119 - When Flexibility Isn't Enough: Alternative Grading and Neurodivergent Students - A Conversation with Emily Pitts Donahoe and Sarah Silverman

n this episode, Sharona and Boz sit down with returning guest Emily Pitts Donahoe (University of Mississippi) and first-time guest Sarah Silverman (Goodwin University) to explore the complex intersection of neurodiversity and alternative grading. Drawing on their collaborative three-part Substack series, Emily and Sarah unpack how different grading structures—ungrading, specifications grading, labor-based grading, and collaborative grading—interact with the varied needs of neurodivergent students.

The conversation dives deep into the concept of “access friction”—the tension that arises when one group’s access needs conflict with another’s—and challenges the oversimplified idea that flexible grading is automatically better for all students.

Links

Please note - any books linked here are likely Amazon Associates links. Clicking on them and purchasing through them helps support the show. Thanks for your support!

• Karen Costa — “Supporting ADHD Learners” (podcast interview)
• Karen Costa — “Accessibility & Mental Illness in Higher Ed” (article)

Resources

The Center for Grading Reform - seeking to advance education in the United States by supporting effective grading reform at all levels through conferences, educational workshops, professional development, research and scholarship, influencing public policy, and community building.

The Grading Conference - an annual, online conference exploring Alternative Grading in Higher Education & K-12.

Some great resources to educate yourself about Alternative Grading:

• The Grading for Growth Blog
• The Grading Conference
• The Intentional Academia Blog

Recommended Books on Alternative Grading:

• Grading for Growth, by Robert Talbert and David Clark
• Specifications Grading, by Linda Nilsen
• Undoing the Grade, by Jesse Stommel

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All content of this podcast and website are solely the opinions of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily represent the views of California State University Los Angeles or the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Music

Country Rock performed by Lite Saturation, licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.