\n<\/p>\n
To offer students extra credit\u2014that is the question.<\/p>\n
In fact, it\u2019s an age-old question, one that some systems, liked standards-based grading, claim to answer by completely eliminating it.<\/p>\n
Personally, I\u2019ve always found extra credit to be the easiest way to differentiate instruction for more motivated\/more proficient students.<\/p>\n
Other educators have different perspectives, which this post will explore.<\/p>\n
Rose Hill is a veteran middle school reading and language arts teacher with 10 years of classroom experience. She is also active on social media under the name @PearlsOfPedagogy, where she shares teaching advice for educators and practical tips for parents:<\/p>\n
When I first started teaching, I had extra-credit assignments typed up, copied, and ready before the first bell of the school year even rang. Students knew exactly what to do from Day 1 if they wanted to bump their grade. Back then, I thought I was being proactive. But over time, I realized that \u201cextra credit on autopilot\u201d wasn\u2019t really serving anyone well.<\/p>\n
Now, I approach extra credit differently: I gauge the climate of my classroom and the unique needs of my students before deciding what it looks like. Every class has its own mix\u2014some groups are loaded with kids balancing sports, band, or after-school jobs. Others may have more students who just need that extra push to practice skills at home. Extra credit can\u2019t be a one-size-fits-all approach, so I\u2019ve learned to be flexible and intentional.<\/p>\n
One of my biggest shifts was deciding that extra credit should never just be \u201cbonus busywork.\u201d Coloring a poster, bringing in tissues, or doing something unrelated to learning might raise a grade, but it doesn\u2019t raise achievement. So now, every extra-credit opportunity I design ties directly back to the standards we\u2019re covering. If we\u2019re in a unit on figurative language, then the extra credit might be analyzing song lyrics or commercials for literary devices. During a persuasive-writing unit, it might be finding a real-world text to critique.<\/p>\n
This way, students aren\u2019t just padding their grade\u2014they\u2019re reinforcing skills they\u2019ll use on the next assignment, test, or even in life. It\u2019s growth disguised as opportunity.<\/p>\n
I also think about time. If I know my students are juggling heavy extracurricular schedules, I won\u2019t assign extra credit that takes hours. That\u2019s punishing the kids who are already stretched thin. Instead, I build in smaller, bite-sized tasks that can be done without overwhelming them. The goal is practice and accountability, not burnout.<\/p>\n
Speaking of accountability\u2014one of my easiest and most effective extra-credit systems is tied to responsibility, not extra work. In my district, students get a 24-hour grace period for late work before losing points. I offer extra credit for students who don\u2019t use that grace period at all. If they turn everything in on time, they earn a bump. No new assignment, no extra stress\u2014just consistency and responsibility rewarded.<\/p>\n
It sends a powerful message: Being prepared and managing your time is just as valuable as knowing how to analyze a theme. And honestly, that\u2019s the kind of real-world skill colleges and employers will thank us for later.<\/p>\n
Anytime I offer extra credit, I tell parents at the same time I tell students. That way there are no surprises, and families can support their child\u2019s planning. I also keep deadlines firm\u2014extra credit isn\u2019t an endless safety net. If it\u2019s due Friday, it\u2019s due Friday. That boundary matters.<\/p>\n
When I\u2019ve been on a grade-level team, I\u2019ve also made it a point to share my extra-credit opportunities with colleagues who teach the same content. Nothing is more frustrating for families than siblings in the same grade having totally different systems. Aligning as much as possible keeps it fair and reduces confusion.<\/p>\n
Finally, I make students keep track of their own extra credit. If they don\u2019t record it, submit it properly, or remind themselves of the deadline, that\u2019s on them. It\u2019s another chance to teach ownership of learning. If I do all the tracking, I rob them of the lesson.<\/p>\n
My philosophy now? Extra credit should extend learning, not excuse it. It should be purposeful, manageable, and tied to responsibility. Most of all, it should reflect the classroom climate in front of me\u2014not just the classroom I imagined on the first day of school.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not only fairer to students; it\u2019s a lot more effective for teachers, too.<\/p>\n
Joe Feldman, Ed.M,, has worked in education for over 30 years, including as a teacher, principal, and district administrator, and is the founder and CEO of Crescendo Education Group (crescendoedgroup.org), which since 2013 has supported hundreds of K-12 schools, districts, and colleges\/universities nationwide and thousands of teachers and administrators to improve grading and assessment practices:<\/p>\n
On the surface, extra credit feels like a win-win. Want parents to attend Back-to-School Night? Offer points to students whose parents come. Want students to attend a community exhibit or performance related to the current unit? Give them bonus points for bringing proof they attended. Want to build classroom culture? Offer points for organizing a class Spotify playlist. Extra-credit offerings like these can feel like harmless ways to motivate and engage students. <\/p>\n
Plus, because it\u2019s optional, extra credit seems fair: It doesn\u2019t punish students who skip it and it offers a creative way to reward those who do more. But extra credit does more harm than good. The practice not only warps the accuracy of our grades and makes them less fair; it can also undermine the instructional integrity of our classrooms.<\/p>\n
1. Extra Credit Reinforces a Points-Obsessed System <\/p>\n
Grades are supposed to reflect what students know and can do. Yet extra credit turns grades into a point-collecting game. Need to get that B-plus to an A-minus? Find the extra-credit opportunities\u2014wherever and whenever they\u2019re offered. Raise your hand more often, turn in unused restroom passes, or perform a monologue of a character from the novel we\u2019re reading. <\/p>\n
With extra credit, we teach students that success in school comes not through learning but through point accumulation, regardless of where those points come from. It\u2019s no surprise that students beg for extra credit at the end of a term: we\u2019ve trained them to believe grades are about hustling for points, not demonstrating learning. <\/p>\n
2. Extra Credit Allows Students to Be Less Accountable for Learning <\/p>\n
When a student has a low grade that reflects weak understanding, extra credit becomes an escape hatch. Rather than requiring them to study more, receive support, or retest, extra credit adds points to their grade and can exempt them from learning.<\/p>\n
Even when extra credit is tied to advanced work\u2013going \u201cabove and beyond\u201d\u2014a student earns surplus points in one content unit and deposits them in another unit where the content was more challenging for them. Didn\u2019t learn the difference between Federalism and Anti-Federalism? No problem, because in the next unit on the Constitution you can earn extra credit by giving a monologue as a Constitutional Convention attendee. The result is a grade that hides misunderstanding and misrepresents true achievement and allows students to be less accountable. <\/p>\n
3. Extra Credit Devalues the Core Curriculum <\/p>\n
By offering alternative ways to earn points, extra credit signals that required assignments weren\u2019t essential after all. Why should students prioritize challenging core tasks if easier point opportunities\u2014like bringing in tissues or food for a class potluck\u2014can offset missed learning? Teachers burden themselves with creating and grading additional assignments, often unrelated to the curriculum they already designed, as if teachers didn\u2019t have enough to grade!. <\/p>\n
4. Extra Credit Exacerbates Differences in Students\u2019 Resources <\/p>\n
Although extra credit is open to all students, not all can access it equally. Many tasks require money, transportation, time, or adult support\u2014resources unequally distributed among families. Research confirms that higher-achieving, better-resourced students are more likely to take advantage of extra credit, while lower-achieving students often don\u2019t. What seems like an optional bonus actually widens opportunity gaps. <\/p>\n
A Better Approach: If It\u2019s Not Aligned With Learning Goals, Exclude It; If It Matters, Require It <\/p>\n
The solution? Eliminate extra credit altogether. If a task or experience is valuable, make it part of the required curriculum. If a student hasn\u2019t completed or mastered an assignment, give them the opportunity to redo it\u2014not replace it with unrelated tasks. And if a task isn\u2019t related to the content, exclude it from the grade. This ensures our grades reflect actual learning, not a student\u2019s Pacman-like savvy at chasing points. <\/p>\n
Yes, this may mean schools must provide classroom supplies instead of teachers \u201cbuying\u201d them with bonus points, and the winning team in my unit-review Jeopardy game the day before the test earns only bragging rights. But that\u2019s a small price to pay to teach our students that every assignment matters and that their grade reflects what they\u2019ve learned, helping to imbue our classrooms with greater meaning, mitigate resource disparities outside our classrooms, and hold every student truly accountable for their learning. <\/p>\n
Thanks to Rose and Joe for contributing their thoughts.<\/p>\n
Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at lferlazzo@epe.org. When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it\u2019s selected or if you\u2019d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.<\/p>\n
You can also contact me on X at @Larryferlazzo<\/a> or on Bluesky at @larryferlazzo.bsky.social.<\/p>\n Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email. And if you missed any of the highlights from the first 13 years of this blog, you can see a categorized list here.<\/p>\n