I am all for vigorous assessment and feedback. Without assessment and feedback, I am not confident that deep, enduring learning can happen. However, in twenty years as an educator, I have grown increasingly disenchanted with grades as we know them. Do we really understand the purposes of grading? With commitment to a “purpose audit,” I bet we would change practices.
One fabulous example of a school’s “grading audit” core resource
[For the next few days, “CHANGEd: What if…60-60-60” will focus on grading and assessment.]
it's about learning 
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