The problem with grades | A conversation with Amarbeer Singh Gill & Jennifer Curran

Grades give us comfort and numbers feel concrete. But what if our obsession with quantifying learning is actually getting in the way of understanding it? Today, we're rethinking assessment.

Shane Leaning speaks with Amarbeer Singh Gill and Jennifer Curran from Ambition Institute about assessment in education. The conversation challenges our reliance on grades and numbers, exploring the limitations of traditional assessment methods and offering insights into more meaningful approaches to understanding student learning.

Key Topics Discussed

• The difference between attainment and progress, and why they require different assessment approaches
• Why grades can be misleading without shared understanding of their meaning
• The false sense of security that numerical scores can provide
• The importance of ongoing formative assessment in the classroom
• Finding the right balance between measuring learning and facilitating it
• How school leaders can evaluate and improve their assessment practices

Guest Links

Amarbeer Singh Gill (Singh): @SinghAmarbeerG

Jennifer Curran (Jen): @jennimc_d

Resources

• Professor Becky Allen's blog on progress
• Daisy Christodoulou's book "Making Good Progress"
• Article by Singh and Jen on assessment

Episode Partners

The International Curriculum Association's Global.Learn.Connect Netherlands: Learn more

The University of Warwick's International Programmes | Learn more at warwick.ac.uk

Thank you for tuning in, and as always, if you found this episode useful, please share your experience. You can find me online on LinkedIn and Bluesky. My website is shaneleaning.com and email address is shane@shaneleaning.com.

Join Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensive

Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.

You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com

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