A new perspective argues that “specifications grading” can improve both student motivation and work quality. The piece reports that nine out of 10 faculty who adopted the approach said it resulted in higher-quality student submissions. Specs grading—often used to set clear performance criteria tied to specific learning outcomes—aims to make expectations and feedback more concrete, reducing ambiguity around how students earn credit. The article frames the system as a practical evidence-based alternative for courses struggling to translate rubric language into consistent student performance. For faculty and academic support units, the reporting highlights renewed attention to assessment and feedback models that can better align grading with learning targets while addressing student disengagement.