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November 2011 | Volume 69 | Number 3
Effective Grading Practices Pages 28-33

The Case Against Grades

Alfie Kohn

When schools cling to letter and number ratings, students get stuck in a system that undermines learning.

I remember the first time that a grading rubric was attached to a piece of my writing… Suddenly all the joy was taken away. I was writing for a grade—I was no longer exploring for me. I want to get that back. Will I ever get that back?

—Claire, a student (in Olson, 2006)

 

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Copyright © 2011 by Alfie Kohn

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