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Point-Less: An English Teacher’s Guide to More Meaningful Grading
From the Foreword by Cris "Sarah Zerwin has written the book I desperately needed to help my beliefs about learning match my assessment practices. In Point-Less, she nudges teachers to consider how traditional forms of grading get in the way of student growth. Her pioneering ways of marking, collecting, and sharing student work shows teachers how to assess with fidelity and in ways that serve student learning. Instead of assigning random points to student tasks, she demonstrates how teachers can provide students with concise, descriptive data that serves as meaningful and specific feedback. 'Inside this book, teachers will - online resources rife with tools and examples to manage feedback
- ways to harness the electronic grade book as a useful instructional tool
- frameworks that guide student and teacher feedback
- checklists to simplify convoluted rubrics. 'Sarah addresses every grading obstacle one could think of. She provides ways to navigate objections that parents, athletic directors, administrators, colleagues, colleges, and even students might have with this innovative way of reporting grades. 'It's exciting to think how instruction could change if teachers weren't compelled to evaluate everything students did for the mere purpose of putting points in the grade book. Are you ready to find your path to a better way of grading? Are you ready to lead students on this journey to becoming better readers, writers, and thinkers? If so, you are going to love Point-Less!"--Cris Tovani
- ways to harness the electronic grade book as a useful instructional tool
- frameworks that guide student and teacher feedback
- checklists to simplify convoluted rubrics. 'Sarah addresses every grading obstacle one could think of. She provides ways to navigate objections that parents, athletic directors, administrators, colleagues, colleges, and even students might have with this innovative way of reporting grades. 'It's exciting to think how instruction could change if teachers weren't compelled to evaluate everything students did for the mere purpose of putting points in the grade book. Are you ready to find your path to a better way of grading? Are you ready to lead students on this journey to becoming better readers, writers, and thinkers? If so, you are going to love Point-Less!"--Cris Tovani
192 pages, Paperback
Published March 31, 2020
36 people are currently reading
619 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
August 10, 2020
I am a firm believer that learning lives in the PROCESS (not the final product), so this book speaks to my soul, and as Sarah Zerwin says, "the most important reading and writing work our students need to do is not quantifiable...This work takes time, risks, reflection, mistakes, starting over, and sticking with it."
Grades are problematic for so, so many reasons.
In Point-less: An English Teacher's Guide to More Meaningful Grading, Sarah Zerwin poses this most important question: "We teach students, not content, but yet we build our classrooms around products to be graded -- research papers, exams, presentations, and so on. What if we thought of our students and the readers and writers they need to become as the product instead?"
Zerwin provides practical ways to go "point-less." Her book includes everything you'd expect -- establishing learning goals, planning students' work, goal setting and reflection, AND it includes accountability measures, grade book logistics, assessment ideas, data collection and use, and how to determine final grades.
This book will have me thinking for quite some time. I fully intend to use a few of the strategies from this book right away, like making learning visible within the grade book and using the grade book as a data warehouse!
Most importantly, this book solidifies my convictions that students should identify as LEARNERS rather than point collectors.
Grades are problematic for so, so many reasons.
In Point-less: An English Teacher's Guide to More Meaningful Grading, Sarah Zerwin poses this most important question: "We teach students, not content, but yet we build our classrooms around products to be graded -- research papers, exams, presentations, and so on. What if we thought of our students and the readers and writers they need to become as the product instead?"
Zerwin provides practical ways to go "point-less." Her book includes everything you'd expect -- establishing learning goals, planning students' work, goal setting and reflection, AND it includes accountability measures, grade book logistics, assessment ideas, data collection and use, and how to determine final grades.
This book will have me thinking for quite some time. I fully intend to use a few of the strategies from this book right away, like making learning visible within the grade book and using the grade book as a data warehouse!
Most importantly, this book solidifies my convictions that students should identify as LEARNERS rather than point collectors.
July 7, 2022
OH BABY. This book made my teacher brain and heart so happy. And buzzy. And scared. Because you can’t read something that speaks to your pedagogical beliefs this intensely and not put it into practice, but…I wish I had a year to just let this simmer (and convince my department and every English teacher I know to read it).
April 12, 2021
I literally could not put this down. Zerwin makes a compelling case to go point-less in the English classroom and challenge how the “objective” grades we give impede real learning and dehumanize students.
“We teach students, not content, but yet we built our classrooms around products to be graded...what if we thought of our students and the reader and writers they need to become as the product instead?”
Every teacher should read this!
“We teach students, not content, but yet we built our classrooms around products to be graded...what if we thought of our students and the reader and writers they need to become as the product instead?”
Every teacher should read this!
August 10, 2020
I’ve been wanting to go “gradeless” in my 8th grade English classroom and focus on learning rather than points for years now, but I hadn’t yet found the right book to lead me there. Don’t misunderstand me. I’ve read many books that helped me, just not enough to make happen what needs to happen. Well, Sarah M. Zerwin’s book pulled it all together for me, step by step, with examples, and reasons why she does what she does in her classroom. Even though this year is the year from hell and going back to school, however we do it, seems daunting, Doctor Zerwin has motivated me to do right by my students!
August 7, 2021
We’ve been talking a great deal in my school district about replacing compliance-based grading with standards based assessment, but Zerwin suggests a student-centered focus on growth, which is radical and refreshing. I also love that this is written specifically for the English teacher. Zerwin provides a lot of practical suggestions, examples and case studies. Some great ideas for using learning goals, feedback and reflection, and for reimagining data and determining grades. I’m excited about implementing some of her approaches in my own classroom this coming school year!
April 9, 2021
3-1/2 stars
I did enjoy Zerwin’s approach, but I feel that the peripheral struggle she experienced in this switch is not discussed. This transition may lead to much push back— from all stakeholders—and I don’t feel Zerwin offers much guidance in how to approach those concerns. Initially, I believe that “completion” of work will become the students’ or parents’ goal. Having said that, I believe in this philosophy, and I hope to move in a similar direction.
I did enjoy Zerwin’s approach, but I feel that the peripheral struggle she experienced in this switch is not discussed. This transition may lead to much push back— from all stakeholders—and I don’t feel Zerwin offers much guidance in how to approach those concerns. Initially, I believe that “completion” of work will become the students’ or parents’ goal. Having said that, I believe in this philosophy, and I hope to move in a similar direction.
August 15, 2024
Zerwin explains why, but more importantly, how she abandoned tradition points-based grading in pursuit of more meaningful learning in her class. She shares how she rolls this out to kids, how students set goals, how students collect data to reflect their progress, how this looks in the gradebook, and how the student enters into a “conversation” with her to negotiate their grade.
Honestly, I feel like this book pairs very well with Building Thinking Classrooms, which also tackles the traditional points-based grading system. I really enjoyed this book because while it pushes you in a teaching philosophy way, it also provides concrete examples and steps you can take for implementation. It marries both seamlessly, again much like BTC. These two books have tons of ideas rolling around in my head, and that’s part of the reason I wanted to finish it before students come back on Wednesday. I am trying to radically change the culture and structure of my class. Despite taking major steps toward this last year (and living the results), I want to lean into the progression of my pedagogy even further. And books like this make me so excited. I feel refreshed and hopeful and also like it’s possible. If you’ve been unhappy with traditional grading and even struggling with standards-based grading, read this book. We talk a lot about student-centered learning, student ownership of their work, and student self-efficacy in education, but if we aren’t moving in this direction, it’s all talk.
Honestly, I feel like this book pairs very well with Building Thinking Classrooms, which also tackles the traditional points-based grading system. I really enjoyed this book because while it pushes you in a teaching philosophy way, it also provides concrete examples and steps you can take for implementation. It marries both seamlessly, again much like BTC. These two books have tons of ideas rolling around in my head, and that’s part of the reason I wanted to finish it before students come back on Wednesday. I am trying to radically change the culture and structure of my class. Despite taking major steps toward this last year (and living the results), I want to lean into the progression of my pedagogy even further. And books like this make me so excited. I feel refreshed and hopeful and also like it’s possible. If you’ve been unhappy with traditional grading and even struggling with standards-based grading, read this book. We talk a lot about student-centered learning, student ownership of their work, and student self-efficacy in education, but if we aren’t moving in this direction, it’s all talk.
July 16, 2024
Reading this didn't feel like an extra task on top of the ever growing list of things to do like pedagogical books normally do. Instead I feel rejuvenated and excited to switch the way I think about grades, or really to go back to what I have always thought about grades but now with a toolkit to accomplish what I have always wanted. "A focus on growth instead of mastery just makes good sense. If students think they have mastered something they think they've made it. Done. Task accomplished. Let's move on. But the reading and writing skills we teach don't have beginnings or endings. The work continues. The learning never ends. A focus on growth reflects this. A focus on mastery misrepresents it." Goodbye "how many points do I need to get an 'A'?" and hopefully hello to "what have I learned, how have I grown, and how do I plan to continue the work?".
August 19, 2020
I highly recommend this book to my teacher friends! I started the book while on jury duty so I had plenty of time to focus and think about how this could look in a MS setting. As I got near the end (and no longer on jury duty) I lost a bit of focus. I'm not thinking at the moment about a final grade in reading and writing for students but on how to get a year started during a pandemic. :-)
Great thinking about changing the systems of grading and how to work with students to understand feedback and to make their learning authentic and visual.
Great thinking about changing the systems of grading and how to work with students to understand feedback and to make their learning authentic and visual.
September 30, 2024
A really interesting, but daunting approach to grading. I keep wanting to change things up, but theres so much to think about and so little time! But still, I’m glad I finally got around to reading this.
June 28, 2020
I HAD to look up her school to see if she is using PowerSchool or Skyward. No, it was something called Infinite Campus. I didn't gain any new ideas for revising rubrics for a course I'm teaching this fall, but she did inspire me to rewrite some learning goals.
July 6, 2021
This is the book about grading I have been waiting for!
August 8, 2022
My brain is spinning. Rtc.
July 24, 2020
I love the ideas in this book and definitely want to try some things out — especially such detailed goal-setting and reflection!
May 30, 2021
Holy cow - such a great, inspiring book! I'm looking forward to transforming my grading practices after reading this!
Read
July 11, 2020For school. Grade book suggestions will not fly, but ideas to de-emohasiz grades & emphasize learning goals are intriguing.
June 4, 2021
I felt myself being radicalized while I read this. I was already predisposed to Zerwin's argument against points and moving towards growth and learning, but her argument, line of reasoning, and presentation of evidence was really clear and specific. She provides lots of concrete specifics for moving students away from doing works for points and towards authentic learning - a well as putting the learning on students. It's a system I'm eager to implement as much as possible in my own classroom.
July 24, 2021
Quite a number of things I already do, and more resources, rationale, methods, and approaches to adapt what I'm doing or do it better. Glad I read this as I go into year 2 of my gradeless journey.
August 10, 2022
When I began this book, I ran into my principal's office exclaiming that our entire department should take up this type of grading--a more holistic, growth-oriented, personal way of grading that focuses more on students and not on jumping through hoops for points and the omnipresent "letter grades."
The worst killer of student motivation towards authentic growth and teacher burnout is the way learning is graded. The amount of effort demanded from teachers and the impersonal and often out-of-reach grade hanging above students as a carrot has been a bane on education for decades, now.
What's worse, if you learn the history of our traditional grading systems, it becomes very clear just how outdated (and crafted in the service of Victorian ideals of genteelism and white supremacy) our current system's origins are.
While the book will likely be overwhelming for any teacher at first, with implementation over years and slight, but important, shifts in our policy and practice, true growth and learning can occur while both students and teachers benefit. Not to mention, the world will benefit from a more authentic form of evaluation that prepares students for whatever lies beyond the classroom--whether that's a career, more classrooms, or an office/workshop.
I'll be referencing this book for years to come, I'm sure. If you're in education, give it a shot!
The worst killer of student motivation towards authentic growth and teacher burnout is the way learning is graded. The amount of effort demanded from teachers and the impersonal and often out-of-reach grade hanging above students as a carrot has been a bane on education for decades, now.
What's worse, if you learn the history of our traditional grading systems, it becomes very clear just how outdated (and crafted in the service of Victorian ideals of genteelism and white supremacy) our current system's origins are.
While the book will likely be overwhelming for any teacher at first, with implementation over years and slight, but important, shifts in our policy and practice, true growth and learning can occur while both students and teachers benefit. Not to mention, the world will benefit from a more authentic form of evaluation that prepares students for whatever lies beyond the classroom--whether that's a career, more classrooms, or an office/workshop.
I'll be referencing this book for years to come, I'm sure. If you're in education, give it a shot!
August 1, 2021
I’m just dipping my toe into the idea of going grade-less, and this has given me a lot to think about. There is a lot to digest in here and a lot of processes and procedures to create before putting this into practice. Since school is starting at the end of this month, I don’t think I have the time to get all my systems in place before then, but I’ll use parts of this as I journey toward the full program. I recommend this book for someone who already knows about going grade-less, is ready to start, and is looking for practical ways to integrate it into their classes.
July 21, 2023
Another very thoughtful and practical book about how reading and writing teachers can make changes in grading practices. Zerwin is not fully ungrading nor standards-based grading — she’s come to this through different conduits, I would say, but I can see how her methods might work. She’s got some very specific suggestions and their are many online resources that I haven’t yet gone through. The pointed (ha!) suggestions of this book are really useful and echo much of what I saw in Grading for Equity — except Zerwin is much more in favor of grading for growth while conferring with the student and their own goals, as opposed to measurable standards that are transparent for all. I lean toward her view, but hey — just another hippie dippy English teacher :-)
June 17, 2021
You know you’ve come across a great PD book when you read and get excited to open your work laptop and get to changing some things. Overall, this was a great read for me with where I’m at in my journey of deemphasizing grades in my classroom! It had the appropriate balance of affirming some ideas I’ve had for awhile yet challenging me (still not sure how I feel about a few things presented!). But it absolutely gave me some concrete resources and productive steps I can take in my classroom.
July 7, 2021
Zerwin writes about how she changed her classes to focus on the learning and not on the points. She provides step by step explanation of how switch the focus from the grades to the learning. I’m so enamored by this idea! She provides some great resources that every teacher can use immediately in the classroom.
August 12, 2020
While I’m not ready to go pointless stuff this time, there were some great insights for me regarding peer review, rubrics, and conferencing with students. I also like the reflection pieces that she does in her classes.
August 13, 2020
Solid; smart; convincing. One of those books that will prime you to change the way you've been doing the teaching thing.
I would say inspiring too because, really, whatever it is that will get us to the naturalness of the way a classroom should be is awesome. This is one of those books.
I would say inspiring too because, really, whatever it is that will get us to the naturalness of the way a classroom should be is awesome. This is one of those books.
June 5, 2021
Hands down the best professional development book I've ever read. Specifically for English teachers? (Check!) Practical and detailed? (Check!) Gives examples on the teacher AND student end? (Check!) I can't wait to talk to my PLC and implement some of these ideas. GAME CHANGER.
July 19, 2021
I am 100% going to try this at some point. I think it’ll be my next two-year goal if I can get some fellow brave teachers in on it with me. This makes so much sense for how myself and my students feel about education today, and I’m excited to see what comes of it in the future!
August 26, 2023
A lot of good stuff to take from this book. I’ve decided to adopt Zerwin’s grading scale. I think my English-training colleagues should give this a look. (H/t to Juanita Montoya for highlighting this earlier in the summer!)
March 11, 2021
I'm going to find this one super helpful. More in a bit...
June 29, 2021
If you’re looking for step by step instructions on how to switch the focus from points to learning, this book has that. Excellent.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews