Feedback is a key component of learning. Feedback can also evoke emotional responses from students, enhancing or undermining relationality and motivation. Unfortunately, the design and delivery of assessment feedback frequently does not consciously address this socio-emotional dimension. Ameena L. Payne shares how teachers are using video feedback to build trust and humanize the feedback process.

The traditional grading system presents numerous drawbacks and limitations, a reality that became particularly evident to Rachael Kettner-Thompson as she took on teaching high school credit recovery in Chemistry over the summer. Hearing from students who held negative self-perceptions or viewed themselves as inadequate was a stark reminder that traditional grading methods can inadvertently hinder students and take away from the fundamental purpose of school—to facilitate learning and growth.

For Rhonda Higgins, going gradeless has been a journey. From learning about the impact of a zero on a 100-point scale to implementing student-led grading conferences, Rhonda now shares with others how they can reclaim their time by giving students more accountability of their learning. “Teachers should not own 100% of the assessment process,” she writes. “By grading less, students share in the responsibility.”

For Middlebury College professor, Greg Pask, a graphic syllabus is a chance to establish the tone he wants for a course. Instead of treating the syllabus as a list of rules, penalties, and a code of conduct, the graphic syllabus communicates a “welcome to learning” invitation. And although a graphic syllabus and ungrading are not corequisites, the “ welcoming vibe of the graphic syllabi pairs well with my gradeless approach.”

Regardless of whether we care about grades, they are still an obstacle we must address. Going gradeless requires that teachers be especially proactive and open in their communication. In addition to adopting instruction and assessment practices that are accessible and equitable, it is equally important we convey these approaches so they are easily understood by all interested parties.

While standards-based grading purports to put the focus squarely on learning, practitioners have noted how this is not always the reality. Arthur Chiaravalli points out the ways that SBG “has at times become a stumbling block, frustrating attempts to foster cooperation, accommodate complexity, and respond to the urgent issues of our day.”

As a graduate of the famously grade-free Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, Nate Bowling received narrative evaluations rather than grades. “My transcript,” Nate writes, “shows who I was as a student far better than any series of letter grades or GPA could dream of.”

Grading systems are remarkably resistant to rethinking given the vast infrastructure built up around our commonly-accepted approaches to grading. Barry Fishman recounts some of his encounters with both the institutional infrastructure, explaining how systemic inertia makes it difficult to give up the current system.

Carla Meyrink, co-founder and secondary director at The Community for Learning, explains how a biweekly Project Day has revolutionized her school by providing students with the freedom to explore and create, free from the pressure of grades. It has lowered stress levels, encouraged creativity, and provided opportunities for cross-curricular learning.

As a biology professor who has gone gradeless in favor of a labor-based approach, Greg Pask has moved away from exams entirely. Whether at the introductory or 300 level, he has found that tests don’t support the goals for his classroom. Greg describes the three major problems with closed-note timed exams, and explores alternative approaches that address these specific shortcomings.

Nate Bowling explains why we should displace the College Board from its outsized role in education. Draining billions of dollars from families and school districts across the United States, its exams function as gatekeepers to marginalized communities that would be much better off without it. The sooner we come to grips with that, the sooner we can decide if we want the power they have to remain in their hands.

Everyone, at some time or another, reaches a quit point—the moment when an individual’s productive energy toward a specific goal drops, causing withdrawal or minimized effort. With knowledge of quit point, teachers can meet students where they are, move them into more productive phases of the quit continuum, and engage all students to learn.