School Features Real-World Learning, No Grades

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I never did like the "grading" method of school. It seems to miss something, and entirely overlook true achievement. For example, students with photographic memories can pull easy A's without learning a darn thing, while students who'd learn best through hands-on application are often left out in the cold. Putting our nose in books and listening to teachers lecturing hour after hour is no way to learn. It may earn kids their diplomas, but how much of that knowledge are they going to retain throughout their lives?

I thoroughly enjoyed this segment from npr.org Link...this method of education quenches my thirst for getting down to the core of learning. A psychologist pioneered this hands-on method of education in which each child is given an opportunity to find a passion in life, learn about it in depth, and apply it. These students aren't graded, but are given appraisals every 9 weeks (just like the real world in most corporate environments!), and are mentored and encouraged to thrive. I'd love to participate in these charter schools, if even only as a teacher some day. This is totally amazing.

Here are some promising numbers: "Almost every senior [in these charter programs] gets into college, 80 percent go to college, and five years later, most of those students are still in college or have graduated."

Totally amazing.

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It looks like it could be a good idea. I don't like grades much either, except they should never be replaced with a system that rewards partial effort the same as full effort.

When I first read your article, I thought it was for elementary grades, so I was going to say something against it. Then I read the link, and while I have a few questions (since I only got to see what the article writer wanted to tell about), it looks good on paper.

If it was for younger kids, I would be against it though. Too many newer "education" reforms remove automaticity from the learning process. We do our kids a terrible disservice when we don't expect them to pass the point of "thought" when they do things.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

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It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Actually, it seems to be playing out pretty well. It's been ten years since this program began, and there are twelve such schools (in New Jersey, I believe), and the kids are doing great. These schools are in areas that many kids would otherwise be thrown into minority public schools without much of a hope to prosper (think of that movie 'Dangerous Minds' for example). These kids are given the opportunity to develop "passions" for work in the real world such as the medical industry, and make it their focus. These kids are thriving, and are getting a much better high school education that I did in a very white, very upper-class public school. My school sucked, but if I'd been in a charter school such as this one, I think I'd be a different, better lady today.

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Great to hear!!

As I said in another article, secondary ed should be from 5-15, after that, college prep or tech skills. Looks like someone has put it to the test!!!

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