Principals’ views on the implementation of grade-free middle schools in Norway: justifications, challenges and opportunities

This article reports on four principals’ views on the implementation of so-called grade-free middle schools, i.e. schools that drop all grades on students’ performances except the two required by the national assessment regulation, as part of their work with Assessment for Learning (AfL). More specifically, we were interested in the under-researched area of how principals justify introducing and implementing grade-free schools, and what their experiences are regarding challenges and opportunities that have arisen during and as a result of the implementation. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were used to collect data. Findings suggest that principals rely on research and unsatisfying assessment practices when justifying a change to grade-free schools. However, they do not find the involvement of students, nor the information directed at parents about the implementation, to be sufficient. They also mention challenges related to the current assessment system, which they believe underpin a behavioristic understanding of learning. The article calls for more research on trust among various stakeholders and student involvement when implementing grade-free schools.