Starr Sackstein Professional Development

Starr Sackstein is an internationally recognised assessment reform expert whose professional development challenges educators to fundamentally rethink how they evaluate and communicate student learning. Best known for her book 'Hacking Assessment: 10 Ways to Go Gradeless in a Traditional Grades School,' which helped launch a global no-grades classroom movement, Sackstein has spent years refining practical strategies for moving schools toward standards-based communication and meaningful feedback that actually drives learning. As the COO of Mastery Portfolio, an edtech startup focused on helping schools transition to standards-based assessment, she works directly with teacher teams to engage students in the learning process, advocate for personal growth, and use student data to drive instruction. A National Board Certified Teacher with 16 years of high school English and journalism teaching experience, Sackstein brings classroom credibility to her reform advocacy. She has spoken internationally across six continents and was named a Distinguished Educator Fellow with PDK International (2024) and added to the Fulbright Specialist Roster (2025).