Letting Go of Grades: Using Research to Break Tradition & Motivate Students Through Feedback
Nicholas Stenske
Seminar Title
Letting Go of Grades: Using Research to Break Tradition & Motivate Students Through Feedback
Concept/Strategy
Focus of the Research
Authentic feedback, Standards-based assessment, Intrinsic motivation,
Grade Level
Research Was Applied
7th Grade
Relevant Grade Level
Connections
Middle School
Discipline
Where Research Was Applied
Language Arts
Additional Discipline Areas
I see Application to
Writing
Invitation/Commercial
Are your students fixated on letter grades? Does the fear of failure keep your students from taking creative risks? Have you ever felt like you were splitting hairs trying to explain why a student received an A- instead of an A? This year I have abandoned letter grades for a system of assessment based on feedback, conversation, and self-evaluation. Instead of giving students arbitrary points, I give them feedback. My seventh graders keep a feedback portfolio where they record my feedback and what they do with my feedback. Our writing conferences have become completely centered on student goals, ideas, and reflections rather than rubrics. My seventh graders no longer ask me about grades. Instead, they are thinking and talking like writers. I am excited by the possibilities of a feedback-only approach in a higher-level writing course, and the implications and challenges of adopting this approach in other content areas. If you are interested in ditching letter grades and nurturing independent learners, this session is for you!