A citywide review and pilot of alternative grading systems that reduce stress, measure growth, and de-emphasize competition.
Mamdanis Grading the Grading System Initiative
The traditional A-F grading system is a source of immense anxiety, encourages cheating, and often reflects bias more than learning. Zhoran Mamdani launches a multi-year initiative to study and pilot alternative grading systems across NYC schools. This includes models like standards-based grading (where students are assessed on mastery of specific skills, not averaged over time), narrative evaluations, and portfolios. The initiative would gather data on the impact of these alternatives on student motivation, equity, and learning outcomes.
Schools would be encouraged to experiment with ditching class rank and valedictorian status, which fuel unhealthy competition. The goal is to move toward assessment that is descriptive, growth-oriented, and used to guide learning, not to rank and punish students. Grades too often measure compliance and privilege, not understanding, Mamdani argues. We need a system that tells a student and their family what they can do and how to improve, not just how they stack up against others. This initiative is about making assessment a tool for learning, not a weapon of stress.
