By Thomas R. Guskey, Professor Emeritus, University of Kentucky originally posted in Solution Tree Blog, December 16, 2020 “Standardized testing” is one of the most frequently used yet most commonly misunderstood expressions in education today. Some consider standardized testing to be an important, foundational component in...
By Thomas R. Guskey, Professor Emeritus, University of Kentucky Originally posted in Education Week, Finding Common Ground, August 30, 2020 As we reopen schools with a return to virtual instruction, teachers remain concerned about how to prevent students from cheating on assessments. To provide meaningful grades, teachers...
By Thomas R. Guskey, Professor Emeritus, University of Kentucky Originally posted in Education Week, Finding Common Ground, July 6, 2020 As schools look ahead to update grading policies when they reopen, one hotly debated issue is whether students should be given the opportunity to retake assessments. Proponents...
By: ASCD Guest Blogger Thomas R. Guskey Originally posted on ASCDInService, June 22, 2020 The question that most troubles teachers and school leaders as they look forward to the next school year, whatever form that may take, is “How will we know what our students know?” Inequitable...
Thomas R. Guskey, Senior Research Scholar, University of Louisville Originally published in Ed Week, April 13, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to educators throughout the world. Schools have had to change entire instructional programs in widely varied contexts with inequitable access to technology...
Thomas R. Guskey, Senior Research Scholar, University of Louisville Originally published in Ed Week March 8, 2020 With schools around the world moving to online instruction in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, questions have been raised about adopting pass/fail grading. Advocates contend this would be fairer...
Author: Thomas R. Guskey Originally published in Ed Week on 3-8-2020 Educators today have launched major efforts to help student achieve specific non-academic goals, especially those associated with social and emotional learning. These efforts stem from recognition that factors other than academic achievement often have profound influence...
Author: Thomas R. Guskey Based on Get Set, Go! Originally published in Solution Tree on 1-6-2020 Many grading reform efforts fail because reform leaders make the same classic mistakes (Guskey, 2020). Two important lessons learned from these mistakes can guide others in avoiding these errors and drastically improving...
Originally published in Ed Week on June 23, 2019: In articles and presentations on student feedback, educators are admonished today to use No grades, comments only! Grades, they are told, make students complacent and unmotivated. Comments, however, are said to improve motivation and enhance achievement. To support...
Author: Thomas R. Guskey Originally published in Ed Week on 2-25-19 It's time that educators recognize a basic truth about reforming the way we grade and report student learning. That truth is this: There are no "best practices" in grading and reporting, and there is no perfect...