A New Perspective on Student Evaluation: Ungrading

As educators around the globe grappled with the unprecedented challenges brought forth by the Covid-19 pandemic, a crucial realization emerged amongst teachers. Whilst the pandemic highlighted the necessity of keeping school going and learning uninterrupted, it simultaneously revealed the shortcomings of traditional methods of student assessment, especially in world languages.?

As a teacher in a school that employs standard-based assessments and grading to gauge student academic success, I faced a pivotal challenge in the aftermath of the pandemic. The frequent question from my students – "Is this going to be graded?" – has been a resounding call for change, growing increasingly urgent, the past few years. My students’ question, deceptively harmless, reveals a deeper issue: their emphasis is more on grades than on the actual process of learning. In a recent Tweet on this topic, Julie Stern revealed the following “unpopular opinion: Standards-Based Grading, while better than other practices, is still part of a broken system. [...] All external validators of learning erode intrinsic motivation. [...] just think about how much time and effort we already spend (waste?) on grades that could go toward building something better!”

At the end of last academic year, I started addressing the issue by creating the poster below to highlight the value of learning over grades. Upon sharing the poster on social media in May 2023, it immediately resonated and sparked conversations with colleagues who suggested displaying it in every classroom. This experience served as a catalyst, igniting my interest in a radically different approach to student evaluation: ungrading.

I have recently delved into alternative educational philosophies presented in Susan D. Blum's "Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead)" and Starr Sackstein 's "Hacking Assessment: 10 Ways to Go Gradeless in a Traditional Grades School." I discovered that these works provide the foundation for my shift towards a more holistic and meaningful approach to teaching and learning in my world language classes. With the guidance of my school’s Learning Innovation Coach, Dave Curran , I also started exploring ways that would help me increase my students’ motivation in their world language studies. We decided to focus on my Spanish 2 class and my research enabled me to deepen my understanding that the traditional grading system, a long-standing cornerstone in education, is often seen as a necessary tool for evaluating student abilities and achievements. But what if there’s a more effective way to assess learning? Ungrading focuses on learning and understanding rather than numerical or letter grades. It emphasizes feedback, self-assessment, and nurtures a deeper, intrinsic motivation for learning.?

Continuing my journey towards ungrading, a journey that started with the simple question "Is this going to be graded?”, I aim to delve into the essence of ungrading, its stark contrast with conventional grading systems and its numerous benefits, including fostering a love for learning, reducing stress and anxiety, and promoting a deeper understanding of course material. I discuss the challenges of implementing ungrading, drawing from my own experience as well as those described by the two authors mentioned above, and how these challenges can be surmounted. Through this exploration, I hope to shed light on why ungrading could represent a pivotal shift in teaching and evaluation methodologies, benefiting both my students and myself as a teacher. Additionally, I hope this article and the article that will follow will spark much-needed discussions about assessments and evaluations in schools, particularly those striving to prepare students for the future, like mine does.

Defining Ungrading

Ungrading represents a significant shift in educational assessment, moving away from traditional grading towards a more holistic and feedback-driven approach. Championed by thought leaders like Susan D. Blum and @Starrsackstein this method provides a profound critique of conventional grading systems and introduces a compelling alternative.

In the foreword to "Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead)," Blum condemns the traditional practice of grading on a curve or ranking students, describing such methods as "counterproductive for learning" and "frankly, immoral" (Blum, p. xiv). Her bold stance paves the way for a radical reevaluation of how we measure and value student achievement.

Contributor Aaron Blackwelder, reflecting on his transition away from grades "tested [his] creativity and patience," ultimately leading to a more meaningful teaching experience (Blum, p. xvii). Echoing this sentiment, Amy Fast, Superintendent at Dayton School District, Oregon,highlights the paradox in education's reliance on complex assessment mechanisms while often overlooking student input about their learning experiences, despite students beginning to be acutely aware of their own learning journeys. In a post on LinkedIn she asked this great question: “Are we measuring to IMPROVE students’ skills or to PROVE they’ve acquired the skills? The difference between these two missions greatly impacts our practices.”

Blum challenges the concept of uniform grading, questioning its applicability in a diverse student population with varied backgrounds, experiences, and aspirations (Blum, Chapter 3, p. 55-56). She contends that grades fall short of conveying comprehensive information about a student's learning, effort, or engagement, thereby diminishing their true education worth. Furthermore, Blum critiques grades as extrinsic motivators, arguing that they often erode intrinsic learning motivations and prompt students to treat education as a point-accumulating game rather than a journey of genuine learning (Blum, Chapter 3).

In her book "Hacking Assessment: 10 Ways to Go Gradeless in a Traditional Grades School," Starr Sackstein echoes these concerns, underscoring how the grade-centric culture has veiled the true purpose of education, which is learning and personal growth (Sackstein, Hack 1). Arthur Chiaravalli, contributing to Blum’s work, employs the Sisyphus metaphor to depict students'? relentless and ultimately futile quest for grades, a pursuit that frequently eclipses their intrinsic drive for mastery and personal fulfillment (Blum, Chapter 5, p. 83). Thus, ungrading emerges as an essential evolution in education, presenting a framework that prioritizes comprehensive, constructive feedback, student-centered learning, and intrinsic motivation.?

Benefits of Ungrading

Adopting ungrading in educational settings yields multifaceted benefits, impacting both students and teachers. For students, ungrading cultivates intrinsic motivation, freeing them from the constraints of grade-centric learning and enabling them to pursue knowledge with authentic interest and curiosity. This approach encourages deeper learning, as students engage more thoroughly with course material, seeking understanding rather than merely aiming for a high grade. Furthermore, ungrading notably diminishes stress and competition among students, fostering a more supportive and collaborative learning atmosphere. This aspect is particularly beneficial for students with learning challenges. Recently, I have engaged in discussions on this topic with colleagues from the Learning Support Services (LSS) Department at my school. They explained why, under our current standard-based grading system, some students are required to leave our world language program to receive additional support. The compelling arguments in two articles from LD Online and International Dyslexia Association, which my LSS colleagues shared with me, further justify the need to eliminate grades from schools.?

From a teacher's standpoint, ungrading presents a more holistic perspective on student progress. This approach enables teachers to evaluate learning comprehensively, transcending quantitative measures to grasp the qualitative facets of student development. Additionally, ungrading fosters a more collaborative classroom atmosphere, cultivating a learning partnership between teachers and students, where feedback and dialogue supplement the conventional top-down grading system. Collectively, these advantages lead to a more dynamic, interactive, and impactful educational experience for everyone involved. In my next article, I will delve deeper into the benefits of ungrading and discuss how I, along with others, have begun integrating it in our teaching practice.

Ungrading requires a reexamination of assessment, challenging traditional concepts and centering on its true purpose (Blum, p. 36). As already stated, this shift encourages students to engage more thoroughly with course material, seeking understanding rather than merely aiming for high grades. Aaron Blackwelder, in his reflections in Blum’s book, demonstrates how aligning teaching practices with students' intrinsic motivators - autonomy, mastery, and purpose - can significantly boost their engagement and learning (Blum, Chapter 2, p. 48). Blackwelder remarks that ‘[he] latched on to the ideas found in Daniel Pink’s book Drive who suggests three things that motivate someone to learn: autonomy (the desire to be self-directed), mastery (the urge to get better at something), and purpose (the idea that what is being done has meaning).” Pink’s book is essential reading for teachers looking to engage their students more effectively. Engaging students' interests and granting them control over their learning can greatly enhance their motivation and involvement, making them active agents of their own learning.

Arthur Chiaravalli, in Blum’s book, discusses how transitioning from grades to feedback and revisions creates a healthier learning environment. This approach aligns with Carol Dweck's growth mindset research, which indicates that prioritizing improvement and learning over external rewards fosters more? meaningful educational outcomes (Blum, Chapter 5, p. 83). For the past few years, I have displayed the poster below in my classroom illustrating the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. My aim has constantly been to inspire students to embrace challenges and see setbacks as opportunities for growth. Recently, I developed this lesson for our Grade 8 cohort on this topic, focusing on how students can achieve success both academically and in life. This is an extensive process that necessitates the participation of all stakeholders in our school community.?

Moreover, ungrading offers teachers a more holistic perspective on student progress. In "Hacking Assessment: 10 Ways to Go Gradeless in a Traditional Grades School," Starr Sackstein characterizes upgrading-based assessment as a narrative - a dialogue that deepens students' understanding of their own learning and growth (Sackstein, Introduction). This interactive dialogue supersedes traditional grading, evolving into a process that is more reflective, personalized, and conducive to growth. Additionally, Sackstein mentions the importance of reshaping mindsets about grades. By adopting a growth mindset, as promoted by Carol Dweck, educators can motivate students to perceive learning as an continuous, evolving process, not limited by grades or labels (Sackstein, Hack 1). Such a mindset propels students to view themselves as lifelong learners on an ongoing journey, rather than being defined by a single grade.

The ungrading approach focuses on fostering a learning environment where failure is not stigmatized, but viewed as an integral part of the learning journey. According to Sackstein, this perspective enables students to take risks and learn from their experiences, free from the traditional fear of failure (Sackstein, Hack 1). It promotes exploration, innovation, and a readiness to face challenges, with the understanding that education is about continual progress and growth, rather than solely focusing on final results.

The advantages of ungrading extend across various aspects of the educational experience. For students, this approach signifies a shift toward a learning process propelled by curiosity and personal aspirations. For educators, upgrading offers a deeper, more nuanced insight into student progress and fosters a collaborative classroom atmosphere. Collectively, these changes cultivate an educational culture that prioritizes growth, understanding, and intrinsic motivation, moving beyond the limited scope of traditional grading systems.