Private schools across the Bay Area have proposed the (not-so) preposterous idea of going “gradeless.” Over 120 private schools have combined efforts on implementing an evaluation-based grading system, where students will be judged based on their strengths and samples of past work. The future transcript that will soon replace the traditional college application has not yet been created and set-in-stone, though it will aim to spotlight areas students have mastered, on everything from analytical and critical thinking to ethical decision-making.
Upon first hearing the news, my feelings ranged from sheer excitement and hopefulness to confusion and doubt. It wasn’t quite clear to me how exactly this plan would all play out. What rubric, if any, would be used to determine our success as students? Won’t our objectives simply switch from striving for a 4.0 GPA to reaching the highest level of “mastery” in a given subject? Nevertheless, I feel that this change is inevitable. We have reached a point in our education system where achieving straight A’s has lost the significant meaning it once had. The bars have risen so high that many students feel the need to cheat their way to the top, or end their lives in the case that they don’t, in fact, make it to “the top”.
To imagine a classroom without grades is to imagine a life renewed with a passion for learning. Many times I find myself not focused on the curriculum at hand, but rather what I need to do to maintain an “A” in that class. I don’t necessarily blame myself for thinking this way, as I believe it is a learned behavior that has been taught to us throughout our educational careers. It sometimes feels like my teachers are dangling my future right in front of me, like they have complete control over the grades that could make or break future college acceptances. This, of course, isn’t rational thinking, but I believe it’s the thought-process that sends students into states of intense distress.
Upon first hearing the news, my feelings ranged from sheer excitement and hopefulness to confusion and doubt. It wasn’t quite clear to me how exactly this plan would all play out. What rubric, if any, would be used to determine our success as students? Won’t our objectives simply switch from striving for a 4.0 GPA to reaching the highest level of “mastery” in a given subject? Nevertheless, I feel that this change is inevitable. We have reached a point in our education system where achieving straight A’s has lost the significant meaning it once had. The bars have risen so high that many students feel the need to cheat their way to the top, or end their lives in the case that they don’t, in fact, make it to “the top”.
To imagine a classroom without grades is to imagine a life renewed with a passion for learning. Many times I find myself not focused on the curriculum at hand, but rather what I need to do to maintain an “A” in that class. I don’t necessarily blame myself for thinking this way, as I believe it is a learned behavior that has been taught to us throughout our educational careers. It sometimes feels like my teachers are dangling my future right in front of me, like they have complete control over the grades that could make or break future college acceptances. This, of course, isn’t rational thinking, but I believe it’s the thought-process that sends students into states of intense distress.
It seems as if we are being bombarded with new studies and statistics regarding teenagers and their stress levels, sleep quality, and overall emotional well-being. With teenage suicide on the rise and students breaking down on the daily, administrators believe grades and students’ mental well-being go hand-in-hand. The negative impact that our current education system has on our youth is evidenced through several studies conducted by the American Psychological Institution, with research from one study reporting that teens who slept an average of 7.8 hours felt less stressed than their counterparts sleeping only 6.9 hours a night. The rigorous nature of our education system and teenagers’ lack of sleep go hand-in-hand, as it’s not for pleasure that we stay up past midnight slaving away on homework, but rather because it’s sometimes a necessity. The National Sleep Foundation gave more insight on this pressing issue, reminding us that teens require upwards of nine hours of sleep a night, and those who fell short were 42% more likely to suffer from depression or suicidal thoughts. Making it our mission to allow teenagers more than a mere six hours of sleep per night could save lives. You’re reminded of it constantly- sleep is no joke, and yet it’s given little respect by our society. However, school has an impact on students’ stress levels whether they prioritize sleep or not. The American Psychological Association surveyed students only to discover that their levels of stress exceeded those of adults, and that school caused them to feel overwhelmed, sad, and hopeless.
While the concept of holistic, qualitative assessments of students sounds inspiring, will the time it takes for college admissions officers to read it be a burden, and ultimately a deterrent to it? Will they find ways to somehow shortcut their process by screening SAT scores to decide who exactly is worthy of the time-intensive closer consideration? It will be important for the schools to continue to work with colleges to maintain the spirit of the shift. If that happens, the college admission process and even school itself has the potential to be a calmer and more positive experience
While the concept of holistic, qualitative assessments of students sounds inspiring, will the time it takes for college admissions officers to read it be a burden, and ultimately a deterrent to it? Will they find ways to somehow shortcut their process by screening SAT scores to decide who exactly is worthy of the time-intensive closer consideration? It will be important for the schools to continue to work with colleges to maintain the spirit of the shift. If that happens, the college admission process and even school itself has the potential to be a calmer and more positive experience