Decoding Grades: From Marks to Mastery, and What Students Actually Need

Education Headline RoundupHere are the school & learning headlines we cover in this week’s episode of 16:1: Dartmouth College (a private, Ivy League research institution in New Hampshire) recently announced it will require SAT/ACT scores again for applicants starting with the class of 2029 (applies to applicants starting Fall 2025). This comes after the school temporarily made these scores optional in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision was influenced by study findings suggesting that test-optional policies didn't increase enrollment of first-generation, low-income, or under-resourced students and that admissions offices were not able to confidently determine students’ academic qualifications without relying on test scores. Dartmouth is the first Ivy League school to reinstate the test requirement. It remains to be seen if others will follow suit, though Harvard has said it will NOT require scores for applicants up until at least the class of 2030. The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) National Council passed a symbolic motion against the use of online proctoring software Proctorio on January 25th, 2024. The USI National Council unanimously passed the motion, which highlighted safety and ethics concerns as well as potential conflicts with the GDPR, Europe’s expansive online privacy law. TCDSU cited examples of other institutions abandoning or curtailing the use of Proctorio due to its apparent ineffectiveness in preventing cheating. Student opposition to Proctorio in Ireland may influence other student unions and institutions to re-evaluate their use of the software.The newly relaunched Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process has introduced several issues impacting students and universities alike. Due to errors in calculating financial aid eligibility, the Department of Education announced on Jan 30th that FAFSA processing won't start until mid-March (when it is normally completed by the end of January), impacting financial aid offers for the 2024-25 academic year. This delay also affects some state financial aid forms that rely on FAFSA data for auto-population. Students in these states need to check individual deadlines and procedures. Users have reported issues with the school selection feature, including incomplete school names, duplicate entries for the same campus, and difficulties identifying the correct campus. Some parents attempting to start the application on behalf of their child have encountered errors preventing them from completing the form.Decoding Grades: From Marks to Mastery, and What Students Actually NeedGrading is a ubiquitous yet controversial element of formal schooling. This episode delves into the history and purpose of grades, highlighting traditional and alternative approaches while advocating for student empowerment. The grading system has undergone a long journey full of transformation, but questions linger about its true effectiveness in reflecting student learning. Current discussions emphasize the potential stress and competition associated with grades. Alternative philosophies like standards-based and holistic grading offer different lenses for evaluating student progress. Shifting the focus to student ownership through self-assessment and peer feedback can foster deeper learning and critical thinking skills. We also discuss grade inflation and the growing focus on student self-reflection, as well as innovative grade-less approaches such as those proposed in Hacking Assessment.Examining different perspectives and empowering students in the evaluation process are crucial steps towards creating a learning environment that prioritizes meaningful growth over a single letter grade.Sources & Resources:Update To Testing Policy | Dartmouth AdmissionsDartmouth will again require SAT, ACT scores. Other colleges won't necessarily follow | WLRNAdmissions Update for the 2023-2026 Application Cycles | HarvardA Top College Reinstates the SAT - The New York TimesGrade Inflation Continues to Grow in the Past DecadeGrade inflationUSI National Council unanimously passes motion against Proctorio – Trinity NewsAn Exam Surveillance Company Is Trying to Silence Critics With LawsuitsCalifornia colleges still use remote proctoring despite court decisionFAFSA glitches and delays leave students, states, institutions in limbo2024–25 FAFSA Issue Alerts | Knowledge CenterStudents panic after new financial aid application blocks them: 'I don't know who to call'New FAFSA Getting on Your Nerves? Here's Some Advice From an Expert | Education | U.S. NewsIn Defense of Rubrics in Assessing Writing - pedagogy colloquiumTeaching More by Grading Less (or Differently) - PMCThe Shift from Oral to Written Examination: Cambridge and Oxford 1700–1900Ungrading: Where We Are and Where We Might GoThe Problem with Grading | Harvard Graduate School of EducationAn Immanent Machine: Reconsidering grades, historical and presentAnnual Reports on Education | Horace MannHorace Mann | 16:1The New York Public Library has a mini roller coaster for books