What if I stopped grading next marking period?

I love and hate grades.

So much so, that I'm typing a blog post over a break that I promised NOT to devote to schoolwork. (Seriously, holiday breaks should be about family, friends, and some great reads on the couch followed by one or two binges of Netflix.)

You can thank both Alice Keeler and Max Brooks for this as well as thirteen years in the classroom.

Here is what I have loved about grades:

1. The offer a numerical measure of student mastery which represents their knowledge. They seem concrete.

2. They seem universally acknowledged as doing the above (mostly).

3. They've always been there. I got an A, B, C, D, or F in my subjects, my parents did, their parents did... etc. I can compare my Algebra score with my father's (though I probably shouldn't).

Here is what irritates me about grades:

1. Many A students "play the game" with rubrics and scores. They could do more - really stretch themselves, but they choose to do just what they need to do to get the A.

2. You can't grade creativity... so grades rarely represent the students who really go above and beyond in fascinating and innovative directions.

3. Grading takes a lot of time, even with so many digital tools to automatically score assignments.

4. Some students really don't care about them. Gr.

5. I don't want to give a zero to a student, but when the student has done nothing, they haven't earned a 65% for mastery... which seems to represent a percentage of knowing, but does it really?

6. They're used as rewards and punishment.

7. This recent op-ed in the New York Times that has made its rounds.

So in response to a post from Alice Keeler about deducting points for lateness even though students are still offering 'A' quality work, Max Brooks shared this blog post with me. He acknowledged it may not translate out of post-secondary, but suggested I read it over.

And I was struck because, couldn't it honestly be that simple? I looked at the author's contract here.

What if I made a contract like this for my 7th graders?

What if, instead of recording every grade for every assignment throughout the week, keeping track and hounding late assignments, begging my brightest students to try new things... what if I simply gave them a score for this each week? Each week is worth 100 points.

A = 100 points - Students will do all of the work required of the B AND students put extra effort into their learning. This may mean that they read more than what is required of them. This may include:

• Strong critical and analytical thinking (in writing and class discussion), including the ability to understand and respond to other views

• Writing that shows critical reading and careful rereading

• Unique and creative ideas.

• Taking risks in your writing and other assignments

• Clear sentences, careful proofreading

• Surpassing or raising reading goals to challenge oneself.

• Asking great questions in class and responding well to class discussion.

• Demonstrating leadership during group work by both asking questions and stepping back to allow others to contribute.

B = 90 points - Students who do their work (including required reading) in a timely fashion and redo their work for improvement will earn this score. This means reading and annotating texts for when we take notes, submitting all homework, quizzes, projects, and essays; and making revisions to your work when asked. To earn a B, students should be fully present in class and using electronic devices appropriately. Students who contribute during group work and use their class time wisely.

C = 80 points - Students who complete all larger assignments (essays and projects) and most of the other work. Students may not always complete the reading or take notes this week. Students may miss an assignment. Students may do some of the suggested revisions to work when requested. Student may not actively contribute to group work consistently.

D = 70 points - Students who do not complete all larger assignments due during the week or most of their other work. Students do not often complete their reading or take notes. Students missing many assignments. Students does not attempt to make revisions when asked. Students who do not contribute to group work this week.

F = 60 points - Students who do not complete their assignments during the week. Students who do not redo or make revisions when asked to do so. Students who are off-task regularly in class during the week and do not contribute to group work.

Notice that first, there are no zeros! Even students who do not do work will get a 60% for the week. We all have "off" days and weeks. This means that students can recover by making better choices the next week. Honestly, showing up and being in class can be worth 60% for some of our most struggling students.

Secondly, notice that assignment completion is a part of the grade, but students can get a C for a week even if they miss an assignment. It doesn't say anything about lateness (though it is emphasized that timely completion is in the B range). A missed assignment is an assignment that is not completed during the week - not a late assignment.

I've also raised the bar of the A for the students who like to "check the boxes" of the rubric to make an A and cut corners on ungraded work. I think this opens up the possibility of rewarding creative and innovative thinking.

So this is my first brainstorm in this direction - not a final product. Next marking period starts in the middle of January, and I don't know if I can do this, should do this, or what. If you like it, steal it. If you want to poke holes into it, please do (and share the holes so I can make a decision). I just have to get the idea out of my head before I continue with break or I'll never be able to concentrate on binging my Netflix. ;-) Thanks.