A high school teacher is calling for the “no-zero” grading policy to be abolished in Canadian schools, saying controversial method lacks credibility.
Refusing to follow the policy led to the suspension of an Alberta teacher in May.
In a scathing report released this week by the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, Michael Zwaagstra, a public school teacher in rural Manitoba, criticizes the no-zero policy and the lack of evidence to support its use in schools.
“I'd read the writings of people who advocate for no-zero policies and found that they were very weak and didn’t have any substantive evidence,” says Zwaagstra, also an education researcher and author.
“It’s very frustrating seeing people make the claim that [no-zero grading] is research-based and supported by the evidence, when I know that it isn’t.”
The no-zero grading policy prohibits teachers from doling out zeros for missed assignments, instead using nondescript terms such as “Incomplete” or “Not Handed In,” which doesn’t affect the students’ final grades.
Zwaagstra calls the policy a “fad” that was adopted by schools over the last decade even though its effectiveness has never been subjected to a serious review.
“There is no research evidence for the [no-zero policy]. It’s a theory that they’re entitled to advocate, but they can’t claim that they have evidence for it,” he says.
According to the report, select schools in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and the Maritimes currently use the no-zero grading policy.
Manitoba high schools used to have a policy of prohibiting teachers from doling out zeroes for late work but it was dropped two years ago because it “didn’t work,” says Zwaagstra.
“I'd experienced such a policy when it was in effect—it just doesn’t work at the classroom level.”
The issue was brought to national attention when Edmonton high school teacher Lynden Dorval was suspended for insubordination after handing out zeroes in his physics class for missed assignments, going against the school’s strict no-zero policy.
Teachers at the school were expected to give alternatives for missed work, such as NC (Not Completed), NHI (Not Handed In), or CNA (Chose Not to Attempt), which would not be counted against their final marks.
The widespread public outcry over Dorval’s dismissal and the policy sparked a review of the method by the Edmonton Public School Board, slated to start in September.
Superintendent Defends Policy
According to a June statement by the superintendent of Edmonton public schools, Edgar Schmidt, the no-zero policy allows missed assignments to be “treated differently.”
“Our approach to missed assignments is to work with each student to find out the reason they did not turn in an assignment. Once a teacher finds out the reason, they work with the student to come up with a solution to address the situation,” said Schmidt.
“By taking an all or nothing approach to a missed assignment, we are not doing our job as educators to prepare all students, including those who face significant challenges, to take the next step in their educational journey as a lifelong learner,” he added.
“We don’t let students off the hook and we don’t let them down, either. We set out clear expectations and then we support them in learning what they need to know.”
Zwaagstra says school administrators have strongly defended the no-zero practice, and the outcome of the Edmonton board’s review will depend on whether school trustees choose to listen to public opinion.
“[School administrators] genuinely believe in the no-zero theory, they think it’s a good policy, and I assume they don’t like the idea or the appearance of backing down from something just because of public opinion. I think they’re fairly entrenched in their opinion,” he says.
“It ultimately comes down to the trustees and whether they choose to exercise their authority on this.”
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