Skip to main content

A Future Without Grades?

AdobeStock_131063519_Credit

You think grades interfere with learning? You’d like to do away with them? And yet, you’d like some consistent way to measure students’ academic development? And to communicate that development to others?

You’re not alone.

The Mastery Transcript Consortium seeks to accomplish these very goals.

The plan itself is layered and intricate; if you’re interested, it’s worth your time to read this article from Inside Higher Ed.

At present, the plan is in its very early stages: no schools currently use it, because it doesn’t yet exist. But, having just gotten a $2 million dollar grant to develop it, the consortium is hopeful that they have launched a movement that can reshape the educational landscape.

[Full disclosure: this plan has been developed by Scott Looney, head of Hawken School outside Cleveland, OH. I myself was a lifer at Hawken, and have spoken with Mr. Looney about his plans. Although I have done some consulting work with Hawken faculty, parents, and students, I am not involved in the Mastery Transcript project.]

Recent Blogs

Too Good to be True? The Effect of Tetris on PTSD Symptoms
Andrew Watson
Andrew Watson

Teachers and school leaders turn to research -- in part...

Will Chess Make Me Better at Baseball?
Andrew Watson
Andrew Watson

Imagine for a moment that I'm coaching college baseball. I've...

Nutrition and Learning: Do Saturated Fats Harm Cognition?
Andrew Watson
Andrew Watson

This interdisciplinary field draws on expertise from many different branches...