Opinion
Assessment Letter to the Editor

Can Competition Boost Study Habits and Learning?

February 17, 2015 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

Competition has always defined our schools as well as our society.

But many school systems have decided to eliminate letter grades, thus also eliminating competition between students. Instead, these schools say that they will focus on students’ comprehension of the subject matter in their courses. It is commonly believed that this differs from the traditional education model.

As an educator, I would disagree. Technical schools have been focused on comprehension of subject matter for years. Their students’ proof of success is judged after graduation.

I’ve read that the state of Maine passed legislation in 2012 suggesting that proficiency-based education should be a model toward which all schools in the state strive. We’ve been there before. The No Child Left Behind Act promised to change our public education system for the better. We all know how that worked out.

This new program in Maine has a bite to it because it requires schools to offer “multiple pathways” to learning for all students. Like the NCLB model, the proficiency-based system sounds great, but offers little promise of enhancing our children’s prospects for success.

Schools that boast of leading the way with the newest gimmicks in public education—the elimination of grades being one—are moving with the wind.

Many schools nationwide are fighting this particular change, arguing that competition brings out the best in students: Those who want to comprehend the most study the hardest, and get the best grades they can. They know that their future success will be brighter when they do. If children simply want to satisfy the norm, become vanilla, why would they bother trying to study and work harder?

The author has taught at Newmarket Jr./Sr. High School in Newmarket, N.H. for 25 years.

Jim Fabiano

York, Maine

A version of this article appeared in the February 18, 2015 edition of Education Week as Can Competition Boost Study Habits and Learning?

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
The Future of the Science of Reading
Join us for a discussion on the future of the Science of Reading and how to support every student’s path to literacy.
Content provided by HMH
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Helping Students Succeed in Math
Student Well-Being Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: The Power of Emotion Regulation to Drive K-12 Academic Performance and Wellbeing
Wish you could handle emotions better? Learn practical strategies with researcher Marc Brackett and host Peter DeWitt.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Assessment Download 6 Ways to Curb Grade-Change Requests From Students and Parents (DOWNLOADABLE)
No one likes dealing with grade-change requests. Here are some tips to help teachers avoid them altogether.
1 min read
Close up of a schoolgirl showing her C- grade on a test at elementary school.
E+/Getty Images
Assessment Opinion Our Grading System Was Setting Students Up to Fail—Until This Change
Our first reaction to standards-based grading was despair. Then, slowly, things began to change.
Matthew Ebert
5 min read
A student climbs up stairs as letter grades fall around her. In the background a teacher is grading a test.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
Assessment In Case You Missed It: How Schools Are Measuring Student Success
Explore stories about grading practices, what truly reflects student achievement, and more.
5 min read
Grading and assessment SR
Robert Neubecker for Education Week
Assessment Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Standardized Testing & Improving Student Outcomes?
Answer 7 questions about improving standardized testing and student outcomes.