Dave Frangiosa

Hawks on the Green A golf outing to benefit the Maywood Hawks 8u and 9u travel baseball teams *Space is limited so please register early (Early bird registration deadline 4/1/25) Perfect for golfers of all abilities. B...

Any #NJ #Golfers looking to support a good cause while having a fun round? Maywood Youth Athletic Association is hosting a #GolfOuting at Black Bear in Franklin, NJ for the 8u and 9u travel baseball teams. Here’s the info. Reach out if you have questions. Thanks.

sites.google.com/view/hawkson...

The Pedagogical Uncertainty Principle — Grow Beyond Grades In quantum physics, the uncertainty principle states that one can’t know both the speed and position of a particle. David Frangiosa considers how th concept might have parallels in pedagogy and the pa...

As I became more sure of the desired impact I wanted in the classroom, I became less sure of the pedagogy that would lead students there. @davefrangiosa.bsky.social www.growbeyondgrades.org/blog/the-ped...

Where the Learning Happens w/Mike Rutherford — Grow Beyond Grades In his innovative teacher-designed platform, gotFeedback, Mike Rutherford has created a centralized space for communication and documentation, helping students and teachers record, reflect on, and sha...

🎙️ Excited to host Mike Rutherford on the GBG podcast! Join hosts @davefrangiosa.bsky.social & @themcw.bsky.social as we explore how @gotlearning.bsky.social is transforming student-teacher interactions—without grades! 📚 #EdTech #LearningInnovation growbeyondgrades.org/blog/01-25ru...

A2. They think that we are looking to bait and switch. They have been conditioned to accept punitive grading approaches and it takes time for them to adjust. Over the years we have changed the language we use to communicate progress to reinforce the emphasis on growth. #UngradingChat

A1. I think it all comes down to trust. I constantly ask for their feedback on what's working and what can be improved. They need to see us as their partners in learning and find value in what we do. It's not an easy task. #UngradingChat

It's part of our routine. They don't do it on their own to start. I use a platform called gotFeedback. I don't refer to it as their portfolio, that's where they submit their learning evidence as it happens. I'm very intentional about emphasizing the process of learning as opposed to the product.

Same. But I do this a few weeks before midterms and finals with the exams being the last chance to show growth. Can only help if they address areas we discuss in the conference. #UngradingChat

Labor-based Grading Contracts and the Opportunity for Failure — Grow Beyond Grades Writers understand that writing requires revision, tinkering, and mistakes. Lots and lots of it. Most student writers, however, don’t welcome failure and mistakes so easily. Why?

There was a contradiction between what I said I valued and what my assessment methods valued. My grading policy conflicted with an important message I was trying to send to my students about failure. — Anthony Lince #GBGEdu #growbeyondgrades
growbeyondgrades.org/blog/opportu...

7pm CST 🖤🖤

A4. It all depends on the conversation and what they need. I find the easiest access point is altering the language we use to discuss Ss. Stop labeling. Use asset-based language. This usually shifts how we think about students and the rest follows. #UngradingChat

Multimodal Composition w/Angela Stockman — Grow Beyond Grades Angela Stockman equips educators with practical strategies and tools to design equitable, student-centered classrooms where all learners thrive. Her work focuses on empowering diverse voices through m...

🎧 Did you miss our livestream interview with @angelastockman.bsky.social? Find it on our website and on your favorite podcast app! 🎙️ growbeyondgrades.org/blog/angela-...

I don’t speak for the ungrading movement. I speak for me and my opinion on grades.

criteria is to determine the grade, the problems far outweigh the benefits. The PR and community outreach to battle the nostalgia of grades is the hardest part. Students don't need them to grow. They learn all the time without them. But we can coerce them to do what we want without them.

I understand why grades can't be eliminated overnight. However, with the way we can process qualitative feedback now and tools such as Mastery Transcript, I think the argument that grades are an effective form of feedback is overblown. Regardless of how it's packaged, or how well-defined the ...

There is No Other Pill to Take — Grow Beyond Grades Learning is not a competition, and ranking and sorting have no place in the process. Differentiation and individualized learning are keys to achieving this vision. While there are challenges to attain...

I think we often get bogged down in trying to prove we're right. So most of my influences are from outside of the grade reform area. Zaretta Hammond, Mary Helen Immordino-Yang (a little dense) are some great reads. Here's a piece I wrote.
growbeyondgrades.org/blog/no-othe...

Agreed. That term or anything related to grading gets strong reactions. And I find that people who aren't exploring alternate assessment lump everything into SBG.

easiest piece to manage. Changing our language of assessment and how we talk about kids. It makes a huge difference and then they start thinking differently about students. Mindset has to shift before practice. Happy to talk more if you want.

That's the hardest part. Other teachers have been doing it "their way" for a long time and think change means they were wrong. Other teachers got interested when the students they were having challenges with were thriving in my class. When we they asked me what I'm doing, I start them with the ....

A3. I have contributed blog posts to @growbeyondgrades.org (also a team member and co-host their podcast), School Rubric, and Teach Better. I hosted my own podcast and blog. Wrote a book. I've been a guest on podcasts. I try to be a resource for anyone who needs it. #UngradingChat

If you have not yet checked out Laila I. McCloud's (2023) "Keeping Receipts: Thoughts on Ungrading from a Black Woman Professor" as you explore assessment philosophies and practice, I highly recommend it! #UngradingChat

zeal.kings.edu/zeal/article...

That's awesome that you had/have a group to bounce ideas off of. Things didn't really get good until I had people that challenged my thoughts in a productive way.

I was honest with Ss. I didn't know what was going to happen. We had an agreement that we would honor the intent of what we were trying to accomplish, not the approach. If the intent wasn't being met, things would change. They were my co-conspirators and had a lot of influence on what things became.

A2. Start of 15-16 my AP was looking for people to start thinking about SBG. I volunteered due to frustration with the current system. Was planning for SY 16-17. I had iteration 1 ready for mid-year so I made the switch. It wasn't a raging success but I saw enough good to continue. #UngradingChat

Got ya. I can see why you chose a different path.

It’s crazy. I deemphasize grades with my kids (10 & 7) yet they still care about percentages. We talk about their effort and learning from mistakes but they receive the other message more frequently it’s hard to get that out of their heads.

I didn’t care about grades as I was going through school. I did well but it was not my focus. I didn’t notice that inconsistency and its impact until I was a teacher. And once I saw that they cause so much stress for students and that stress inhibited what they could do, I never looked back.

The nostalgia is tough to overcome. It’s how it’s always been done is powerful. But I’m sure you had some that ran with it and tried some pretty cool things.

There are so many obstacles to that change. I was fortunate to have admin support. I didn’t have to ask for forgiveness. I didn’t have to worry about test scores. I know others have mandates that make change nearly impossible. But we can move towards better.

Have you read Troublemakers? I wish that book was around when I first started m career. It’s easy for even well-intentioned educators to fall into that trap. We know the effort and care we put in. We experienced the system and “turned out fine.” What else could it be?

I said some things about teaching+assessing writing last night. Recording below. These ideas are the result of 20+ yrs of dedicated documentation work, grounded theory methodology, and sustained scholarship in the multiliteracy world. Good learning. Glad to chat more. #Ungrading #EduSky #Literacies