Students' Reactions to a “No Failure” Grading System and How They Informed Teacher Practice

摘要

This article briefly describes the central tenets of a program several low-income middle schools implemented to remove failure as a choice students could make in completing their assignments. Instead of doling out Fs for poor and nonexistent work, teachers devised a variety of options students had to follow to demonstrate eventual mastery of critical skills and knowledge. This article draws on nearly five years of interviews the authors did in the buildings with both educators and students and found that in sharing their reactions to the initiative, young people spoke not with a voice but with voices. Teachers learned that the program's effectiveness improved as they paid attention to, and gave credibility to, the students' varied reactions. The article concludes with an oft-repeated but not yet widely adhered to call to allow students to actually participate in reform efforts rather than just be the beneficiaries of them.