Grow Beyond Grades
@growbeyondgrades.org
What matters can’t be measured. Join the movement!
Website: growbeyondgrades.org
Support: growbeyondgrades.org/donate
Website: growbeyondgrades.org
Support: growbeyondgrades.org/donate
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Contest — Grow Beyond Grades
growbeyondgrades.org
✍️ PLEASE SHARE WITH HS & COLLEGE-AGE STUDENTS!
How have grades—or the experience of learning without them—influenced your learning, growth, or personal journey? All genres and formats welcome! @humrespro.bsky.social @gotlearning.bsky.social
#gradeless #growbeyondgrades
growbeyondgrades.org/contest
How have grades—or the experience of learning without them—influenced your learning, growth, or personal journey? All genres and formats welcome! @humrespro.bsky.social @gotlearning.bsky.social
#gradeless #growbeyondgrades
growbeyondgrades.org/contest
To get out of a vicious cycle, building short but powerful habits over time that transparently show students how they can be successful will yield better results. @mirplo.bsky.social www.growbeyondgrades.org/blog/habit-s...
Habit Stacking Feedback — Grow Beyond Grades
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 stude...
www.growbeyondgrades.org
November 29, 2025 at 4:26 PM
To get out of a vicious cycle, building short but powerful habits over time that transparently show students how they can be successful will yield better results. @mirplo.bsky.social www.growbeyondgrades.org/blog/habit-s...
I come here to bury rubrics, not to praise them, nor reform them. My colleagues in education are often surprised by my feelings on rubrics, more so than by my feelings on grades. —Christopher Riesbeck www.growbeyondgrades.org/blog/my-rubr...
My Rubric Rant — Grow Beyond Grades
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, Chr...
www.growbeyondgrades.org
November 29, 2025 at 4:18 PM
I come here to bury rubrics, not to praise them, nor reform them. My colleagues in education are often surprised by my feelings on rubrics, more so than by my feelings on grades. —Christopher Riesbeck www.growbeyondgrades.org/blog/my-rubr...
On balance, of course, privilege is an incredible advantage, but like being labeled gifted, privilege can also be a barrier to learning—and being happy. @plthomasedd.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/sets-fa...
Student Evaluations of Teaching in Higher Education Fail Everyone — Grow Beyond Grades
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 a...
growbeyondgrades.org
November 29, 2025 at 1:50 PM
On balance, of course, privilege is an incredible advantage, but like being labeled gifted, privilege can also be a barrier to learning—and being happy. @plthomasedd.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/sets-fa...
Remember, cheating existed long before AI. The real question is, are we creating an environment where we increase distrust? @martc.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/ai-asse...
AI = Assessment Innovation — Grow Beyond Grades
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 a...
growbeyondgrades.org
November 29, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Remember, cheating existed long before AI. The real question is, are we creating an environment where we increase distrust? @martc.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/ai-asse...
You have now entered a space where the question, ‘Is this for a grade?’ is null and void! @rhonhigg.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/deeper-...
Deeper Learning with Student Portfolios and Conferences — Grow Beyond Grades
One of the hardest things for students to develop are the skills of thinking about their thinking and learning about how they learn. High school Spanish teacher, Rhonda Higgins, shows how a system of ...
growbeyondgrades.org
November 29, 2025 at 1:30 PM
You have now entered a space where the question, ‘Is this for a grade?’ is null and void! @rhonhigg.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/deeper-...
When you know what standardized assessment washback is, you can see ways that it creeps into our everyday pedagogies and narrows what kind of learning we aim to support. @karismjones.bsky.social www.growbeyondgrades.org/blog/resisti...
Resisting Pedagogies Washing Back from Standardized Testing — Grow Beyond Grades
When you know what standardized assessment washback is, you can see ways that it creeps into our everyday pedagogies and narrows what kind of learning we aim to support. Even if your students have to ...
www.growbeyondgrades.org
November 29, 2025 at 1:21 PM
When you know what standardized assessment washback is, you can see ways that it creeps into our everyday pedagogies and narrows what kind of learning we aim to support. @karismjones.bsky.social www.growbeyondgrades.org/blog/resisti...
Sometimes teachers don’t even realize that their instruction is being shaped by standardized tests. Sometimes they just can’t imagine another way to teach! @karismjones.bsky.social www.growbeyondgrades.org/blog/resisti...
Resisting Pedagogies Washing Back from Standardized Testing — Grow Beyond Grades
When you know what standardized assessment washback is, you can see ways that it creeps into our everyday pedagogies and narrows what kind of learning we aim to support. Even if your students have to ...
www.growbeyondgrades.org
November 29, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Sometimes teachers don’t even realize that their instruction is being shaped by standardized tests. Sometimes they just can’t imagine another way to teach! @karismjones.bsky.social www.growbeyondgrades.org/blog/resisti...
The more accurately we can define what we do in the classroom, the less accurately we can anticipate its potential impact. —David Frangiosa growbeyondgrades.org/blog/the-ped...
The Pedagogical Uncertainty Principle — Grow Beyond Grades
In quantum physics, the uncertainty principle states that one can’t know both the speed and position of a particle. David Frangiosa considers how th concept might have parallels in pedagogy and the pa...
growbeyondgrades.org
November 29, 2025 at 1:10 PM
The more accurately we can define what we do in the classroom, the less accurately we can anticipate its potential impact. —David Frangiosa growbeyondgrades.org/blog/the-ped...
Acknowledging every learner’s unique journey can be challenging within a system that prioritizes scores and linear measurements. —Lisa Wennerth www.growbeyondgrades.org/blog/rethink...
Rethinking Measurement in Learning — Grow Beyond Grades
Learning doesn't progress linearly but evolves through cycles, spirals, or starbursts, but certainly not straight lines. This fact prompts the question: What does learning truly look like? Can it be n...
www.growbeyondgrades.org
November 29, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Acknowledging every learner’s unique journey can be challenging within a system that prioritizes scores and linear measurements. —Lisa Wennerth www.growbeyondgrades.org/blog/rethink...
It is rare to encounter explorations of alternative grading at the level of a program, school, or institution. However, thinking systemically is crucial for creating change that lives beyond the efforts of single heroic instructors. —Barry Fishman growbeyondgrades.org/blog/leaps-w...
LEAPS Within and Beyond Bounds — Grow Beyond Grades
Exploring alternatives to grading often means experimenting within one’s own classroom, while translating the outcomes to comply with the larger institution’s reporting requirements. It is rarer to en...
growbeyondgrades.org
November 29, 2025 at 12:54 PM
It is rare to encounter explorations of alternative grading at the level of a program, school, or institution. However, thinking systemically is crucial for creating change that lives beyond the efforts of single heroic instructors. —Barry Fishman growbeyondgrades.org/blog/leaps-w...
I’ve been encouraged to find colleagues who are interested in thinking about what gradelessness might look like ‘at scale,’ as a structural feature instead of a ‘hack.’ @karismjones.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/reclaim...
Reclaiming Gradeless in a Formerly Gradeless Institution — Grow Beyond Grades
Empire State University is no longer the gradeless institution it was at its founding in the 70s. But as teacher education professor, Karis Jones discovered, the infrastructure for gradelessness was still there. Despite encountering some resistance, Jones shares way she has built on these infrastruc
growbeyondgrades.org
November 29, 2025 at 12:48 PM
I’ve been encouraged to find colleagues who are interested in thinking about what gradelessness might look like ‘at scale,’ as a structural feature instead of a ‘hack.’ @karismjones.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/reclaim...
As educators know, the set up of one’s LMS can end up providing de facto infrastructures for many schools’ and colleges’ course activities and grading policies. @karismjones.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/reclaim...
Reclaiming Gradeless in a Formerly Gradeless Institution — Grow Beyond Grades
Empire State University is no longer the gradeless institution it was at its founding in the 70s. But as teacher education professor, Karis Jones discovered, the infrastructure for gradelessness was s...
growbeyondgrades.org
November 29, 2025 at 12:47 PM
As educators know, the set up of one’s LMS can end up providing de facto infrastructures for many schools’ and colleges’ course activities and grading policies. @karismjones.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/reclaim...
I wanted to collaboratively build teacher education spaces that reimagined the status quo, modeling moving away from the structures I hated as a teacher. @karismjones.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/reclaim...
Reclaiming Gradeless in a Formerly Gradeless Institution — Grow Beyond Grades
Empire State University is no longer the gradeless institution it was at its founding in the 70s. But as teacher education professor, Karis Jones discovered, the infrastructure for gradelessness was s...
growbeyondgrades.org
November 29, 2025 at 12:44 PM
I wanted to collaboratively build teacher education spaces that reimagined the status quo, modeling moving away from the structures I hated as a teacher. @karismjones.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/reclaim...
Reposted by Grow Beyond Grades
I am too exhausted to care about other standards of perfection, like grades. Insecure in my personal life, I give up trying at school because I can’t bear being judged anymore. @GBGEdu @growbeyondgrades.org growbeyondgrades.org/blog/degradi...
The Degrading Scale — Grow Beyond Grades
In her essay, Sharlyn Barrett recalls how the pursuit of perfection—whether on a scale or on a report card—stripped joy from both learning and life, and how messages about perfection left her exhauste...
growbeyondgrades.org
September 20, 2025 at 9:21 AM
I am too exhausted to care about other standards of perfection, like grades. Insecure in my personal life, I give up trying at school because I can’t bear being judged anymore. @GBGEdu @growbeyondgrades.org growbeyondgrades.org/blog/degradi...
Reposted by Grow Beyond Grades
Bending The Arc late September edition is out!
Highlighting student writing and continuing to beat the AI-critical drum:
Shout outs to @eryk.bsky.social @growbeyondgrades.org @unicef.org 🙏🏾
bendingthearcnewsletter.blog/2025/09/21/b...
Highlighting student writing and continuing to beat the AI-critical drum:
Shout outs to @eryk.bsky.social @growbeyondgrades.org @unicef.org 🙏🏾
bendingthearcnewsletter.blog/2025/09/21/b...
Bending The Arc Late September 2025
“If the elongated text made by AI, or the images of forests or people, or the music it writes does not hold much emotional meaning for you, you might eventually learn to set expectations of e…
bendingthearcnewsletter.blog
September 21, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Bending The Arc late September edition is out!
Highlighting student writing and continuing to beat the AI-critical drum:
Shout outs to @eryk.bsky.social @growbeyondgrades.org @unicef.org 🙏🏾
bendingthearcnewsletter.blog/2025/09/21/b...
Highlighting student writing and continuing to beat the AI-critical drum:
Shout outs to @eryk.bsky.social @growbeyondgrades.org @unicef.org 🙏🏾
bendingthearcnewsletter.blog/2025/09/21/b...
Reposted by Grow Beyond Grades
Beautiful piece!
Our second Growth, Not Grades winner is Sharlyn Barrett 🎉
Sharlyn writes how chasing perfection — whether pounds on a scale or letters on a page — left her ready to give up. She imagines an education that values growth and self-acceptance.
Read and share!
growbeyondgrades.org/blog/degradi...
Sharlyn writes how chasing perfection — whether pounds on a scale or letters on a page — left her ready to give up. She imagines an education that values growth and self-acceptance.
Read and share!
growbeyondgrades.org/blog/degradi...
The Degrading Scale — Grow Beyond Grades
In her essay, Sharlyn Barrett recalls how the pursuit of perfection—whether on a scale or on a report card—stripped joy from both learning and life, and how messages about perfection left her exhauste...
growbeyondgrades.org
September 19, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Beautiful piece!
Reposted by Grow Beyond Grades
Congratulations Sharlyn! It was a pleasure to see this piece develop and now featured on @growbeyondgrades.org.
Bookmark this insightful essay for high schoolers struggling with how they measure up on externally determined scales.
Bookmark this insightful essay for high schoolers struggling with how they measure up on externally determined scales.
Our second Growth, Not Grades winner is Sharlyn Barrett 🎉
Sharlyn writes how chasing perfection — whether pounds on a scale or letters on a page — left her ready to give up. She imagines an education that values growth and self-acceptance.
Read and share!
growbeyondgrades.org/blog/degradi...
Sharlyn writes how chasing perfection — whether pounds on a scale or letters on a page — left her ready to give up. She imagines an education that values growth and self-acceptance.
Read and share!
growbeyondgrades.org/blog/degradi...
The Degrading Scale — Grow Beyond Grades
In her essay, Sharlyn Barrett recalls how the pursuit of perfection—whether on a scale or on a report card—stripped joy from both learning and life, and how messages about perfection left her exhauste...
growbeyondgrades.org
September 19, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Congratulations Sharlyn! It was a pleasure to see this piece develop and now featured on @growbeyondgrades.org.
Bookmark this insightful essay for high schoolers struggling with how they measure up on externally determined scales.
Bookmark this insightful essay for high schoolers struggling with how they measure up on externally determined scales.
Our second Growth, Not Grades winner is Sharlyn Barrett 🎉
Sharlyn writes how chasing perfection — whether pounds on a scale or letters on a page — left her ready to give up. She imagines an education that values growth and self-acceptance.
Read and share!
growbeyondgrades.org/blog/degradi...
Sharlyn writes how chasing perfection — whether pounds on a scale or letters on a page — left her ready to give up. She imagines an education that values growth and self-acceptance.
Read and share!
growbeyondgrades.org/blog/degradi...
The Degrading Scale — Grow Beyond Grades
In her essay, Sharlyn Barrett recalls how the pursuit of perfection—whether on a scale or on a report card—stripped joy from both learning and life, and how messages about perfection left her exhauste...
growbeyondgrades.org
September 19, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Our second Growth, Not Grades winner is Sharlyn Barrett 🎉
Sharlyn writes how chasing perfection — whether pounds on a scale or letters on a page — left her ready to give up. She imagines an education that values growth and self-acceptance.
Read and share!
growbeyondgrades.org/blog/degradi...
Sharlyn writes how chasing perfection — whether pounds on a scale or letters on a page — left her ready to give up. She imagines an education that values growth and self-acceptance.
Read and share!
growbeyondgrades.org/blog/degradi...
Reposted by Grow Beyond Grades
I want my learning to be measured by how much I’ve grown, how deeply I’ve understood, and how boldly I’ve tried, not just by the shape of the letter at the top of the page. @GBGEdu @growbeyondgrades.org growbeyondgrades.org/blog/a-lette...
A Letter to Letters — Grow Beyond Grades
In this letter, Subhiksha Sreeram breaks up with grades, recalling how letters once ruled her worth and turned learning into a numbers game. She shares how chasing A’s left her anxious, perfectionisti...
growbeyondgrades.org
September 14, 2025 at 8:39 AM
I want my learning to be measured by how much I’ve grown, how deeply I’ve understood, and how boldly I’ve tried, not just by the shape of the letter at the top of the page. @GBGEdu @growbeyondgrades.org growbeyondgrades.org/blog/a-lette...
Reposted by Grow Beyond Grades
Such a wonderful essay, love seeing when students get how there are better ways to learn!
“Why focus on how to improve when the verdict has already been delivered?” 📫
High school senior, Subhiksha Sreeram, describes the way grades cut off real learning. Her essay A Letter to Letters is the first of three winners in our Growth, Not Grades contest.
growbeyondgrades.org/blog/a-lette...
High school senior, Subhiksha Sreeram, describes the way grades cut off real learning. Her essay A Letter to Letters is the first of three winners in our Growth, Not Grades contest.
growbeyondgrades.org/blog/a-lette...
A Letter to Letters — Grow Beyond Grades
In this letter, Subhiksha Sreeram breaks up with grades, recalling how letters once ruled her worth and turned learning into a numbers game. She shares how chasing A’s left her anxious, perfectionisti...
growbeyondgrades.org
September 5, 2025 at 1:24 AM
Such a wonderful essay, love seeing when students get how there are better ways to learn!
With the phrase going gradeless, we hope to express the idea of moving—gradually or rapidly—away from the pernicious influence of grades, and toward more humane and effective methods of assessment and feedback. growbeyondgrades.org/start
Start Here — Grow Beyond Grades
growbeyondgrades.org
September 3, 2025 at 11:39 PM
With the phrase going gradeless, we hope to express the idea of moving—gradually or rapidly—away from the pernicious influence of grades, and toward more humane and effective methods of assessment and feedback. growbeyondgrades.org/start
“Why focus on how to improve when the verdict has already been delivered?” 📫
High school senior, Subhiksha Sreeram, describes the way grades cut off real learning. Her essay A Letter to Letters is the first of three winners in our Growth, Not Grades contest.
growbeyondgrades.org/blog/a-lette...
High school senior, Subhiksha Sreeram, describes the way grades cut off real learning. Her essay A Letter to Letters is the first of three winners in our Growth, Not Grades contest.
growbeyondgrades.org/blog/a-lette...
A Letter to Letters — Grow Beyond Grades
In this letter, Subhiksha Sreeram breaks up with grades, recalling how letters once ruled her worth and turned learning into a numbers game. She shares how chasing A’s left her anxious, perfectionisti...
growbeyondgrades.org
September 3, 2025 at 10:55 PM
“Why focus on how to improve when the verdict has already been delivered?” 📫
High school senior, Subhiksha Sreeram, describes the way grades cut off real learning. Her essay A Letter to Letters is the first of three winners in our Growth, Not Grades contest.
growbeyondgrades.org/blog/a-lette...
High school senior, Subhiksha Sreeram, describes the way grades cut off real learning. Her essay A Letter to Letters is the first of three winners in our Growth, Not Grades contest.
growbeyondgrades.org/blog/a-lette...
Reposted by Grow Beyond Grades
Such a great opportunity for students to share their voice and have their experiences impact education in the future!! #ungrading
🕐 ONE WEEK LEFT!
Students: How have grades—or the lack of them—shaped your learning or growth?
All genres & formats welcome ✍️
Cash prizes 💸
Chance to be published 📚
growbeyondgrades.org/contest
#gradeless #ungrading #growbeyondgrades
@humanrestorationproject.org @gotlearning.bsky.social
Students: How have grades—or the lack of them—shaped your learning or growth?
All genres & formats welcome ✍️
Cash prizes 💸
Chance to be published 📚
growbeyondgrades.org/contest
#gradeless #ungrading #growbeyondgrades
@humanrestorationproject.org @gotlearning.bsky.social
Contest — Grow Beyond Grades
growbeyondgrades.org
May 24, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Such a great opportunity for students to share their voice and have their experiences impact education in the future!! #ungrading
🕐 ONE WEEK LEFT!
Students: How have grades—or the lack of them—shaped your learning or growth?
All genres & formats welcome ✍️
Cash prizes 💸
Chance to be published 📚
growbeyondgrades.org/contest
#gradeless #ungrading #growbeyondgrades
@humanrestorationproject.org @gotlearning.bsky.social
Students: How have grades—or the lack of them—shaped your learning or growth?
All genres & formats welcome ✍️
Cash prizes 💸
Chance to be published 📚
growbeyondgrades.org/contest
#gradeless #ungrading #growbeyondgrades
@humanrestorationproject.org @gotlearning.bsky.social
Contest — Grow Beyond Grades
growbeyondgrades.org
May 23, 2025 at 2:08 PM
🕐 ONE WEEK LEFT!
Students: How have grades—or the lack of them—shaped your learning or growth?
All genres & formats welcome ✍️
Cash prizes 💸
Chance to be published 📚
growbeyondgrades.org/contest
#gradeless #ungrading #growbeyondgrades
@humanrestorationproject.org @gotlearning.bsky.social
Students: How have grades—or the lack of them—shaped your learning or growth?
All genres & formats welcome ✍️
Cash prizes 💸
Chance to be published 📚
growbeyondgrades.org/contest
#gradeless #ungrading #growbeyondgrades
@humanrestorationproject.org @gotlearning.bsky.social
Reposted by Grow Beyond Grades
✍️ PLEASE SHARE WITH HS & COLLEGE-AGE STUDENTS!
How have grades—or the experience of learning without them—influenced your learning, growth, or personal journey? All genres and formats welcome! @humrespro.bsky.social @gotlearning.bsky.social
#gradeless #growbeyondgrades
growbeyondgrades.org/contest
How have grades—or the experience of learning without them—influenced your learning, growth, or personal journey? All genres and formats welcome! @humrespro.bsky.social @gotlearning.bsky.social
#gradeless #growbeyondgrades
growbeyondgrades.org/contest
Contest — Grow Beyond Grades
growbeyondgrades.org
April 5, 2025 at 11:06 PM
✍️ PLEASE SHARE WITH HS & COLLEGE-AGE STUDENTS!
How have grades—or the experience of learning without them—influenced your learning, growth, or personal journey? All genres and formats welcome! @humrespro.bsky.social @gotlearning.bsky.social
#gradeless #growbeyondgrades
growbeyondgrades.org/contest
How have grades—or the experience of learning without them—influenced your learning, growth, or personal journey? All genres and formats welcome! @humrespro.bsky.social @gotlearning.bsky.social
#gradeless #growbeyondgrades
growbeyondgrades.org/contest