Becky Peppler

Reassessment that Works

Overcoming Challenges and Building Systems that Improve Learning

What if reassessment wasn’t exhausting...but transformative?

Most educators believe students deserve opportunities to learn from mistakes. Yet when it comes to reassessment, many schools find
themselves trapped between two extremes: rigid one-and-done grading or chaotic, unsustainable reassessment policies.

Reassessment That Works bridges that gap.

Drawing from years of classroom experience and work with schools across the country, Becky Peppler provides a practical roadmap for designing reassessment systems that are rigorous, manageable, and centered on learning. Rather than offering one-size-fits-all answers, she helps educators build systems that protect teacher time, strengthen student ownership, and ensure grades accurately communicate what students know and can do.

Inside you’ll discover how to:

Build reassessment systems that are sustainable for teachers.
Create clear expectations that promote accountability—not unlimited retakes.
Replace grading practices that distort learning with ones that improve accuracy.
Address the toughest questions from teachers, parents, and administrators.
Develop schoolwide commitments while preserving teacher autonomy.
Turn reassessment from a source of frustration into a catalyst for student growth.

Filled with real classroom examples, reflection tools, implementation guides, and ready-to-use resources, Reassessment That Works moves beyond theory to show exactly what effective reassessment looks like in practice.

Because learning isn’t finished after the first attempt—and our grading systems shouldn’t pretend it is.

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Becky Peppler knows what it feels like to wrestle with grading. As a classroom science teacher and later a 6–12 instructional coach, she experienced firsthand the late-night debates, the uneasy parent conversations, and the constant question: Are my grades truly reflecting what students know?

Today, Becky serves as Director of the FIRST Education STAGR Center, a
division of FIRST Educational Resources. She has worked with school systems across the country to guide full transitions to standards-based grading, helping educators design systems that are sustainable, rigorous, and focused on student learning. She partners with schools to develop clear learning targets, design meaningful assessments, and implement reassessment practices that protect high expectations while promoting growth. Her work centers on one core belief—grades should communicate what students know and can do, not when they learned it.

Becky is the co-author of the best-selling book Extinguishing the Fires of Assessment and Grading Reform, written with Dr. Matt Townsley, Dr. Garth Larson, and Don Smith. She also designed the STAGR Process Roadmap Laminated Guide alongside Dr. Garth Larson and Ken O’Connor. Becky is co-host of the Fires in Grading Podcast with Dr. Garth Larson and Don Smith, where they explore real challenges schools face in grading reform and practical solutions for
moving forward.

Through her writing, consulting, and professional learning, Becky is committed to helping schools build grading systems that are consistent, accurate, learning-focused, and meaningful, because when grading is clear, students are no longer defined by their mistakes but by their growth.

Rick Wormeli, Educator/Trainer, Author of Fair Isn't Always Equal, 2nd Edition

Once in a while an education book comes along that truly transforms thinking and practice in a particular area, and Reassessment that Works is one of those books. This is the best argument I’ve ever read for reassessments as purposeful, doable, and highly effective instructional practice, worth every transitory discomfort when changing policy and practice to include them. Writing in a clear and logical manner, Becky Peppler has the intellect and classroom savvy to make reassessments workable in today’s demanding classrooms, showing us how to use reassessments without losing our sanity and all while helping students build responsibility and agency in the effort. She asks the key questions that educators new to accurate, ethical grading never knew to ask but are now grateful for the provocation - and in this, feasible solutions abound. Focused on sustainability of reassessment practices over time, this is not simply a list of superficial do’s and don’ts. Peppler dives deeply here, providing cogent responses to challenging concerns and powerful leadership moves to help faculty and students embrace the real positives of reassessments. Heck, the templates, tools, and specific classroom examples alone are worth the book’s price, and there’s so much more beyond even these. What a gift to the profession! This is now the top book I recommend to anyone considering relearning and reassessing in the modern classroom.

LuAnna Odom, K-12 Director of Academics, Ontario Christian Schools

If you are ready to rethink grading and focus more intentionally on systems that truly reflect student learning, Becky Peppler offers a practical and encouraging guide. I appreciate how each chapter includes manageable tasks and meaningful reflection that support real implementation for educators. Her emphasis on collaboration, consistency, and student ownership helps shift the focus from chasing points to authentic learning, reminding us that learning is a process. This book is an essential resource for anyone seeking to implement or strengthen reassessment practices in ways that are both impactful and sustainable while keeping growth at the center.

Lori Verhagen, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, New Holstein School District, Wisconsin

The definitive roadmap for leaders and teachers at any stage of making the learning
process excel. I especially value the focus on establishing shared commitments while
honoring professional judgment – achieving consistency without uniformity. If you need an essential and practical takeaway, look to the Reassessment Blueprint. Walking readers through five procedural decisions with steps, examples, and tools, it makes reassessment practices sustainable. Leaders will also appreciate the framework for navigating resistance and answering "hard questions," invaluable for ensuring grades reflect learning. I only wish this book were available when we began our journey; it’s a vital guide to
moving forward.

Reassessment that Works

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