Ambassador Post: Shifting the Grading Conversation
By Tyler Haglund, Science Teacher at Apple Valley High School The month is April, and a student walks up to me during independent work time and asks, “Mister, how much extra credit can I get to bump my grade?” This question, as well as many others, was the bane of my existence. How many times […]
Portfolios Tell a More Robust Story of Student Learning Than Tests Scores Alone
I work with a lot of brilliant students. I’m sure you do, too – students who are articulate, creative, curious, innovative changemakers who will create huge ripples in the world. Annie started the Gender and Sexuality Alliance, Richie volunteered to build a CNC machine for the engineering center, Dannie launched a website to raise awareness […]
Let Go of the Reins to Allow for Student Self-Advocacy
Let Go of the Reins to Allow for Student Self-Advocacy Written By Starr Sackstein Control, the false sense of knowing the outcome as the plan is put into action. Tightly holding the reins, manipulating the space to achieve a perceived understanding of success, all to maintain the illusion. Does this sound familiar? This is how […]
Using Positive Feedback in Math Classrooms
Providing math students with positive feedback can help them clarify their thinking, take risks, and apply concepts in new contexts.
Deepen Reflection, Deepen Learning
Teachers can learn a lot from asking students to reflect and self-assess against the standards and we do the students and ourselves a disservice by not making it an expectation. Perhaps writing a reflection like this isn’t appropriate for every class, maybe a video or voice recording would be better.
The Emotional Weight of Being Graded, for Better or Worse
The trouble with these extreme emotional reactions to grades is that students’ knowledge of a subject is tied to their experience of the grade.
Office Hours: 30 minutes with Constance Borro
“Having specific, real-time data doesn’t seem possible in the status quo, but it is possible, and that data is transformative. “ Constance Borro, CEO of Mastery Portfolio Constance Borro, CEO of Mastery Portfolio, sat down with R.E.A.L Discussion to talk about Mastery Portoflio’s beginning, its strengths, and our ultimate goal of revolutionizing grading and assessment practices […]
Video: 6 Tips For Going Gradeless
Change the conversation about grading to one about learning. When a student asks, “what did I get?” redirect him/her to “what did you learn?” The language we use around learning matters, so we must be intentional when students want to talk about progress. Try to avoid speaking in terms of numbers and letters and focus […]
Could You Teach Without Grades?
Starr Sackstein, COO of Mastery Portfolio, and Jennifer Gonzalez from Cult of Pedagogy talk about redesigning grading and assessment in the classroom. Are you receiving pushback from educators or families regarding your use of standards-based grading? Are you focused on improving student self-assessment in your classroom? Starr Sackstein shared her experiences during her conversations on […]
Mastery Portfolio Takes the Guesswork Out of Standards-based Grading
At Mastery Portfolio, we partner with schools that are ready for an assessment paradigm shift. Our focus is grading and assessment practices that motivate students to be active participants in their journey toward learning growth and mastery. Below is an exerpt from Rev 1’s article, Mastery Portfolio Takes the Guesswork Out of Standards-Based Grading written […]
