SNUE Rubric Gradebook — Holistic Competency Assessment with Self-Assessment and Narrative Feedback
Single-Number Ungrading (SNUE) is a standards-based assessment approach that replaces fragmented point accumulation with holistic competency ratings assigned through teacher-student dialogue. Instead of calculating a grade from a hundred small point deductions, a teacher and student together review evidence of learning and arrive at a single proficiency rating that reflects overall competency growth. OpenEduCat's SNUE module supports the full ungrading workflow: evidence portfolios, structured self-assessment, teacher-student conference records, and holistic competency reports.
Proficiency Scale
Evidence-based proficiency levels replace point totals and averages.
Student demonstrates exceptional growth beyond expectations. Shows initiative, depth of engagement, and sophisticated application of competencies. Co-determined in teacher-student conference — not awarded unilaterally by the teacher.
Student demonstrates solid, consistent competency with the learning standards. Meets expectations fully. Evidence portfolio shows a coherent progression of learning. The target outcome for most students.
Student shows clear growth but has not yet reached full proficiency. Evidence demonstrates engagement with learning goals and partial competency. Additional time, support, or evidence is needed.
Student is at the start of competency development. Initial evidence present but the learning progression is in early stages. Not a negative judgement — many students begin here and reach Proficient or Exceptional with support.
What OpenEduCat Does for Single-Number Ungrading (SNUE) Rubric
Student Self-Assessment Workflow
Before each teacher assessment, the system prompts the student to complete a structured self-assessment: reviewing their evidence portfolio, rating their own competency, and writing a reflection on their learning. The self-assessment is stored alongside the teacher rating and both are visible in the conference record.
Evidence Portfolio Builder
Students and teachers contribute to a per-student, per-competency evidence portfolio. Evidence items can be documents, images, audio recordings, links to work, or teacher observation notes. The portfolio is the foundation for the co-determined holistic rating.
Teacher-Student Conference Records
Each SNUE rating is tied to a conference record: the date, participants, self-assessment rating, teacher rating, negotiated final rating, and written narrative justification. This creates an audit trail of the assessment dialogue, supporting transparency and accountability.
Narrative Feedback Generator
Teachers write narrative comments per competency. OpenEduCat provides a structured narrative framework (strength, growth area, next step) to ensure comments are actionable and consistent. Narratives are the primary feedback mechanism in SNUE — replacing numerical scores as the main communication with students and parents.
Holistic Competency Report Cards
Report cards show competency ratings (Exceptional/Proficient/Developing/Beginning) per learning goal, alongside a narrative summary per subject. Parents see a complete picture of their child's growth trajectory without point scores, percentages, or letter grades obscuring the actual competency picture.
Grade Conversion for Institutional Requirements
Where institutional requirements demand letter grades (transcripts, GPA calculations), OpenEduCat maps SNUE ratings to letter grades: Exceptional=A, Proficient=B/A-, Developing=C/B-, Beginning=D. The conversion is configurable per school and does not alter the underlying SNUE record.
How It Works in OpenEduCat
Define Competency Framework
Administrators define the competency areas for each subject (e.g., "Mathematical Reasoning", "Written Communication", "Scientific Inquiry"). Each competency is linked to curriculum standards.
Students Build Evidence Portfolios
Throughout the unit or term, students upload evidence of their learning to their portfolio. Teachers add observation notes and annotated work samples.
Student Self-Assessment
Students complete a structured self-assessment: reviewing their portfolio, selecting a self-rating, and writing a reflection explaining their choice with evidence references.
Teacher-Student Conference
Teacher and student meet (in person or asynchronously via the platform) to review the evidence and self-assessment together and co-determine the final competency rating.
Narrative Report Generation
The system generates a narrative competency report from the conference record, teacher notes, and competency ratings — ready for parent distribution without requiring additional write-up.
Framework Alignment
Jesse Stommel / Susan Blum Ungrading Framework | Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) | International Baccalaureate Approaches to Teaching and Learning (ATL) alignment supported
Module ID: oec-sbg-snue-rubric
Frequently Asked Questions
Other SBG Approaches
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