Traditionally, when a teacher hands out an assignment, a grade will be attached to it. It doesn’t matter if it’s a worksheet to build skills, a quiz to test understanding, or a project to show growth all of them are graded. This is the way that grading has been happening for as long as we can remember. Fortunately, there are those that are seeking to change this paradigm and move into a more sound grading practice that keeps the grade focused upon what has been learned.

To understand this “new” way of grading, we need to first think about the kind of work our students and children are being given at school. We can break assignments into two basic categories: 1) work designed to engage the student in practice, and 2) work designed to have the students demonstrate final knowledge and skill. Practice in school is the same as practice in sports. Students learn new skills, they test them out, and figure out how to engage those skills properly. Demonstration of knowledge is the same as game day. Students show their knowledge and skill in action and prove they can do the work. Practice is very important because it allows the student time to really understand the skills they are working on and stretch their muscles. While some students are naturals and are able to excel in practice, most fail and have to push themselves to try harder and harder.

Keeping with the sports analogy, think about game day. If a referee, at the end of the game, took away 15 points because several athletes were late to practice or didn’t complete all of their goal attempts during practice that week, there would be a huge uproar. We wouldn’t stand for this! Then why do we allow for it in our grades?

Practice work should be just that work a student completes to try to become more knowledgeable and more skilled in the subject area. When a student struggles or fails their practice work, it shows that the teacher needs to spend more time with them and provide additional practice until the student can complete the skill. Then, when they have acquired a sufficient skill level, they can be tested and show their proficiency.

Think of the basketball player who wants to play on the varsity team. The player has to work hard to earn this honor. They must practice layups, three-point shots, ball handling, and all the requisite skills to be a great basketball player. After hard work and practice, the coach recognizes that the player is ready to move up and is put on the varsity team. All the failures and successes have paid off and the player is rewarded in full. If it works this way in sports, why does it not work this way in school? Why can a student practice hard and really push to learn but, because of some failures during practice, still only be rewarded with a “C?” Does this student deserve less than an “A?” Did the athlete deserve less than varsity?

As the grading revolution moves forward, students need to be pushed to practice but they shouldn’t be punished for their failures. Practice is a time to fail; a time to get better and better. By keeping practice out of the grade, students’ grades will more accurately demonstrate their actual understanding and ability.

(Jacob Jenkins is a teacher at Minot Public Schools – Central High School. He holds a B.S. in English Education, a B.A. in Theatre Arts, an M.A. in English, an M.A. in Secondary Educational Leadership, and is currently working on completing his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership K-12 through the University of North Dakota. The views and opinions expressed in this column do not represent the views and opinions of Minot Public Schools or of the Minot Daily News. If you would like to ask questions, suggest a topic to write on, or to contact Jacob Jenkins, please email him at: jjenkins@minotdailynews.com)