Joe gets 100% on his project. Sara got a 60%. What is the difference?
Within the classroom, I have seen teachers that give back scores and allow time to meet with students to discuss and give feedback on why they received the score that they did. We are moving into an age where instead of the percentage being the focus, the feedback will be the focus.
Giving continual and consistent feedback is much more time-consuming than giving a percentage grade, but it is also much more meaningful. It encourages the student to grow, seeing the skills or concepts where they are proficient and focusing their efforts on the areas where they are struggling.
Project-based learning lends itself to assessment via feedback. It allows for a continual process of improvement, getting input from the teacher, making small edits, growing into the best and most polished example of the student’s ability. This also strengthens the student’s “soft skills:” communication, collaboration, adaptability, reflection.
Have you ever told a student that they are really smart? I’m guilty. But this feedback isn’t enough. How are they smart? What made me believe that? Is intelligence able to be ranked? Instead of giving this general feedback, what else could we say? See this link for some ideas.
We have some amazing examples of teachers already implementing this idea in our district, from the World Language Department using proficiency-based grading (see below for resources), to the standards-based report cards at the elementary level, to the shift from quizzes and tests to project-based learning.
As the workplace becomes an environment that focuses on “projects” and collaboration, I hope you will continue to feel inspired and encouraged to move away from traditional assessment and embrace a more modern and meaningful approach by giving feedback.
For some ideas, check out this article from Edutopia.
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Language department proficiency based “grading” system resources
This is a great topic and one that I'd like to push a little deeper into. I was very excited last year when the language dept approached me with their idea of moving to a proficiency based grading system. If you are curious about what this entails or better yet why the dept wanted to move away from the traditional 100 point grading system, then you should reach out and talk to Jess Delany or Liz Snow. The feedback that students get really helps them focus on ways to grow and improve their skills vs. worrying about their grade. I also believe their is a shift in the accountability and ownership the students have for their learning...and isn't that something we all would like to see more of?
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