Episode 61: Humane Grading and Assessment

On this episode, we have the pleasure of hearing from Starr Sackstein. Starr brings a tremendous amount of insight on various topics but one of her passions is changing the mindset around grading and assessing. Starr Sackstein is a recovering perfectionist, assessment reform advocate, and education consultant dedicated to transforming how we do teaching and learning. As the Massachusetts State Coordinator for Educators Rising, she advocates for bringing young people into education, as it is the best career in the world. And as COO of Mastery Portfolio, she champions standards-based and competency-based learning, taking the emphasis off grades and focusing on metacognition and feedback throughout the formative assessment process. With 16 years as a high school English and journalism teacher, plus roles as a lead Humanities learner, publisher, and developmental editor, Starr brings deep expertise to her work. She partners with schools and districts to empower teachers, engage students, and leverage data for personalized growth. A prolific author, blogger, and speaker, Starr is committed to reshaping assessment practices globally. Learn more at MsSackstein.com. Beyond education, she’s a mom, partner, animal enthusiast, and adventurer, always seeking the next challenge.