“If a student is not learning, that could be the fault of the system, not of the student,” says education reporter Moriah Balingit. “[Grades] seem to measure what students have, not what they know.”

Should we keep assessing students in a way that assumes they’re all on the same level? Or is it time to do away with grades completely?

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.