I sat in on a presentation tonight by Tom Schimmer, author of Then Things that Matter from Assessment to Grading.
Here is a link to a summary of his book and a 1 hour webinar that outlines the main points in his book; here is a different link to the state department webpage (scroll to the bottom) where there is a whole webinar series if you find yourself interested in learning more.
In his talk, Tom addressed a variety of topics including the following: using formative assessment to excite kids about learning, implementing descriptive feedback rather than just symbolic scores (be it letters or numbers), the need to determine grades rather than calculate grades, not allowing things students used to "not know" impact what they now know, seeing accountability as a way of saying that all learning is essential, maintaining a standards based mindset, fostering a growth mindset (versus a fixed mindset) in students, and understanding the power of feedback as the most effective tool for student learning.
As I reflected on his talk, I found myself deeply considering an approach to grading he presented. This approach suggests that teachers assign "incomplete" grades on summative tasks where students have not performed to proficiency or simply did not turn the assignment in rather than punishing students with a zero that then impacts the accuracy of grading. (Side Note: By "impacts the accuracy" I mean that a student who is clearly proficient but either doesn't perform up to his or her ability or doesn't turn an assignment in gets off the hook or receives an inaccurate grade if teachers assign a zero. Grades should reflect student skill according to a standards based evaluation. Unfortunately, some students don't mind the impact a zero has on their grade average. Others maybe had a bad day, didn't plan well, etc., but that doesn't mean their ability level is lessened.)
To avoid this issue, I really love the idea Tom presented: If kids don't turn in a key assessment (summative) that is clearly needed to determine proficiency, teachers should consider giving students an incomplete until the assignment is turned in. This reinforces the idea that learning is essential and that it isn't the grade that matters (as this can feel punitive) as much as it is the skills gained. This means that teachers must have clear learning targets in mind as they compose units and summative tasks. Kids soon begin to realize that teachers are sincerely invested in student learning rather than simply being interested in assigning a grade.
This notion seems to fit hand-in-hand with an idea I recently had in regards to feedback on summative tasks. Research shows that, when students receive assignments back that include both a grade and comments, the comments are quickly disregarded. Research also shows that between the 3 feedback options: score, score + comments, or just comments, the most effective tool for encouraging student learning and instigating shifts in student disposition toward assessment is the "just comments" option. My idea is to return summative tasks with comments only the first time around and provide students time to workshop through my notes and suggestions (and possibly peer and self comments). The goal is not for them to simply correct according to my feedback; I pose most of my comments as questions in a way that places leaning responsibility back on the student. Ideally, students can use this workshop time to reflect on their work, consider areas that could use improvement, and decide if they think there are ways they can currently improve their product. If they decide to revise, I would ask them to conference to me and lay out the specific areas they want to improve. I like the idea of allowing this "endless revision" process to take place until the student feels they have achieved to the best of his or her ability; at that point, I would provide a final round of comments that incorporates a grade.
I am looking forward to trying these things out with my students. I think using the "incomplete" approach to missing or below proficient summative tasks coupled with feedback workshops and endless revision will really help cultivate a student-centered classroom where kids embrace growth and learning.
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