Grading? Pass/Fail vs Contract?

I'd like some feedback from any of you that are able to get out of the "traditional grading box"....my principal has given me permission to GO FOR IT...but, what is IT? I'm toying with contracting for a grade or setting up a Pass/Fail system - these are 8th graders and I'm wanting to  focus on progress ... so each "grade" is very student specific. Anyone out there with some ideas? tried/proven? or don't make same mistake?  Thank you! Mildred, Fayetteville AR

Hi Mildred,

I reached out to some of our consultants to see if they had any advice. What I learned is the following:

A county in  NC does R180 pass/fail but the teachers do not like it at all and they have talked about changing in this year.  They calculate the grade pretty much the same way any other teacher would but they can’t give an A, B, C, etc.  They say it is hard to motivate 8^th graders who know the work they do will get the same grade whether it is A quality or D quality. 

ALSO, I learned:

A consultant spoke with a teacher who uses pass/fail and he says that at his school since the class sizes are so small, the focus is not on tests and assessments but on learning content. He says that it helps him not worry so much about grades. However, he says that the caveat to this being a success is that a Pass/Fail system of assessment must have very self-motivated students. Otherwise the students will work toward the lower end (the "D") of the scale instead of working harder.

In terms of contracting for grades, the consultant has heard of it but hasn't tried it herself or seen it actually being done. Her questions are:

1. Would you need to get parent approval for a student to contract for a "C"?

2.  Is it even okay to contract for a "D"?

3. What if mid-way through the year you got motivated (happens a lot in READ 180) and wanted to get a better grade?