To combat this notion, I have instituted something I like to call "Progressive Progress Checks" this year. These are formative assessments I create using Edmodo quizzes to assess student understanding of learning objectives, but they are designed to not only reveal students understanding to me, but to the students as well. When I start a unit, I usually give three progress checks on the first objectives, so students have three "tries" at demonstrating mastery (and give students the opportunity to learn from each progress check).
However, after the third progress check on the same objectives, I start making them "progressive." If the first three progress checks were on objectives A, B, and C, then I may make the next one on objectives B, C, D & E. And after that, I will make the check on objectives C, D, E, & F. And after that...well, you get the picture. This means that students have many, many opportunities to demonstrate mastery and fix their understanding before the final summative assessments.
How are these used to help students fix any learning that's broken? Well, I write my progress checks so that each question is aligned to one of my objectives, and I label the questions with which objective is being assessed. I also write the answer choices for my multiple choice questions at a different level of understanding (described in more detail in this post). When we review the progress check the next day in class, and students can then see what level of understanding their answers revealed. We discuss the answers as a class, and students are more than welcome to argue with me about what understanding level they think their answers are at if they feel I am wrong (a part which I love, because it really reveals how much they are thinking about understanding, not right answers).
But the most important thing they do after they are done arguing with me is record what level of understanding they are currently at in a simple Google spreadsheet (see an abbreviated version here). This way they can track their progress over time (very Marzano), graph their progress, and see how they are doing on their learning journey. After doing this for a few months, I think students are starting to see that they can improve; and, if they are not improving, they are seeing they have multiple opportunities to fix what's wrong (we have "fix it" days at certain times so they can back up and choose strategies that will help them fix their learning) and improve their scores.
Why do I think this? Because I haven't heard the word "points" bandied about at all this year. I haven't heard "that answer would have gotten an A in so-and-so's Biology class" once. What I have heard is, "Oh, I got a 3? What do I need to fix to get a 4?" and "I get it; if I just apply this to an example I think of, that will show you I really get it" and "Oh, now that I re-read this answer, it really doesn't show you that I know it and own it on my own."
Finally. Understanding is the focus. But you have to create a classroom culture focused around understanding first.
I have learned that you can't just tell students that learning is a journey. You can't just have a poster in your room telling students that sometimes you have to fail in order to succeed. Just stating that learning isn't about right answers won't do the job. Even giving sports analogies ("learning is like sports--you have to practice to get ready for the big game!") doesn't convince students learning is a journey. What does convince them is structuring your classroom practices around that idea to really show them that learning is a process.