Matt Townsley | What does the research say about standards-based grading? A research primer [printer-friendly pdf] Authors: Matt Townsley and Tom Buckmiller, Ph.D. One hundred years, No research to support. Traditional grading practices have been used for over one hundred years, and to date, there have been no meaningful research reports to support it (Marzano, 2000). In an era of data-driven decision making, that’s critical to note. Most teachers have not received adequate training in reliable and valid assessment methods in their teacher preparation and often default to the way they saw their teachers grade when they were in school.
The absence of research supporting traditional grading practices is concerning. Why change grading practices? There are two fundamental reasons why traditional grading practices ought to be re-assessed. Second, Every Student Succeeds (formerly No Child Left Behind) has changed the way school leaders and teachers operate. What is standards-based grading? Principle 1: Grades should have meaning We can do better References Beatty, I.