Entrance Slip #5 - Marks, grades, and their effects in schooling

My thoughts as a student regarding grades are very limited, and I believe it's because it's the only world I know when it comes to education. As someone who went through a school system focused on grades as a form of assessment, it's the only thing I think of as a plausible measure of tracking a students progress. Growing up, grades were always meant to be a summative assessment of where I fit within the rest of the class in terms of academic performance; it didn't necessarily tell me how 'smart' I was, but it showed me how I compared to my peers. It was also something that I saw as a means for teachers to talk to parents when it came time to parent-teacher nights; they could pull up my grades and assignments and say "look, he's getting this % because of x, y, z"; it never truly reflected effort or work-ethic, but it showed performance in that moment. There were times when I studied hard, and didn't do well on a test, but the grade was all that was a reflection of the moment. Grades as a student were used as a form of placement and competition between peers, which can be seen as a form of motivation, but also an unhealthy way to get wrapped up in competition with friends.

As a teacher candidate, my view on grades has completely changed; especially in regards to percentages. My 441 professor made a wonderful analogy, he said: if you took a road test and failed 3 times, and passed on the fourth, but ICBC said you couldn't get your license because your 'average' was a fail, is that fair? I think this is a great analogy for students because they may fail in one unit, but do well in another, their grade my be 50%, but is that a fair statement to make? Alternatively, they may make progression throughout the unit, starting off slowly (poorly), but working their way up such that when given a summative test they do extremely well; is it fair to average them out when they've clearly showed growth and learning? I think grades are a way for teachers to justify students' progression, but don't necessarily tell the story of learning, or journey the student may go through. Learning is a journey and can have peaks and troughs; grades sometimes gives the stigma that they're more important than the journey of learning. 

Unintended side effects of grading could be increases in stress and even cheating. If a student has high expectations and pressure from their family and friends, they may feel inclined to do 'whatever it takes' to get the best mark possible. Immense pressures to do well such that they get into good schools could drive them to even cheat as they see it as a high-risk high-reward payoff. Another side effect could be students getting the wrong impression of what school is for. They may see school as merely about grades, and not about learning; the student could even fall into the trap of defining themselves through their grades. In turn, they could end up with a fixed-mindset, believing they're 'inherently stupid' because of the marks they receive, even if they put in a lot of effort and work to do well.

I personally can't see math without giving grades yet, but it seems some schools have started implementing that idea. One of the students I tutor has quizzes from teachers, and instead of grades they receive a # on a scale from 1 - 4 which represent a stage of development, or proficiency scale. Although this is a type of grading scale, there are differences that make it unique. Instead of just the score, the student is provided with feedback on where they can improve to get to the next proficiency level. This could encourage learning as it shows the student the teacher is on their side and wants to see them achieve more, and it gives them something to work towards. Clear learning objections may also help a student have some direction.