Grades Do More Harm Than Good
by Chris Crouch
Before you click onto the next article in disgust or disbelief, please give me a chance to explain. For decades, grades have been the primary form of communicating and reflecting student mastery. A myth that has taken hold, but ironically no one thinks grades are able to communicate learning with any sort of accuracy or consistency. Teachers feel compelled to “grade,” (the verb form) any and all student work, believing that a letter or percentage will indicate to students and parents a measure of skill. Students feel conditioned to only pursue summative values and to get “As and Bs” to make mom and dad happy. Parents feel reliant upon teachers to instruct, assess, and communicate learning outcomes