As eliminating grades can be a scary thought for many, quite a few educators are discussing how their classrooms work with authentic feedback.  

Lamb-Sinclair (2017) notes her techniques in her article on going grade-less for six weeks in an English course she instructs.  She set up a Facebook group and a weekly email newsletter for parents to stay abreast of learning in the classroom. She notes she spent more time on writing techniques, such as writing thesis statements, as the low-stakes approach to learning encouraged students to keep trying without fear of punishment for not understanding.  She notes, “because grades were irrelevant, the challenge of the assignment took precedence” and “when grades were put on the back burner, I was freed up to focus on authentic communication of actual learning” (2017). 

Lamb-Sinclair did not have to work about inputting grades to reflect learning; she only had to worry about providing feedback to monitor student growth. As a result of her grade-less classroom, engagement and motivation increased, and she notes students were able to focus on learning and not a number in their gradebook. 

Blum (2017) also instituted a grade-less classroom and she met with students throughout the semester in her college course to discuss their learning and growth.  In addition, she asked students to self-reflect on each assignment, so they had a better understanding of how standards were met. There are many techniques to experiment with in regard to giving up grades, and these two teachers are pioneers of a trend that is unlikely to go away as colleges begin to look at more than GPA. 

The pros of eliminating grades include an increase in student motivation, engagement, and enthusiasm as the pressure is lifted and students can focus on learning. According to Lamb-Sinclair (2017), “research has shown time and again that intrinsic motivation leads to more profound learning.”  Without grades to motivate students, teachers must dig deep to ensure assignments are meaningful and directly relevant to student learning, meaning less busywork all around for students and teachers to deal with. In addition, without grades, students do not have to stress over what the instructor is looking or not looking for in often convoluted rubrics that do not directly reflect the standards being addressed. Blum (2017) notes, “it all seems arbitrary, and therefore unconnected with anything meaningful or real.”  Students often do not realize how grades are calculated or what they need to do to be successful; eliminating grades takes the confusion out of learning.

The obvious cons of eliminating grades include an initial lack of student motivation as they adjust to a new system and an inconsistent reporting of grades to universities.  Any new change in the classroom takes adjustment, and students will need encouragement to complete work that they feel “doesn’t count.”  In addition, the high school transcript is not going to change overnight and colleges rely on these transcripts to compare students at a seemingly objective level (although grades are inherently subjective).  It will take time for universities to learn to reassess student achievement without a number to guide them. 

It is fully expected that more research will begin to surface regarding eliminating grades from the classroom. As with any new initiative, it will take time for systems to adjust to accommodate for a classroom that is focused on authentic feedback and not a report card. However, the benefits outweigh the challenges as student learning is the ultimate goal of educators, and it is painfully obvious that reducing students to a number or a letter grade poses a real problem to self-worth, which will inevitable lead to a decline in academic success.