correlational study of standards-based grades, traditional grades, and achievement

• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2047/D20394197

Schools and districts worldwide are transitioning from traditional grading models to standards-based grading (SBG) without fully understanding the effects of these models on student achievement. The purpose of this nonexperimental correlational study was to assess the degree to which grades assigned on a traditional report card and a standards-based report card mathematically associated with and predicted standardized assessment scoring as measured on the Northwest Evaluation Association's Measures for Academic Growth (NWEA-MAP) in the areas of mathematics and language arts for middle school students. Participants were comprised of Grade 6 through Grade 8 students in a leading American school in the Middle East that had undergone a shift from traditional grading towards standards-based grading. Data utilized included traditional grades, standards-based grades, and performance on the NWEA-MAP assessment for a span of 11 years. Results suggest that grades reported through a SBG report card more accurately communicate student learning results than a traditional (A-F) report card. The researcher found a stronger mathematical association and predictive effect between SBG and NWEA-MAP scores than traditional grading. Knowledge generated will inform schools considering standards-based grading.