The Easiest Grade Translation for a Gradeless Classroom

I am so excited! I love how seemingly minor alterations can create a huge mindshift. After years of using a grade translation chart tailored to each class, we finally came up with one that can be used universally! Let’s begin by stating the now-obvious refrain: ideally, we would not have to give grades at all. But since we DO… then we need a way to communicate how the achievement levels translate into traditional grades. Here’s what we have been using for our regular physics classes:

Old Grade Translation for Physics

While we have adjusted this a little, it really hasn’t changed in 5+ years. There have been benefits: 

  • We could communicate the importance of looking at performance holistically across all 10 practices.
  • We could distinguish between course levels pretty easily by adjusting the number of standards required at a given level up or down.
  • We could focus on scores and improvement vs. percentages and grades.

There have been struggles:

  • It is definitely not intuitive: It has been hard to explain to students and to parents.  Even on a video guide, it took over 4 minutes… here’s what I put together for my school website: Grade Translation [4:17]. In writing, it gets even more convoluted!
  • It was only useful at the ends of the semesters.  At all other times of the year, the grades seemed very low and always sent kids (and parents) into a panic.
  • It was still future-focused, pushing kids to be at higher levels even when we don’t “allow” them to look at that yet.

I have always said that if it’s difficult for the teacher, you need to take a closer examination of the issue. Every summer, we tweaked the chart but these changes did not result in fixing those 3 struggles. Another issue was needing more flexibility. The chart we were using required that a certain number of skills be at ____ level with no standard lower than _______ (the next lower level).  But what if your target levels are more scattered? Maybe we only have time to do 3 projects in a class, so it isn’t reasonable to assume students will achieve Proficient level. There would not be enough practice and feedback to get to that level of mastery.  But we don’t want that to hold a student back from getting an A due to a decision we consciously made!  So Dave, genius that he is, proposed this idea: instead of defining the accumulation of achievement levels, focus on the target levels. Here’s how he organized it:

New Grade Translation Chart

This was SO logical. I didn’t have to think twice about it! It was the language we were already using: “Are you on target?” At the beginning of the year, I would promise the students, “If you are reaching the target levels for this unit, then you are doing exactly what you need to do to get an A.” Where the earlier chart required them to have faith in me, the new one simply shows that meeting all target levels earns an A. Period. No debate. I also say to students (and parents) that “I’m concerned because you are below target levels on 3 of the practices.”  It really works to create a grade translation that uses language that we use every day in class. This resonated immediately with me, and every student we spoke to could see clearly what we meant.

Since I am much more visual, I then created this graphic:

I immediately started to use it with my students during Winter Conferences (will discuss this next post). I am finding that it is:

  1. intuitive, requiring almost no explanation.
  2. the same for all classes and levels.
  3. the same for whole year.
  4. only requires knowing what the target levels are for each unit.

I posted a page on my Canvas website showing the new information, and I am showing students how to use it during our winter conferencing sessions, going on now. They have been very happy with the results, and their grades seem more in line with what they have actually accomplished.  (For more about developing target levels, please read my blog post here.) How do they know the target levels? They are posted at the beginning of each unit. It is a part of the daily conversation as well as a focus for all of the feedback, both for the entire class and individually. In my regular physics class, we have moved through these target levels since September.

Target Levels for Honors Physics

Let’s look at some particular examples. Someone who met the target levels for each unit would have an A regardless of the time of year. But they would be learning and growing, as the increase in the achievement levels clearly demonstrate. Let’s examine how it would play out if a hypothetical student earned Beginning in all 10 skills throughout the first semester.

  • At the end of Unit 1, they would have 3 skills only 1 level below target at that point, which is equivalent to a B+. They are roughly on target after the first 6 weeks.
  • At the end of Unit 2, they would have 9 skills that are 1 level below target by that point, which is equivalent to a B-. They are not keeping up with the class, and I would begin to be concerned about their progress.
  • By the end of Unit 3, they would have 3 skills that are 2 levels below target by that point, which is equivalent to a C+. They are clearly not growing in their skills and need support.

If students do not show growth, their grade will decrease systematically over time. The grade has a clear meaning. This is so easy. It is also logical! Another benefit is the ease with which we can adapt for students with special needs, or for someone who misses a substantial amount of school due to illness, for example. We can change their target levels to reflect the pace and time that they have to practice. It’s amazing how, after 7 years, there are still ways to improve this system to better communicate with students, parents, and other stakeholders in our assessment process. There is no finish line, no perfection to be had. Well, perhaps if we could actually ditch grades altogether… but while I will never stop trying, I am not optimistic that it will happen before I retire!