AI is a change that is here to stay. Regardless of where you fall on the enthusiasm spectrum, we have an opportunity to steer conversations towards more inclusive, developmental, dialogic assessment and the grades that still carry so much weight.

Studies have consistently shown how Student Evaluations of Teaching are biased, harmful for faculty diversity, and thus, for students and universities. In addition to these issues, the data say less about teacher quality and more about the students themselves, especially about those from privileged backgrounds.

There is no shortage of teacher evaluation horror stories. In her role as Georgia Teacher of the Year Runner-up, Vanessa Ellis serves on the State Superintendent’s Advisory Committee, informing the development of Georgia’s teacher evaluation pilot, GaLEADS. Although the reform introduces several promising improvements, they are ultimately—and unfortunately—still bound by numbers, data points, and test scores.

Teachers tend to have strong feelings about being evaluated, and it is no wonder. School leaders may unintentionally make it difficult for teachers to understand what it means to be successful. To close the loop and ensure that teachers understand exactly what the evaluation process should look like, a “no secrets” approach from leaders is of utmost importance. 

The goals for rubrics are laudable. Who can argue with more transparency, clarity, and uniformity in assessment? Joining a long line of critics of rubrics, Northwestern Computer Science professor, Christopher Riesbeck, shares the ways in which rubrics have failed him, and how a better approach is always less, not more.

When teachers make incremental changes to their habits around providing feedback over time, the result is that students are able to focus more on growth than on grades. Building habits that show students how they can be successful paves the way for a feedback cycle that does not become overwhelming.

Author and consultant Lee Ann Jung explains why most rubrics need a “renovation,” shifting them from a focus on what's wrong to a growth-oriented conversation about what’s next. By scaffolding self-directed learning in this way, we encourage students to take ownership of their learning and engage in the learning process.

Learning is not a competition, and ranking and sorting have no place in the process. Differentiation and individualized learning are keys to achieving this vision. While there are challenges to attaining this ideal, it is not the impossible task that some would believe. As David explains, the benefits from this shift have far outweighed any challenges.

Having choices in how students show their learning is critically important to access, equity, and even engagement. In addition to these compelling reasons, having choices for demonstrating understanding is a necessary condition of assessment validity. Lee Ann Jung shows how by removing the barriers to assessment, every student has the chance to shine.

Grades do harm, and marginalized students are often harmed the most by grades. Yet, as Juuso Nieminen points out, it is dangerous to portray ungrading as a ‘panacea’ or even as a ‘solution’ to the matters of inclusion. Instead, I see ungrading as a deeply contextual, relational practice that can promote inclusion. The critical questions are: why, for whom, and under what circumstances?

Grades serve as mirrors for the structural inequities that are woven into the fabric of our educational systems. Often used for the twin purposes of comparison and competition, grades are drivers of injustice. Josh Eyler shares an excerpt from his forthcoming book dealing with one of the biggest perpetrators of inequity in our schools today: grading curves.

Michelle Cottrell-Williams interviews Dr. Carissa McCray on how teachers can better create equitable, inclusive learning environment that assess learners holistically. Dr. McCray explains why a culturally competent education is important for everyone in our globalized world, and the all-important role assessment plays in reaching all students.