Like many of you, we are catching up with grading this week (isn’t it funny that our friends and family think that teachers have lots of time off?) We’ve been reading analytic research papers written by ninth graders, which is causing us to notice again what is helpful and unhelpful about grades. To be sure, they serve as an important benchmark for students and their families–a yardstick of achievement. But unless accompanied by helpful feedback and advice about next steps, they don’t result in academic gains. That’s why we include “do next” feedback. Too many directives can be overwhelming, but we’ve found that when we break it down into smaller steps, they respond with a next draft. How do you provide feedback? What are your experiences with student writers?