Beyond A to F
By Matt Bowman
Roger Federer, widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, shared a powerful insight during a commencement address at Dartmouth last spring. He noted that while he won an impressive 80% of his 1,526 matches, he only won 54% of the points he played – barely better than a coin flip.
This paradox isn’t unique to Federer. Let’s consider LeBron James, often hailed as one of the greatest basketball players ever. If we were to grade his performance using traditional academic standards, his “transcript” might look something like this:
| Subject | Score | Grade |
| Field Goal % | 50% | F |
| 3-point Field Goal % | 35% | F |
| Free Throw % | 73% | D+ |
| Regular Season Winning % | 66% | D- |
| Playoff Winning % | 65% | D- |
| Trips to Finals % | 55% | F |
| Finals Winning % | 40% | F |
How about Simone Biles, the undisputed greatest gymnast ever? She has “only” won an Olympic medal in 61% of the events where she competed. Should we give her career a grade of D-? And if we used a “gold” standard, her score would only be 39%, which would be a failing grade in school.
By these metrics, Federer, James, and Biles would be academic underperformers. The same goes for other sports legends like Cristiano Ronaldo (scores in only 42% of his soccer games) and Tom Brady (64% career completion rate in football).
This disconnect between traditional grading scales and real-world success is not lost on today’s students. Whether they’re aspiring athletes, dancers, chess players, or e-sports enthusiasts, they can see that making half your shots or winning just over half your points can make you a star, not a failure.
So why do we continue to judge our students by such rigid standards?
The Problem with Traditional Grading
By overemphasizing arbitrary letter grades and test scores, our traditional schooling system fails to account for individual learning paces, styles, and the value of real-world experiences. Worse, it stifles creativity, curiosity, and the development of self-directed, lifelong learners.
This approach can make students afraid to take the kinds of intellectual risks that are necessary for success in the real world. As Federer pointed out in his speech, a champion needs a mindset that doesn’t dwell on past failures but commits fully to the next point, the next challenge.
“Perfection,” he noted, “is impossible.”
The “mastered or not yet” approach is one model I encourage you to consider adopting. It allows learners to demonstrate what they already know and can do and then spend the rest of the time on those areas they still need to develop.
Ask yourself this question as a human being: “Have you already mastered everything there is to do on earth?”
Of course not! So, let’s all admit that even as adults we all have a bunch of “not-yets” in so many aspects of our lives. Yes, while we have each mastered some things, we are all still working, growing, and developing our own talents as we speak. I know I’m a “not-yet” in many ways. And that’s totally okay.
While some students might excel under the current system of standardized tests and grading, countless parents have seen this approach diminish their child’s love for learning. My own daughter, Eliza, expressed at 16 that while she enjoyed learning, she found schooling to be painful due to the high levels of stress and anxiety among her peers.
A Better Way: Competency-Based Education
After exploring different options, Eliza enrolled in a competency-based program that utilized a “mastered” or “not yet” grading model. This individualized, flexible pacing recognizes that every child learns at their own pace – something our current system, which batches children by arbitrary factors like birth year and zip code, fails to do.
Competency-based education focuses on students demonstrating mastery of skills and knowledge at their own pace, rather than being confined to a rigid, time-based system. It offers:
- Individualized, flexible pacing
- Educational transparency
- A “mastered” or “not yet” grading model that fosters a love for lifelong learning
After making the switch, Eliza completed her associate degree in just 14 months. Since then, all five of our children have earned one or more competency-based college degrees. As a father and an educator for 30+ years, I can say with confidence that it is one of the best educational models I’ve ever seen to help students truly learn.
Implementing Change
Implementing competency-based education doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. There are ways to incorporate elements of this approach within both traditional and non-traditional school settings:
- Offer mastery-based grading on specific assignments or projects
- Provide predefined rubrics to ensure educational transparency
- Allow for flexible pacing to accommodate students’ individual needs
Imagine a world where all students have unlimited access to high-quality, locally adaptable, competency-based digital curriculum spanning every subject and grade level from kindergarten to college and career. Picture a learning environment with clear, consistent expectations for success, reducing the confusion, stress, and anxiety that are so prevalent among today’s youth.
It’s time to move away from the limitations of standardized education and embrace a model that empowers students to reach their full potential. Competency-based education is just one facet of the broader open education movement, which seeks to create flexible, personalized learning experiences for all students. This approach not only prepares students for the challenges of the 21st century but also reignites their natural love for learning.
If these ideas resonate with you, I invite you to subscribe to the OpenEd Daily, where we regularly share insights, strategies, and success stories from the world of open education. Together, we can reshape the future of learning and unlock the potential in every student.