Introducing Equitable Grading to Families
“What do you mean you don’t grade homework?” Have you heard this question before? What about, “How is my kid going to be prepared for college if they can turn in late work?” Many parents don’t understand standards based grading. Some even petition against it, begging schools, “Do not take away the reward for rigor, […]
Make your Classroom “Dynamic” with Jay Percell
Jay C. Percell, Ed. D., is an associate professor in the School of Teaching and Learning at Illinois State University. He teaches literacy and technology integration across the secondary curriculum and serves as the faculty liaison for the ISU Secondary Professional Development School. His research interests include assessment and grading practices, educational technology, and digital […]
A Recovering perfectionists journey to give up grades.
A Recovering perfectionists journey to give up grades. Written By: Starr Sackstein In 2016, Starr Sackstein was invited to give a TEDx Talk about her journey to give up grades. While her journey is far from over, this talk will allow you to discover how and why Starr decided to take a risk and throw out […]
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.
A Better Way to Report Learning
What is the function of a student report card? What does it seek to communicate? How effectively do most student report cards share information about individual student achievement? What if we rebranded our communication loop? What would that look like?
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 […]
Addressing Pushback in the No-Grades Classroom
Making changes in education is not an easy thing. Most folks are fully willing to continue to participate in the status quo, occasionally questioning something that doesn’t feel quite right but also doesn’t feel wrong enough to actually try something different.
