Russia overhauls student behaviour assessments with team-based grading

Russian schools will soon introduce a new way of assessing student behaviour. The system, announced by education expert Marina Koneva, replaces individual teacher evaluations with a team-based approach. It will categorise conduct into three clear tiers: exemplary, acceptable, and unacceptable. On 28 May, Marina Koneva from Russia’s Ministry of Education unveiled the planned changes. Instead of a single teacher judging behaviour, a group of specialists will now work together. This team includes deputy principals, special education teachers, speech therapists, social pedagogues, psychologists, and subject teachers.

The new method has already entered a trial phase in selected regions. A full pilot programme will launch in 2026, covering pupils from grades 1 to 8 across 89 schools. Koneva stressed that collective assessments would ensure fairer and more balanced evaluations.

The three-tier system will classify student behaviour as either exemplary, acceptable, or unacceptable. Schools will rely on input from multiple professionals rather than one teacher’s opinion. The pilot phase in 2026 will determine how widely the approach is adopted.