Reimagining Grading: Empowering Students Through Simplicity and Agency

Robert Talbert, in an article on Substack, talks about his use of “spec grading” and the EMRF rubric he used:

“The EMRF rubric does this. It is basically a Pass/Fail rubric in which instead of one decision that needs to be made about a student’s work… there are two. The first is whether the specs are met. The second one is: If the specifications are met, then is the work really excellent (‘E’) or not excellent but just OK (‘M’)?”

I find this approach compelling. Simple labels like “Success” and “Retry” on student work help students retain their agency—something crucial in education today.

I’ve always been uneasy with grade-focused conversations: students fixated on getting an “A” or asking if content will be “on the test.” Grades like C and D often fail to provide meaningful feedback about learning. The “Retry” concept shifts the focus to quality over completion, telling students, “You’re not done yet. Keep trying.” As Talbert notes:

“It wasn’t about points, it was about quality and there’s a world of difference here.”

Moving from grading to feedback transforms classroom dynamics, emphasizing learning and personal growth over mere completion.

Teaching & Learning through Bookend Lessons

It's so refreshing to hear teachers talking about the work that they do in schools. The "Bookend Lessons" initiative at Bay City Public Schools integrated essential skills like collaboration, communication, and agency into daily learning.

In each Bookend Lesson, students start by setting skill goals, engage in meaningful student-centered activities, and conclude with reflections on their progress to teach academic content but also fosters crucial life skills. Teachers collaborate, share strategies, and refine these lessons to align with our curriculum standards, creating a unified educational experience across all grades.

Key lessons from research about project-based teaching and learning

Anna Rosefsky Saavedra and Amie Rapaport, writing for Kappan:

"Our research has demonstrated that inquiry-based learning can be intellectually rigorous and cover a sufficient breadth of content and skills. Students learning through these approaches outperform comparison students on meaningful outcomes, including probability of high school graduation and AP scores."

They do a nice job summarizing implementation challenges inherent in project-based teaching and learning:

On the struggle of integrating PBL in traditional settings:

"In studies of PBL instruction that was not schoolwide, teachers struggled as the only adult in the building using the approach... For a student immersed in a traditional school, a PBL classroom can feel new, different, and unfamiliar."

On the tension between project depth and curriculum breadth:

"PBL requires students to spend a lot of time deeply exploring fewer content areas... This requirement can be in tension with the need to teach the breadth of content and skills in district and state learning standards."

On the financial and resource challenges of adopting PBL:

"Teaching PBL well requires materials and professional learning support that can be costly for schools and districts... These costs add up and can make transitioning to PBL a costly budget item for schools and districts that may already be strapped for cash."

They do an equally nice job of summarizing potential solutions and insights related to those challenges:

On the importance of patience and support for educators:

"Transitioning to effective implementation of PBL requires patience because pedagogical skills and culture take time to evolve... Educators, particularly those new to PBL, struggle."

On aligning PBL with standardized assessments:

"The IB Diploma Programme’s approach to assessment helps teachers overcome this barrier... students will have the choice on the exam to address questions related to those areas without being required to delve into others."

On leveraging open access resources and professional development:

"Many curriculum resources are open access... Even when the resources are free, professional learning workshops and coaches have costs, as does providing teachers with the time for extra course planning and professional learning community meetings."

They advocate for whole-school implementation of PBL as it addresses many of the challenges revealed in their research, such as the misalignment between different teaching methods and the need for a unified school culture that supports inquiry-based learning. They also emphasize the importance of district-level investment and support. This includes providing adequate resources, professional development for teachers, and the alignment of assessments with PBL methods to ensure that they measure the broad range of skills and knowledge that students gain.

The overarching message is that with support at both the school and district levels, the implementation of PBL can lead to transformative educational outcomes, fostering students who are not only academically successful but also adept at critical thinking, collaboration, and lifelong learning.

In my experience, that checks out and could easily be applied more broadly than to just PBL.

A Missing Element in Some Primary-Grade Reading Classes: Motivation

Seth A. Parsons and Joy Dangora Erickson, writing for Kappan

"We support the fundamentals of the science of reading... However, if we teach these components of reading without regard for motivation, we are undermining our efforts at supporting students’ literacy learning."

This makes logical sense but can get lost in practice if not explicitly called out. By integrating activities that are relevant, engaging, and collaborative, we respect students' diverse needs and interests, thereby promoting a deeper, more enduring engagement with reading.

What’s Ahead for the AP Program: Discussing and Prioritizing Potential Changes

Trevor Packer, Senior Vice President for AP and Instruction at the College Board, back in August 2023:

"The research does seem clear that incorporating projects can be a more expansive way to measure learning..."

Long perceived as a benchmark of excellence in high school education, the AP's pivot towards project-based learning (PBL) represents a deeper understanding of what constitutes effective learning. PBL is not just an alternative teaching method; it's an approach that can provide a more nuanced and comprehensive assessment of a student's abilities and understanding.

The shift to PBL acknowledges that learning transcends the traditional boundaries of rote memorization and regurgitation of facts. It's about applying knowledge in real-world scenarios, problem-solving, and innovation. This approach aligns well with current educational research, which underscores the importance of experiential learning in developing critical thinking, collaboration, and adaptive skills.

However, Packer maintains the need to balance between new and old methodologies. He states:

"Keeping part of the score based on something that is proctored and timed is valuable to us. But we don’t have to base all of it on that."

His point emphasizes the continued relevance of traditional assessments. Timed, proctored exams have their place in measuring certain types of knowledge and skills, particularly under pressure. I can’t argue that, but the blend of project-based assessments with traditional exams offers a more holistic approach to evaluating student achievement. A more hybrid assessment ensures that students are not only adept at theoretical knowledge but also proficient in practical application and problem-solving.

In essence, the AP's move towards incorporating more PBL into its curriculum reflects a broader shift in educational philosophy. It's an acknowledgment that the ways we measure learning need to be as diverse and multifaceted as the learners themselves. By adapting to include more project-based assessments, the AP Program is not only maintaining its high standards but also evolving to meet the diverse needs and talents of students in a complex, rapidly changing world.

The Power of Space

From NBS Commercial Interiors:

“This project aligned with the district’s strategic vision to enhance student-centered instructional practices and modernize learning environments.”

I feel privileged to have led this project, which began two years ago with tours of furniture showrooms and innovative schools, where we gathered valuable input from teachers and principals. Their perspectives were instrumental in shaping our approach to creating flexible, engaging learning environments.

In these updates, we've moved beyond the traditional concept of teachers transmitting information to passive students, to a more dynamic and interactive model. Our classrooms are now designed to facilitate various groupings and encourage active participation, nurturing the problem-solving and collaboration skills essential for future success.

This project is more than a physical transformation; it represents a deep commitment to enhancing the learning experience, allowing teachers to plan instruction that it more interactive, engaging, and effective for every student. This shift is a testament to our dedication to preparing students for a future that values adaptability, teamwork, and innovative thinking.

"But There's No Time!"

Grant Wiggins, writing for ASCD in 2012:

"Decades of education research support the idea that by teaching less and providing more feedback, we can produce greater learning."

And also:

"Although the universal teacher lament that there's no time for such feedback is understandable, remember that 'no time to give and use feedback' actually means 'no time to cause learning.'"

When I was a principal, a parent complained about an art teacher not updating grades often enough. I talked to the teacher, who invited me to observe her class. What I saw sticks with me today. She constantly moved, observed student practice, and gave quick, useful feedback on their work. She wasn't focused on grades because she was helping students improve in real time. I told the parent everything was fine and never questioned the teacher’s grading practices again.

Such practices ought to extend beyond the art classroom.

To Address Learning Gaps, Go Deeper

Kristina Kyles-Smith, writing for ASCD:

In addressing post-pandemic learning gaps, I encourage educators to stay proactive in examining and challenging the existing structures, policies, and practices that perpetuate the overemphasis on remediation and limit opportunities for certain students.

I couldn't agree more. In fact, I'd go further to argue that deeper learning shouldn't just be an alternative to remediation; it should be the primary tier 1 instructional strategy for all students, irrespective of their academic standing.

Aligning Classroom Practices with Community Aspirations for Deeper Learning

Yesterday, I shared the BCPS Graduate Profile video, describing what the Bay City community collectively wants for graduates. Today, I want to share its companion video describing our Deeper Learning initiative, where theory becomes part of our teaching practice.

By aligning instruction with the skills and values our community holds dear, we create a more cohesive and effective educational experience. This isn't just about ticking boxes on a standard assessment; it's about synchronizing our educational goals with real-world needs and expectations. When every stakeholder, from teachers and administrators to parents and community leaders, is on the same page, that's when we see transformative growth in our students.

The Power of Questions

Amanda Cullen, writing for Mathematics Teacher Learning and Teaching PK-12:

"The questions that a teacher asks a student and how the teacher follows up on the student’s response can support the student’s development of a positive mathematical identity and sense of agency as a thinker and doer of mathematics"

I love to see quotes like this, especially from math teachers. Teaching is not just about getting the right answer, but about nurturing students’ beliefs in their own capabilities, fostering their agency, and shaping their identity as confident problem solvers.

I abandoned grading my students and stopped taking attendance. Here’s what happened

J. W. Traphagan, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, abandoned traditional grading and attendance requirements, opting for a self-evaluation system that eliminated busywork and replaced grades with an assessment of participation and a score assigned by each student to reflect their performance. Here are his takeaways:

First, I often hear that students are apathetic about learning these days. This is inaccurate. Students are, in fact, excited about learning.

However, they’re indifferent to or even bothered by the educational system’s incessant emphasis on quantitative measures and assignments that seem to have little or no value. Most students want to learn, but don’t see the conventional educational approach as providing a particularly good framework for learning.

Second, many students have experienced enormous stress and anxiety. High school can be a pressure cooker focused on grades, test scores, GPAs and getting into the right college. As a result, learning seems like a side effect of education rather than the goal.

My students consistently note that when they don’t have to anticipate the expectations of their professor, they can focus on taking chances in their writing and thinking. And taking chances often leads to true learning and mastery of a topic.

Finally, this experiment has forced me to think about intellectual rigor in the classroom. Is a system designed to generate stress through piling on work and being “hard” — whatever that means — rigorous?

Or is rigor about creating an environment where students enjoy the learning process and, as a result, willingly engage in broadening their horizons and thinking about their lives?

I think it’s the latter.

What are we willing to lose in order to change a child's life?

Isabel Bozada-Jones, writing for EdSurge:

"If we are going to truly transform and improve education, all administrators, policymakers and leaders must let old practices die and imagine something better."

To create a climate and culture where “old practices” are replaced with “something better,” we must first provide school leaders with frameworks that openly acknowledge and tackle power dynamics within school systems that could hinder innovation.

Professional development, teacher mentor programs, student leadership initiatives, parent organizations, and community events all hold the potential for transformative change. However, these opportunities are rarely realized because school leaders often lack the necessary resources, training, or support to effectively confront power dynamics and promote innovation within their buildings.

Regarding Bozada-Jones' article, the question is: How can policymakers, business leaders, and district administrators collaborate to create frameworks and a community culture that empowers school leaders to envision innovative solutions instead of relying on outdated practices while acknowledging the existing power dynamics that cannot be overlooked?