Challenging Curriculum/Assessment and Grade Reporting Practices

• Main Author: Elliott, Karen E. B
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01-01-2024
• Subjects: Curriculum development; Educational administration; Educational leadership; Secondary education
• ISBN: 9798382027067

When the purpose and meaning of grades is not well-defined by an organization, there is a disconnect between curricular/assessment practices and student engagement. This study sought to investigate origins and find solutions in regards to discerning a student’s knowledge and mastery of a subject and how this is reflected in the grade, and how grades can be accurately reported. Participants and data collected in Cycle One consisted of professional faculty who shared personal experience with teacher/student/parent perception of grades and their value, and what their curricular and assessments were revealing about student engagement and performance. As consistent themes emerged through interviews and focus groups, Action steps were designed, implemented, and evaluated in Cycle Two to provide a framework for the high school division that would 1) provide clarity and consistency among the faculty, their subject areas, and their departments, and 2) to enhance student engagement through curricular/assessment and grade reporting practices that better reflected the student’s knowledge and mastery. A ten-week book study was formed in Cycle Two that challenged current conventions and practices with discussions which evolved from Thomas Guskey’s On Your Mark: Challenging the Practices of Grading and Reporting. Ten sessions were developed and co-facilitated by members of the high school faculty/administration at the research site. Evaluating the results of the Action Research study included a thorough assessment of the value of grades and how they are reported at this organization. At the conclusion of the book study, the focus group/participants delivered a formal presentation to the faculty in the high school division which focused on the purpose of grades; the subjectivity of grade reporting; the inaccuracy of percentages and algorithms; the misperception of class ranking; and elements, like behaviors, that obscure the meaning of grades. Participants provided critical feedback throughout the process, and the administration intends to continue honing how faculty arrive at a grade, its intended meaning, its purpose for the student/parent/teacher, and how the organization can better streamline curricular/assessment practices so mastery of a subject matter is clearer. Implications for the organization included an official purpose statement to define the meaning of grades and explain why they are reported; a document that clarifies vocabulary used among all high school subject areas/departments; and, a broad rubric for how to evaluate written assessments. Organizational leaders intend to make other changes that make curricular/assessment and grading practices much more meaningful for the student and their educational experience.