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Full-Text Articles in Education
Undoing The Traditions Of Grading And Reporting, Thomas R. Guskey
Undoing The Traditions Of Grading And Reporting, Thomas R. Guskey
Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications
One silver lining from the ongoing public health crisis might be the lasting impact of two modified approaches to grading and reporting of the past year.
Learning From Failures: Lessons From Unsuccessful Grading Reform Initiatives, Thomas R. Guskey
Learning From Failures: Lessons From Unsuccessful Grading Reform Initiatives, Thomas R. Guskey
Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications
This article describes accounts of grading reform initiatives that while well-intentioned, met with staunch opposition and eventually were abandoned. The implementation strategies employed by the leaders of these reform initiative are explored, along with reasons these strategies failed to result in meaningful and enduring change. Alternative grading reform strategies with supporting evidence are offered, justification for their use explained, and new directions for grading reform initiatives recommended.
The Impact Of Standards-Based Learning: Tracking High School Students’ Transition To The University, Thomas R. Guskey, Matt Townsley, Thomas M. Buckmiller
The Impact Of Standards-Based Learning: Tracking High School Students’ Transition To The University, Thomas R. Guskey, Matt Townsley, Thomas M. Buckmiller
Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications
This study sought to determine if the implementation of standards-based learning in high schools affects students’ transition to learning in university courses. Surveys and interviews with 13 students who had graduated from high schools implementing standards-based learning and who had completed their first academic semester at a midsize, private, Midwest university revealed no detrimental effects. The most frequently mentioned transition difficulties related to social issues and time management. Implications for implementing high school grading reforms are discussed.
Eight Essential Principles For Improving Grading, Susan Brookhart, Thomas R. Guskey, Jay Mctighe, Dylan Wiliam
Eight Essential Principles For Improving Grading, Susan Brookhart, Thomas R. Guskey, Jay Mctighe, Dylan Wiliam
Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications
Done well, grading can play a key role in a balanced district assessment system.
Breaking Up The Grade, Thomas R. Guskey
Breaking Up The Grade, Thomas R. Guskey
Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications
To make grading more meaningful, course grades should reflect a range of distinct criteria that make up student learning.
What Do Grades Mean? Variation In Grading Criteria In American College And University Courses, Anastasiya A. Lipnevich, Thomas R. Guskey, Dana M. Murano, Jeffrey K. Smith
What Do Grades Mean? Variation In Grading Criteria In American College And University Courses, Anastasiya A. Lipnevich, Thomas R. Guskey, Dana M. Murano, Jeffrey K. Smith
Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications
This study examined differences in the criteria used by college and university instructors in the United States to assign course grades. Two hundred and fifty course syllabi (159 from universities and 91 from four-year colleges) developed by randomly selected instructors from five academic disciplines (education, maths, science, psychology, and English) were examined to determine the extent to which instructors employed different criteria in assigning course grades in introductory-level courses. Sources of variation in grade assignment included the use of product versus process criteria, the prevalence of using performance exams, and the framing criteria for grades. Differences between institution types and …
How Traditional Grading Contribute To Student Inequities And How To Fix It, Laura J. Link, Thomas R. Guskey
How Traditional Grading Contribute To Student Inequities And How To Fix It, Laura J. Link, Thomas R. Guskey
Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications
Grades have long been identified by those in the measurement community as prime examples of unreliable measurement (Brookhart, 1994; Stiggins, Frisbie, & Griswold, 1989). What one teacher considers in calculating students’ grades may differ greatly from another teacher (Guskey & Link, 2019; McMillan, 2001; McMillan, Myran, & Workman, 2002). A major factor contributing to the unreliability of grades is teachers’ inclusion of aspects of students’ behavior in the grades they assign. Despite the recommendation of experts to separate behavior from academic achievement in formulating students’ grades, teachers at all grade levels typically include student behavior as a contributing factor in …
The Forgotten Element Of Instructional Leadership: Grading, Thomas R. Guskey, Laura J. Link
The Forgotten Element Of Instructional Leadership: Grading, Thomas R. Guskey, Laura J. Link
Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications
Getting the school team coordinated on grading and reporting policies—and the purpose of grading—is too often overlooked in instructional leadership.
Exploring The Factors Teachers Consider In Determining Students’ Grades, Thomas R. Guskey, Laura J. Link
Exploring The Factors Teachers Consider In Determining Students’ Grades, Thomas R. Guskey, Laura J. Link
Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications
The purpose of this study was to investigate the specific factors teachers consider when assigning students’ report card grades. Data were gathered from 943 K-12 teachers from five school districts in a southeastern state in the United States who completed the Teachers’ Grading Practices Survey. Analyses focused on how teachers weigh different factors in determining report card grades, and if these factors and weights differ among teachers who teach at different grade levels and have different amounts of classroom experience. Results revealed statistically significant differences among teachers at different grade levels but no differences associated with teachers’ years of …
A Century Of Grading Research: Meaning And Value In The Most Common Educational Measure, Susan M. Brookhart, Thomas R. Guskey, Alex J. Bowers, James H. Mcmillan, Jeffrey K. Smith, Lisa F. Smith, Michael T. Stevens, Megan E. Welsh
A Century Of Grading Research: Meaning And Value In The Most Common Educational Measure, Susan M. Brookhart, Thomas R. Guskey, Alex J. Bowers, James H. Mcmillan, Jeffrey K. Smith, Lisa F. Smith, Michael T. Stevens, Megan E. Welsh
Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications
Grading refers to the symbols assigned to individual pieces of student work or to composite measures of student performance on report cards. This review of over 100 years of research on grading considers five types of studies: (a) early studies of the reliability of grades, (b) quantitative studies of the composition of K–12 report card grades, (c) survey and interview studies of teachers’ perceptions of grades, (d) studies of standards-based grading, and (e) grading in higher education. Early 20th-century studies generally condemned teachers’ grades as unreliable. More recent studies of the relationships of grades to tested achievement and survey studies …
Grading: Why You Should Trust Your Judgment, Thomas R. Guskey, Lee Ann Jung
Grading: Why You Should Trust Your Judgment, Thomas R. Guskey, Lee Ann Jung
Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications
Although computerized grading programs have advantages, teachers’ judgment has been shown to be more reliable.
The Perils Of Prescribed Grade Distributions: What Every Medical Educator Should Know, Kenneth D. Royal, Thomas R. Guskey
The Perils Of Prescribed Grade Distributions: What Every Medical Educator Should Know, Kenneth D. Royal, Thomas R. Guskey
Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications
A common practice in medical education is to create a prescribed distribution of grades or ratings so that only a certain percentage of students receive the highest marks. This approach typically is employed to curb grade inflation and as a means to help faculty distinguish outstanding performers. Despite the well-intentioned reasoning for using prescribed grade distributions, a number of associated problems and probable consequences may result from this practice. Thus, the purpose of this article was to discuss the assumptions underlying this potentially unwise practice, the defensibility of this evaluation practice in the high-stakes arena of medical education, and the …
Grading Exceptional Learners, Lee Ann Jung, Thomas R. Guskey
Grading Exceptional Learners, Lee Ann Jung, Thomas R. Guskey
Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications
This five-step model provides fair and accurate grades for students with disabilities and English language learners.
Helping Standards Make The Grade, Thomas R. Guskey
Helping Standards Make The Grade, Thomas R. Guskey
Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications
When reporting on student work, educators need a clear, comprehensive grading system that shows how students are measuring up to standards.
Making The Grade: What Benefits Students?, Thomas R. Guskey
Making The Grade: What Benefits Students?, Thomas R. Guskey
Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications
Although the debate over grading and reporting practices continues, today we know which practices benefit students and encourage learning.