t's difficult to convince educators that "100%" should not be a goal for some learners-- particularly not those for whom it is a somewhat realistic target. Students like that need to be in curriculum that either moves away from a criterion-based or norm-referenced assessment scheme entirely, or needs to be placed into a situation in which 100% is pretty much ONLY achievable through good luck in combination with top performance, and therefore seldom realistic and merely a pleasant surprise when it DOES happen. Alternatively, assessment can be based on crystal clear curricular goals and stellar writing of assessments, so that the level of effort necessary to earn "perfection" is clear and consistent. (Yeah, I know-- I had trouble not laughing, there, too. Never going to happen.)
Otherwise it leads to completely out of control perfectionism, especially in students who have a penchant for high achievement and recognition, or in those students whom adults have placed obviously high expectations on.
Wow...um...yeah, this is true, isn't it.
Says the mom whose kid gets 100%s on everything (but, but, this year the 100s are harder earned, at least).
