Reimagining Grading and Assessment

Reimagining Grading and Assessment

June 25, 2021

Educators have learned an array of valuable lessons from teaching during a pandemic. Throughout the last 15 months, we adjusted to new procedures and new challenges. We taught in uncharted waters and adapted to new situations. However, this was not our first rodeo (Muir, 2020). Teaching has always been about acclimating to the unexpected.

As we end the 2020-2021 school year and begin to prepare for the next, we must bring the lessons we have learned with us. We need to continue to put students’ learning needs first and focus on the implementation of effective pedagogy, especially including assessment and grading. Students today can be distracted by letter grades. Instead of focusing on critical thinking and learning, they are preoccupied with the collection of points. There is a toxic component to traditional grading and assessment; the quality of work tends to diminish and students are only looking for the easiest and quickest way to earn an A (Olson & Truxal, 2021). Research shows three solid effects when students are graded: less deep thinking, avoiding taking risks, and losing interest in learning itself (Kohn, 2006).

How do we shift away from a grade-centered classroom to a student-centered assessment for learning environment?

One answer is ungrading. Ungrading does not necessarily mean not to grade anything. Instead, ungrading encourages the stakeholders in a school community to put on their critical lenses and reconceptualize grading as a systemic practice (Stommel, 2021). The ungrading philosophy allows us to reimagine who we are as educators and what our role is in the classroom. It reinforces the importance of providing constructive feedback around fundamental skills, areas of growth, and encourages self-reflection (Olson & Truxal, 2021). Utilizing these methods, students are inspired to become authors of their own learning, and teachers are motivated to become authors of their own teaching (Stommel, 2021).

If you want to learn more about the importance of ungrading in education, please listen to the advocacy speech I wrote to an illustrative school board below:

The implementation of ungrading methods requires support from the entire school community. It can be an overwhelming task to make this shift. When the 2021-2022 school year begins, however, there are easy ungrading techniques I can incorporate into my classroom:

• Alter how I talk about assessments with my students by using words like “ask” and invite rather than “submit” or “required”

• Inquire about students’ expectations for their work

• Integrate conversations about grades and discuss how it affects motivation

• Grade less and grade more simply

• Create a safe environment where risk-taking, experimenting and innovating is encouraged

• Don’t collect all student work

• Provide opportunities for self-reflection on student work and learning

(Stommel, 2021)

I firmly believe ungrading will not only benefit my students’ learning needs but will also create stronger relationships among us. They have the potential to become full participants in their own education, and I have the opportunity to take ownership of my own pedagogies (Stommel, 2021). The pandemic inspired me to reimagine education, and this mindset will continue.

References (for the speech)

Olson, P., Truxal, N. (2021, June). Focusing on feedback: Reassessing letter grades. Third Eye Education. https://www.thirdeyeed.com/read/focusing-on-feedback-reassessing-letter-grades

Popham, J. (2012). Assessment bias: How to banish it. Pearson. http://iarss.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Popham_Bias_BK04.pdf

Stommel, J. (2018, March 11). How to ungrade. JesseStommel.com. https://www.jessestommel.com/how-to-ungrade/

Stommel, J. [BIG Question Institute] (2021, June 11). How to upgrade [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzb0autLPjQ

References (for blog)

Kohn, A. (2006). The trouble with rubrics. Alfie Kohn.com. https://www.alfiekohn.org/article/trouble-rubrics/

Muir, T. (n.d). Home [Facebook page]. The Epic Classroom. Retrieved from June 22, 2021 from https://www.facebook.com/epicclassroom/

Naglik, M. (2021 June 25). Reimagining grading and assessment. [Video] YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v8bBG-gGxo

Olson, P., Truxal, N. (2021, June). Focusing on feedback: Reassessing letter grades. Third Eye Education. https://www.thirdeyeed.com/read/focusing-on-feedback-reassessing-letter-grades

Stommel, J. [BIG Question Institute] (2021, June 11). How to upgrade [Video]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzb0autLPjQ