Ungrading:
The Case for Feedback Without Grades
Ruth Butler's 1988 landmark study found students receiving comments-only feedback outperformed those receiving grades alone and those receiving grades + comments. Ungrading focuses on rich, narrative feedback instead of scores — and AI makes it practical at scale.
Source: Butler (1988) — Comments vs. Grades Study
What Is Ungrading?
Ungrading is an assessment philosophy that replaces traditional letter grades and numerical scores with rich, narrative feedback. Pioneered by educators like Jesse Stommel, Susan Blum, and Alfie Kohn, ungrading argues that grades are not just unhelpful for learning — they actively undermine it by shifting student focus from mastery to performance.
Critically, ungrading does not mean “no feedback.” It means more feedback — and better feedback — just without a number or letter attached. Students receive detailed comments about their strengths, areas for growth, and specific next steps. The goal is to create a learning environment where students engage with feedback because it helps them improve, not because it determines a score.
At the heart of ungrading are two core practices: self-assessment and reflection. Students are asked to evaluate their own work, articulate what they learned, and identify where they need to grow. This metacognitive practice builds lifelong learning skills that grades alone never develop.
A key distinction: ungrading does not equal no accountability. Students still receive rigorous feedback, still revise their work, and still demonstrate growth. Many ungrading practitioners assign final grades when required by institutions, but those grades are determined through conferences, portfolios, or student self-assessment rather than averaging points.
Key Approaches to Ungrading
Ungrading is not a single method but a family of approaches that share a common principle: de-centering grades in favor of meaningful feedback. Here are the five most common approaches.
Comments-Only Feedback
Narrative over numbers
Provide rich narrative feedback without scores attached. Students receive detailed comments about strengths, areas for growth, and actionable next steps. Butler (1988) found this approach produces the highest subsequent task performance.
Best For
Writing classes, formative assessment, draft feedback
Student Self-Assessment
Metacognitive practice
Students evaluate their own work against criteria, reflect on their learning process, and propose their own grades. Research shows most students self-assess accurately, and the process builds critical metacognitive skills.
Best For
All grade levels, portfolio conferences, growth mindset
Portfolio-Based
Evidence of growth over time
Students collect evidence of their learning throughout the term. Grades, if required, are assigned only at the end based on the portfolio as a whole rather than averaging individual assignment scores.
Best For
ELA, arts, project-based learning, capstone courses
Labor-Based Grading
Effort and completion focused
Grades are based on effort, completion, and engagement rather than quality judgments. Students who complete all work thoughtfully earn an A; the teacher's feedback focuses on improvement rather than evaluation.
Best For
Equity-focused classrooms, first-year writing, diverse learners
Conference-Based
Dialogue replaces scores
Regular 1:1 conversations between teacher and student replace written grades. Students discuss their progress, set goals, and collaboratively determine grades when required. Builds strong teacher-student relationships.
Best For
Small classes, writing workshops, advisory periods
The Butler (1988) Experiment
The single most cited study in the ungrading movement. Ruth Butler designed an experiment that fundamentally challenged the assumption that grades motivate learning.
Three Groups, One Question: What Kind of Feedback Produces the Best Learning?
Butler divided students into three groups, each receiving different types of feedback on the same tasks. She then measured their performance on subsequent tasks to determine which feedback type actually improved learning.
Comments Only
Narrative feedback, no score
Grades Only
Letter/number score, no comments
Grades + Comments
Both score and narrative feedback
The Results
Comments-only group performed best on subsequent tasks — they improved the most from one task to the next.
Grades + comments group performed the same as grades-only — the grades effectively “canceled out” the benefit of the comments.
Implication: When grades are present, students fixate on the number and ignore the feedback. The grade becomes the message.
Research & Evidence
The case for ungrading is built on decades of research across psychology, education, and motivation theory. Every claim on this page is backed by published research.
Butler (1988) — Comments vs. Grades
Journal of Educational Psychology. The foundational study for the ungrading movement.
Demonstrated that comments-only feedback produces superior learning outcomes compared to grades-only or grades-plus-comments. Established that grades can actually undermine the effectiveness of written feedback.
Comments Only
(highest subsequent performance)
Grades Only
(lower performance)
Grades + Comments
(same as grades-only)
Blum (2020) — "Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning"
Edited volume with 15 chapters from educators who have implemented ungrading across disciplines. Provides practical frameworks, case studies, and theoretical grounding for removing grades from the classroom. Demonstrates successful ungrading implementation from K-12 through graduate school.
Kohn (1999) — "Punished by Rewards"
Comprehensive review of research on extrinsic motivation. Demonstrates that external rewards — including grades — consistently reduce intrinsic motivation and creativity. When people are rewarded for doing something, they tend to lose interest in doing it for its own sake. Grades function as extrinsic rewards that undermine the intrinsic desire to learn.
Stommel (2018/2020) — "How to Ungrade"
Practical framework for implementing ungrading in higher education. Describes a process of replacing grades with self-assessment, reflection, and conferences. Addresses common objections including institutional requirements, student resistance, and grade inflation concerns. One of the most widely read practical guides to ungrading.
Guskey (2015) — Important Caveat
Research suggesting that comments may not serve all populations equally. Some students — particularly those from backgrounds where grades carry significant cultural weight — may need additional scaffolding during the transition to ungrading. Highlights the importance of culturally responsive implementation and careful attention to equity.
Pulfrey et al. (2011) — Grades and Mastery Orientation
Found that grades function as performance-approach goals, which undermine mastery orientation. Students who are graded focus on demonstrating competence rather than developing it. This effect persists even when grades are accompanied by detailed feedback, confirming Butler's finding that grades "cancel out" comments.
Student Motivation: Graded vs. Ungraded
How do grades affect what students focus on?
Ungrading Across Every Subject
Ungrading is not just for English class. Every subject can benefit from feedback-first assessment. Here's how ungrading adapts to each content area.
ELA
Natural fit for ungrading
- Draft feedback and revision cycles
- Writing conferences replace scored essays
- Portfolio-based final assessment
- Self-reflection on growth as a writer
- Peer feedback workshops
Comments-only with portfolio conferences
Math
Process over correct answers
- Focus on problem-solving process
- Feedback on mathematical reasoning
- Multiple attempts without penalty
- Growth-tracking across concepts
- Student explanations of thinking
Process-focused narrative feedback
Science
Inquiry-based assessment
- Lab reports with iterative feedback
- Inquiry-based learning journals
- Scientific thinking over memorization
- Experiment design narratives
- Growth in scientific reasoning
Iterative lab report feedback
Social Studies
Research and revision cycles
- Research papers with guided revision
- Document analysis with feedback loops
- Historical argumentation development
- Source evaluation and synthesis
- Evidence-based discussion participation
Revision-based with conferences
Arts
Natural portfolio assessment
- Portfolio-based assessment is inherent
- Critique culture replaces scores
- Process documentation and reflection
- Growth across artistic techniques
- Artist statement development
Portfolio + critique-based
World Languages
Communication over accuracy
- Communication-focused assessment
- Fluency valued over perfection
- Proficiency narratives over test scores
- Cultural competency reflection
- Self-assessment of language growth
Communication-focused narratives
Ungrading vs Traditional vs Standards-Based
How does ungrading compare to traditional grading and other alternative methods? Each approach makes different trade-offs between accountability, feedback quality, and student motivation.
Ungrading vs Specs Grading
The bottom line: Ungrading produces the richest feedback and strongest intrinsic motivation but requires the most trust and the biggest shift in classroom culture. Standards-based and specs grading offer structured middle grounds. AI-powered narrative feedback makes ungrading practical even for teachers with large class loads.
Common Challenges & AI Solutions
Ungrading sounds great in theory, but teachers face real obstacles. Here are the four biggest challenges and how AI-powered tools solve each one.
"I still have to submit final grades"
The Problem
Most schools and institutions require letter grades or percentages on report cards. Teachers who want to ungrade still need to produce a final grade at the end of the term, creating tension between the ungrading philosophy and institutional requirements.
AI Solution
AI generates comprehensive narrative reports throughout the term that serve as evidence for end-of-term grade determination. When conferences happen, teachers and students have a rich record of growth to draw on. The AI feedback history translates naturally into a defensible final grade.
"Students won't do work without grades"
The Problem
Some students have been conditioned by years of grade-based motivation. When grades are removed, they initially feel lost or unmotivated. Teachers worry about accountability and completion rates without the "stick" of a grade.
AI Solution
Research shows most students self-assess accurately once given the tools and practice. AI tracks completion and engagement for accountability while keeping the focus on feedback. The "Encouraging" grading style generates motivating narrative feedback that replaces grade-based motivation with growth-based motivation.
"Parents expect letter grades"
The Problem
Parents are accustomed to seeing letter grades and percentages. Ungrading can create confusion and anxiety for families who want clear signals about their child's performance. Parent communication becomes more complex and time-consuming.
AI Solution
AI generates parent-friendly narrative progress reports showing growth over time with specific examples. These reports are more informative than a letter grade and help parents understand exactly what their child can do, where they are growing, and what support they need.
"Too much feedback to write"
The Problem
Ungrading requires MORE feedback, not less. Writing detailed narrative comments for every student on every assignment is unsustainable, especially for teachers with 120-150 students. This is the single biggest practical barrier to ungrading.
AI Solution
AI generates detailed narrative feedback in seconds, covering strengths, growth areas, and actionable next steps. Teachers review, customize, and add a personal touch rather than writing from scratch. What took 15 minutes per student now takes 2 minutes of review and personalization.
How to Ungrade with AI
From setup to narrative feedback in under 2 minutes.
Set Grading Style to "Encouraging"
Configure AI to focus on narrative feedback, growth areas, and next steps rather than scoring. The "Encouraging" grading style emphasizes strengths and actionable improvement areas. Enable detailed feedback mode so comments are rich and specific.
Configure Grading StyleUpload Work & Receive Narrative Feedback
Paste student writing, upload PDFs or images. AI generates comments-focused assessment with specific strengths, areas for growth, and actionable next steps. No score is required — the feedback stands on its own as a rich narrative.
Share Feedback (Score Optional)
Use the share link feature so students see the detailed feedback, not just a grade. Students engage with the narrative comments and revise based on specific suggestions. Track growth over sessions for end-of-term grade conferences.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ungrading?
Ungrading is an assessment philosophy that replaces traditional letter grades and numerical scores with rich, narrative feedback. Pioneered by educators like Jesse Stommel, Susan Blum, and Alfie Kohn, ungrading emphasizes self-assessment, reflection, and descriptive comments over scores. It does not mean "no feedback" — it means more and better feedback without a number or letter attached.
Does removing grades hurt student performance?
No. Ruth Butler's landmark 1988 study found that students receiving comments-only feedback outperformed those receiving grades alone AND those receiving grades plus comments. When grades are present, students fixate on the number and ignore the feedback. Removing grades redirects attention to the feedback itself, promoting deeper learning and intrinsic motivation.
How do you implement ungrading when grades are required?
Most ungrading practitioners provide rich narrative feedback throughout the term and only assign grades at the end. Common approaches include: student self-assessment with grade conferences, portfolio-based evaluation where students compile evidence of growth, and labor-based grading where completion and effort determine the base grade. AI tools can generate comprehensive narrative feedback that translates to grades at term end.
What does the research say about comments vs. grades?
Butler (1988) found that comments-only feedback produced the highest subsequent task performance, grades-only produced the lowest, and grades-plus-comments performed the same as grades-only. This means grades effectively "cancel out" the benefit of comments. Pulfrey et al. (2011) confirmed that grades promote performance-approach goals that undermine mastery orientation.
Can AI help with ungrading?
Yes. AI is particularly well-suited for ungrading because it can generate detailed narrative feedback quickly. EasyClass's "Encouraging" grading style focuses on strengths, growth areas, and actionable next steps rather than scores. Teachers can share AI-generated feedback via share links so students see rich comments without a grade attached. This solves the biggest barrier to ungrading: the time required to write meaningful narrative feedback for every student.
Is ungrading appropriate for K-12?
Ungrading has been successfully implemented across all levels, from elementary through college. In K-12 settings, it often takes the form of standards-based narrative reports, portfolio conferences, and descriptive feedback without letter grades. However, Guskey (2015) notes that comments may not serve all populations equally, so implementation should be thoughtful and culturally responsive.
Ungrading Asks More of Teachers. EasyClass Makes That More Possible.
Meaningful narrative feedback takes time — time most teachers don't have when they're managing 30 students, five preps, and a full life outside the classroom. EasyClass closes that gap. Our AI generates thoughtful, student-specific, learning-goal-anchored feedback in seconds — making ungrading a practical choice, not just a philosophical aspiration.
How EasyClass Makes Ungrading Sustainable at Scale
Narrative feedback that sounds like you, not a bot
Ungrading demands feedback that's personal, specific, and substantive — not generic comments a student can ignore. EasyClass generates narrative feedback tuned to your voice, your assignment, and your learning goals. You set the tone (warm, direct, detailed), EasyClass drafts; you review and personalize. The result: feedback worth reading, delivered at a pace that won't consume your evenings.
Self-assessment scaffolding built in
Ungrading works best when students are active participants in their own evaluation. EasyClass generates self-reflection prompts, self-assessment rubrics, and conference preparation guides tailored to your assignment — giving students structured ways to analyze their own work before you respond. This is the "conversation between learner and instructor" that makes ungrading educationally rigorous rather than just grade-free.
Feedback at scale without the equity trap
A hidden risk of ungrading is that it works beautifully for small seminar courses and collapses under the weight of large classes. Teachers with 120 students can't write three paragraphs for each submission — and so ungrading becomes something only well-resourced, small-class instructors can afford. EasyClass breaks this constraint. Generate full narrative feedback for an entire class in a fraction of the time, so the equity benefits of ungrading aren't reserved for students lucky enough to have small class sizes.
EasyClass vs Traditional Grading — Ungrading Workflow
Ungrading is only sustainable when the feedback burden is manageable. Here's how EasyClass changes the equation.
| Feature | EasyClass | Traditional Grading Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Narrative / qualitative feedback | AI-generated, student-specific, goal-anchored | Time-prohibitive at scale; often generic |
| Self-assessment tools | Self-reflection prompts + scaffolded guides | Typically not provided |
| Student conference prep | Pre-conference reflection templates | Teacher-driven, no student prep |
| Portfolio review workflow | Collects feedback across assignments for longitudinal view | Each assignment graded in isolation |
| Scalability (large class sizes) | Handles 30–120+ students with no quality drop | Quality degrades at volume |
| Teacher time saved | 5–10 hrs/week reported by teachers using AI feedback | Feedback often the #1 time sink |
| Free to start | No credit card required | N/A |
Ungrading in Education — Frequently Asked Questions
What is ungrading in education, and who is it for?
Ungrading is an assessment philosophy that eliminates or minimizes traditional letter grades and point scores, replacing them with frequent, detailed, individualized feedback focused on learning goals. It's associated with higher education (Jesse Stommel, Susan Blum, Alfie Kohn) but is increasingly adopted in K–12 progressive classrooms. Ungrading is for educators who believe that grades as currently practiced reduce learning to performance, create anxiety, and undermine intrinsic motivation — and want a research-backed alternative.
What does ungrading actually look like in practice?
Ungrading takes many forms: students may receive only written feedback on assignments (no grade attached), conduct regular self-assessments against learning outcomes, maintain learning portfolios reviewed in conferences with the teacher, or determine their own final grades with structured justification. The common thread is that feedback drives learning rather than grades. Most educators using ungrading report that students initially need structured support to navigate the ambiguity — self-assessment rubrics, reflection prompts, and explicit conversations about what "good work" means in the absence of a number.
Is ungrading in education effective? What does the research say?
Research supports the core claims: feedback-only assessment reduces performance anxiety, increases intrinsic motivation, and deepens engagement with the learning process (Kohn, 2011; Butler, 1988). Students in ungraded courses report higher satisfaction and better retention of material. Critics note that ungrading requires strong self-regulation skills that not all students have developed, and that implementation inconsistency can create confusion. The consensus among advocates is that ungrading works best when paired with clear learning objectives, robust feedback, and structured student self-reflection — all of which EasyClass supports directly.
How do I transition to ungrading without overwhelming myself or confusing students?
Start with a partial ungrading approach: choose one assignment type (e.g., low-stakes weekly reflections or drafts) and shift to feedback-only with no grade. Use EasyClass to generate detailed, learning-goal-anchored feedback for each submission so the 'no grade' is backed by rich guidance students can act on. Add student self-assessment using EasyClass's reflection prompts. Communicate your rationale to students up front — educators who explain the 'why' of ungrading report much smoother adoption. Scale from there as your workflow matures.
How does ungrading work when final grades are still required by the institution?
Most educators who practice ungrading don't eliminate final grades — they change how those grades are determined. Common approaches: student-determined grades (students propose their own final grade with portfolio evidence; teacher approves or negotiates), labor-based grading (final grades tied to completion and effort metrics rather than quality scores), contract grading (students select a grade level at the start of the semester and commit to the corresponding workload). These approaches satisfy institutional grade requirements while shifting the role of assessment from evaluation to learning support.
Can ungrading work in K-12 classrooms where grade reports are required?
Yes — K-12 educators implement ungrading at the assignment level while still producing required grade reports. Assignments throughout the unit are feedback-only; the final unit assessment (which appears on the report card) uses a rubric. This approach gives students genuine learning feedback most of the time while meeting reporting requirements for summative assessments. EasyClass supports this model: generate detailed feedback comments for draft and practice work, then apply the rubric grader only for officially graded submissions.
Who are the key researchers and advocates behind ungrading?
The ungrading movement draws on a wide intellectual tradition: Alfie Kohn's foundational critiques of grades (Punished by Rewards, 1993; No Contest, 1986) established the research case against extrinsic motivators. Jesse Stommel popularized the term 'ungrading' in higher education through his essays and the 2020 edited volume 'Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning.' Starr Sackstein's 'Hacking Assessment' (2015) brought ungrading strategies to K-12 audiences. Susan Blum's edited volume 'Ungrading' assembles practitioner accounts from college instructors. The empirical research base draws on self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan) showing that intrinsic motivation is undermined by extrinsic evaluation pressure — the theoretical underpinning for why grades can suppress deep learning.