.
Skirting the Mandate
Grading reform may seem out of reach for many teachers because their school or district mandates reporting letter grades. Following procedure is a legitimate concern, but there is a way around it: Traditional letter grades don't have to be based on a 100-point scale. I myself use letter grades, but all points have been removed. Instead, the letters A, B, C, and F have been qualitatively reconceptualized. Each new semester, my students need a bit of grading-detox, but they quickly grow accustomed to not having to chase points and can instead focus solely on their learning. I encourage you, whether within your departments or entire schools, to examine what grades actually mean and determine for yourself the qualifications for achieving and reporting those levels of distinction.
Holy Conversion
In many alternative grading systems, be it standards-based grading (SBG), mastery grading, gradeless feedback, teachers often struggle with converting their scores back to a final letter grade that goes on students' transcripts. As above, I would recommend sitting down with your colleagues to qualitatively reconceptualize how transcript grades are derived. At all costs, avoid averaging total scores and be wary of fractional point values, especially in SBG environments. Students either know the content and can demonstrate skills, or they can't (yet).
Tips for Success
As one who has been grading alternatively for over a decade, I can offer you the following advice on ways to successfully implement grading reform:
Don't Go It Alone
Implementing grading reform is difficult enough. Grades are judgmental evaluations of a body of students' work, and as such they are immediately personal. Disrupting commonly held notions can quickly encounter opposition. Find a colleague who can share this journey with you. Discuss grading reform within your department, school, or district. Also consider expanding your personal learning network by joining groups like Teachers Going Gradeless (@TG2) and Teachers Throwing out Grades (#TTOG). There is power in community, and it is reassuring to know that you are not alone in your quest for effective and accurate grading.
Don't Ride the Fence
Please, whatever you do, do not attempt to straddle the line between traditional and alternative grading. This will undoubtedly lead to frustration for you and for your students. It is challenging enough to switch grading paradigms; it is virtually impossible to exist in two at once. Choose one paradigm and dive in. As scary as it may seem to adopt an alternative grading system or go entirely gradeless, you will also find it refreshingly liberating. No longer will students hoard points like squirrels in autumn; instead they will be able to directly engage with your content. Imagine no more questions like, "How many points is this worth?" or "Will this count?" This relief only comes with total commitment.
Find a System That Works for You
Regardless of which route you choose, you must ultimately do what is comfortable for you. Maybe it is a schoolwide SBG initiative, or maybe you and your colleagues are thinking of trying a contract grading system. Perhaps you feel ready to go entirely gradeless. One thing is certain: you cannot continue with traditional, points-based grading – at least not if you want the grades you give to reflect students' true abilities. I encourage you to critically analyze the purpose and meaning of your own grading practices, and the effect your grading is having on student outcomes. I hope you will find these practices to be invigorating and rejuvenating, as I have. The water is fine, so dive right in!