Clarifying the use of verbal equivalents at CGS
Catlin Gabel School is infamous for its alternative method of administering grades. Why are students dissatisfied with the system?
By Mrinalini Keskar, ‘22
What’s the purpose of verbal equivalents, other than a dressed up version of a letter grade? Image by Mrinalini Keskar.
Twice a year at Catlin Gabel School [CGS], students receive narrative reports with an overview of their progress in each class. At the end of each overview, students can find the grade achieved in the course.
Instead of a traditional letter grade, CGS utilizes alternative grading methods, opting for verbal equivalents. Instead of an A or B-, students can expect to see “Excellent” or “Fairly Good” on their reports. However, at the end of the progress report, there is a direct translation of each verbal equivalent into a letter grade.
This feature is new in CGS’ reports through Veracross, the new school information system.
Each verbal equivalent and its letter grade translation. Image via Veracross reports.
This has raised confusion from some students. “It just feels like an extra step,” said CGS sophomore Hannah Langer. “It leaves [CGS] students feeling more stressed out because we can’t really see how we’re doing in classes.”
A guide to the verbal equivalents and grading systems can be found on the CGS website. It states that students are encouraged to “focus on their individual progress, skill building, and the process of learning instead of grades or GPAs.”
De-emphasizing grades allows students to alleviate stress and anxiety, and instead aim to engage with subject matter more meaningfully.
Jeffrey Silverstein, a learning specialist at CGS, noted that grades can “create competition and general anxiety, and can affect the overall perception of yourself.”
“While Catlin Gabel teachers deemphasize grades, we recognize that colleges request grades, which do influence college admission decisions,” the CGS website states.
The history of grading at CGS is a trajectory. In the early years of Catlin Gabel School, there was a complete absence of grades. But, as CGS Upper School Head Aline Garcia-Rubio acknowledged, grades became “more and more important outside of [CGS],” especially for college applications. The school needed to determine how to bridge the divide between the school’s values and the information colleges desired.
So, why verbal equivalents? What is the purpose of having a direct translation to letter grades in word format? According to Garcia-Rubio, multiple formal studies state that there are psychological benefits to verbal equivalents, saying, “The dialogue shifts when there are words instead of a letter, or a number.”
“Verbal equivalents were a move in the direction away from giving numbers and letters on work while students and parents can do a quick conversion in their heads,” said Dan Griffiths, former CGS Upper School Head in an interview via email. “By making them [make the conversion], we are reinforcing the de-emphasis on the grade alone being the most important thing.”
Many studies stress the importance of hearing narrative feedback versus letter or number grades. One study done in 1958 by psychologist Ellis Page compared two groups of students and two assessments. For the first assessment, one group of students were given feedback through a numerical score and a letter grade. Students in the second group were given narrative feedback in addition to the score and letter grade with comments such as “Excellent! Keep it up!” or “Perhaps try to still do better?”
When given a second assessment, students who received narrative feedback attained higher scores than those who received only numerical scores.
This refers back to Garcia-Rubio’s comment on psychological benefits. While it may seem arbitrary, hearing and reading narrative feedback creates a difference in students’ learning.
Even with CGS’ de-emphasis on grades, how students are graded is not always clear, and grading can be subjective. According to Garcia-Rubio, the agreement with teachers is that they “should publish in their learning platforms how grades will be calculated.”
In math and science classes, grading systems are generally simple to understand, being numerically based. However, in classes such as English and Social Studies, it can be harder for students to gauge where they stand in class, causing confusion.
Garcia-Rubio explained that each course does need to have a set grading system.
“Across each course there’s a standard with percentages and grading,” said Garcia-Rubio.
For example, all courses of Algebra II have the same standard of grading. A different course, however, may have different standards, which can be the source of confusion for many students.
Arguably, this lack of clarity on grading practices may be a bigger source of students’ frustration than the verbal equivalents themselves.
Many students express discontent with the system of verbal equivalents. The lack of grading cohesion among subjects may be what causes anxiety for students on where they stand, not the presence of verbal equivalents.