For the 2025-2026 school year, a major change has been made to the grading system: the removal of Formative grades. This means that while Formative work may still be assigned, students’ grades and GPA will ultimately depend entirely on Summatives.
Formative and Summative assignments have always served very different purposes. Formative assignments are learning tools, focusing on students’ progress in the course material. They provide valuable insight for both students and teachers by identifying which topics need further review. Examples of Formative assignments include homework, in-class work, and even certain quizzes. In fact, many teachers use Formatives specifically for the purpose of giving students feedback on their work, helping to improve their skills before Summative assessments.
Summatives, on the other hand, are meant to evaluate and grade students’ understanding of the course material. They are higher-stakes, typically having heavier weighting or higher point values. Examples include tests, quizzes, large projects, and final exams.
With the new policy this school year, Summatives will be the only grades that count towards students’ GPAs. While Formatives in past years typically only made up small percentages of the total grade, their presence still offered some ‘buffer’ to balance out unfortunate assessments. However, since Formative assignments are designed specifically for the purpose of scoping out and not evaluating students’ learning progress, there is logic to their removal from the gradebooks. Essentially, Formative assignments will now function as practice to prepare students for Summative assessments.
So far, the teachers and students in the Upper School have mixed opinions on the new grading policy. “I can see how students might be annoyed by not having their homework count towards their cumulative grade average,” says Upper School English teacher Mr. Abdul-Malik, “But I think ultimately once students and teachers see homework as a means to practice on their skills, I think students will start seeing that they’re getting the results they normally would get in their grades.”
Meanwhile, in the student body, many feel neutral on the policy. For example, Senior Micah Krasner says, “I like that I can prioritize what I want, but at the same time, I can’t tell if I’m doing well or not in my classes.” However, many others are upset that the hard work they put into homework assignments won’t earn any points. “I have no motivation to actually do my homework,” says a student who wishes to remain anonymous. There are also students who feel relieved that missing a homework assignment won’t negatively impact their grade. “Sometimes I don’t have time to do my homework thoroughly,” says Freshman Charlie Kropp. “I like that finishing my homework late won’t make my grade drop, and I don’t have to rush through it.”
The new Formative policy is a significant shift from grading in previous years. There are differing perspectives on it, with some students feeling unmotivated to put effort into work that earns no points, while others feel that it takes the pressure off of their many homework assignments. The policy puts a new level of accountability on students, as well as a challenge for teachers who may have to adapt their curriculums. Ultimately, the success of this new policy will be based on whether it effectively encourages students to see Formative assignments as essential practice for their Summative assessments.
