What’s It Going to Take for Us to Dump the Tests? — Grow Beyond Grades As schools reconvened on Thursday, January 7, many teachers faced two tasks: helping students make sense of yet another traumatizing “day after”—and getting them prepared for end-of-semester tests.

We’ve got to give up our obsession with measurement. It’s destroying our kids, it’s destroying our teachers, it’s destroying our ability to deliberate, to think deeply, to participate in democratic society. @achiaravalli.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/dump-th...

Going Gradeless Requires Both Addition and Subtraction — Grow Beyond Grades Although most gradeless teachers engage in “subtraction,” removing traditional grading from our classrooms, we also need “addition” in the form of new infrastructure that connects our individual effor...

If you never get started on building infrastructure, the change you desire will never happen. And infrastructure building is a collective enterprise, not an individual one. —Barry Fishman growbeyondgrades.org/blog/additio...

"Do No Harm" with More Equitable and Motivating Grading Practices — Grow Beyond Grades “Our grading practices haven’t changed much from when I was graded, to when my son was graded, to now,” writes Patti Forster. “Grades are still used as rewards and consequences to compare students, an...

When the pandemic started, we heard from our administrators and state education officials to do no harm with our grading. Do no harm. What does that suggest about the way we graded before the pandemic? —Patti Forster growbeyondgrades.org/blog/do-no-h...

Why I Gave Up Grading — Grow Beyond Grades Now, in my 24th year of teaching, I am the teacher I always wanted to be. I have strong relationships, my learners are engaged in the curriculum, and I feel I am making a lasting impact on their lives...

I want to create a classroom that would have engaged the 16-year-old me. —Aaron Blackwelder @growbeyondgrades.org growbeyondgrades.org/blog/why-i-g...

Want to Go Gradeless? Here's How We Do It — Grow Beyond Grades Grades are so much a part of our own learning experiences and the tools available to teachers today it might be hard to imagine your school without grades. But a it’s possible—and powerful—when you ca...

School is about learning, not grades. Changing how we talk about success in school is a great first step to putting the focus where it should be: on learning! —Ed Vogel and Jolene Zywica growbeyondgrades.org/blog/want-to...

Differentiated Assessment w/Rick Wormeli — Grow Beyond Grades In this episode of TG2Chat LIVE! well known educator and author, Rick Wormeli, discusses how educators can better communicate learning with students and stakeholders.

A whole lot of the ills we associate with schools these days comes down to students not feeling like they have choice and voice and agency in what they do. @rickwormeli.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/10-27-2...

Asset-based Assessment is Equitable Assessment — Grow Beyond Grades Although I always valued students’ improvement over time, the way I was assessing didn’t support those values. I said I valued process, but my vision was on product, which limited the opportunities fo...

It was contradictory for me to tell students to work on this particular skill and not worry about the results, just to turn around and put a poor grade on their work. @davefrangiosa.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/asset-b...

Notch Up Your Nitpicking with Replace/With Pairs — Grow Beyond Grades In my nitpicking, I spent far too much time bogged down in reiterating past teaching. In my marginal notes and technology-enhanced comments, I was giving a low-quality version of the lesson I’d given ...

Students weren’t benefitting from my use of feedback to recreate lessons they hadn’t learned in the first place. And feedback continued to be far more work for me than it was for them. @achiaravalli.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/notch-u...

Care at the Core w/Sherri Spelic — Grow Beyond Grades Sherri Spelic, an elementary physical education teacher at American International School Vienna, shares her experiences and reflections on assessment, as well as how we can create more inclusive, resp...

Education systems writ large are still very much about hierarchies and measurement and ranking. We are all participating whether we choose to or not. @edifiedlistener.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/1-23-22...

Tell Me About You, Not About Your Grades — Grow Beyond Grades Students using spikeview view their learning as a journey. They see where they have been, can explore what’s next, and make informed decisions on where not to spend time. It’s not a snapshot of one cl...

Students shouldn’t squander years of their life, stumbling about to see what jobs accidentally present themselves that maybe they won’t hate. —Peter Hostrawser growbeyondgrades.org/blog/tell-me...

Tell Me About You, Not About Your Grades — Grow Beyond Grades Students using spikeview view their learning as a journey. They see where they have been, can explore what’s next, and make informed decisions on where not to spend time. It’s not a snapshot of one cl...

How successful was my education if all I have to show for it is a high school GPA? Was I ready to stand out from the crowd, or to receive a certificate honoring my conformity to the system? —Peter Hostrawser growbeyondgrades.org/blog/tell-me...

Helping Students Own Their Own Narrative w/Ekta Sahasi — Grow Beyond Grades Ekta Sahasi is the founder of spikeview, a global pre-professional portfolio platform for students and young adults. She is reinventing how Gen-Z represent themselves online, build meaningful networks...

They're seeing their story come to life, and that in itself is motivating! —Ekta Sahasi growbeyondgrades.org/blog/2-27-22...

Children, Learning, and the 'Evaluative Gaze' of School — Grow Beyond Grades The evaluative gaze of school is so constant a presence, so all-pervasive an eye, that many people have come to believe that children would actually not develop without it. But an oak tree does not re...

As my work neared completion, a sinking feeling gradually began to come over me. Finally I realized what it was. It was the dread of handing it in to be evaluated. @carolblack.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/evaluat...

Children, Learning, and the 'Evaluative Gaze' of School — Grow Beyond Grades The evaluative gaze of school is so constant a presence, so all-pervasive an eye, that many people have come to believe that children would actually not develop without it. But an oak tree does not re...

A watched pot loses the desire to boil. @carolblack.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/evaluat...

Student-led Conferences: The Key to Going Gradeless — Grow Beyond Grades With student-led conferences, families hear how students are progressing, more than any number or letter could tell them. Families become a part of the process, learning about their child’s interests ...

Students are proud of the effort they have put in and excited that their work is valued. You see their confidence grow and their love for learning shine. —Gillian Berard growbeyondgrades.org/blog/student...

Student-led Conferences: The Key to Going Gradeless — Grow Beyond Grades With student-led conferences, families hear how students are progressing, more than any number or letter could tell them. Families become a part of the process, learning about their child’s interests ...

With student-led conferences, families hear how their child is progressing, more than any number or letter could tell them. They become a part of the process, learning about their child’s interests and passions. —Gillian Berard growbeyondgrades.org/blog/student...

Taking Unneeded Anxiety Out of Assessment — Grow Beyond Grades To counteract the anxiety caused by high-stakes assessments and grades, Nate Bowling invites students to focus on feedback and learning. Life is hard enough for students; assessment practices should n...

Notably, there was less anxiety on and around assessment days and more in-class conversations about actual learning, rather than scores, afterward. @natebowling.com growbeyondgrades.org/blog/taking-...

The Case for a Teaching Community — Grow Beyond Grades We know our students thrive in cultures that welcome, affirm, and challenge them. Lisa Wennerth explains why we need to also model this understanding by creating prosperous professional communities am...

It is time for educators to take charge of the broken narrative. We need to tell a different, more accurate story. —Lisa Wennerth growbeyondgrades.org/blog/the-cas...

The Case for a Teaching Community — Grow Beyond Grades We know our students thrive in cultures that welcome, affirm, and challenge them. Lisa Wennerth explains why we need to also model this understanding by creating prosperous professional communities am...

We won’t be capable of dismantling the narrative if we simply 'close our doors and teach.' —Lisa Wennerth growbeyondgrades.org/blog/the-cas...

Going Gradeless with Students Stuck in the Old System — Grow Beyond Grades On the first day of class, your introduction to the gradeless classroom doesn’t go as expected. As you field students’ questions and concerns, you feel hurt and frustrated. Going gradeless is supposed...

Underserved students may have learned to get by with as little time in class as possible—to protect themselves and their mental health. Though you promise your classroom will be different, they may be hesitant to believe you. @karismjones.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/stuck-i...

Going Gradeless with Students Stuck in the Old System — Grow Beyond Grades On the first day of class, your introduction to the gradeless classroom doesn’t go as expected. As you field students’ questions and concerns, you feel hurt and frustrated. Going gradeless is supposed...

As you field students' questions and concerns, you feel hurt and frustrated: this gradeless system is supposed to relieve anxiety, not cause it! What is going on? @karismjones.bsky.social www.growbeyondgrades.org/blog/stuck-i...

Getting Started With "Hover-Free" Teaching — Grow Beyond Grades Achieving a student-centered instructional model may be challenging. Miriam Plotinsky, author of the book Hover-Free Teaching , offers ways that teachers can foster a culture of shared responsibility...

Achieving a student-centered instructional model may be challenging, but it is well within the reach of teachers who are dedicated to elevating a culture of shared responsibility for learning. @mirplo.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/hover-f...

Yes, There is Such a Thing as a Bad Question — Grow Beyond Grades Don’t get me wrong, answering questions and helping students is one of my favorite parts of being a teacher. The problem is that not all questions are created equal and some questions inhibit learning...

Removing grades from the general discussion throughout the quarter and placing the focus on feedback, reworking, retrying, and understanding moves students towards 'I understand this!' —Andrew Burnett growbeyondgrades.org/blog/bad-que...

Yes, There is Such a Thing as a Bad Question — Grow Beyond Grades Don’t get me wrong, answering questions and helping students is one of my favorite parts of being a teacher. The problem is that not all questions are created equal and some questions inhibit learning...

Don’t get me wrong, answering questions and helping students is one of my favorite parts of being a teacher. The problem is that not all questions are created equal and some questions inhibit learning. —Andrew Burnett growbeyondgrades.org/blog/bad-que...

Go Out on the Branch w/Jay Percell — Grow Beyond Grades Jay Percell is an Associate Professor of Teaching and Learning at Illinois State University, an author of several academic essays, and a TEDx speaker. Michelle Cottrell-Williams hosts as Jay shares hi...

I would take just a second in the middle of those conferences and look around and say, 'This is it. This is the learning that is happening in the school.' —Jay Percell growbeyondgrades.org/blog/2022-09...

The Ungrading Umbrella — Grow Beyond Grades While there is plenty of variety under the ungrading umbrella, we have more commonalities than differences. We all agree the current system needs to change, and we all recognize the way grading is int...

If the conventional practices are harmful and uninformative, then we should do all in our power to challenge them. @susandblum.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/the-ung...

The (Un)grading Spectrum — Grow Beyond Grades Ungrading is more of a philosophy than a single model that says “do this and your students will learn.” Chris Sarkonak explores ungrading as a spectrum of possibilities that moves us away from the har...

The presence of grades takes psychological safety away from students, putting them into states of anxiety or apathy, neither of which allow for learning. @csarkonak.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/the-ung...

I’m a Learning Booster! — Grow Beyond Grades When we focus on assessment as a means of communication with and alongside our learners, it leaves space for their inner stories to be told and included. We are building the foundation for student-to-...

When we focus on assessment as a means of communication with and alongside our learners, it leaves space for their inner stories to be told and included. @edifiedlistener.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/im-a-le...

I’m a Learning Booster! — Grow Beyond Grades When we focus on assessment as a means of communication with and alongside our learners, it leaves space for their inner stories to be told and included. We are building the foundation for student-to-...

How interesting life becomes when we can see ourselves from a distance and take in all the details of the surrounding context! @edifiedlistener.bsky.social
growbeyondgrades.org/blog/im-a-learning-booster

Averageless: Setting better standards — Grow Beyond Grades I made a simple but effective change to my explanation of the system: I started referring to these courses as averageless instead of gradeless.

The ‘averageless’ approach has resulted in greater student engagement, more varied final projects, and fewer fretful students, parents, and administrators. —Josh Gates growbeyondgrades.org/blog/2018/06/16/averageless