Dissertation

Teachers’ Perceptions of Grading Practices After the Adoption of a New Grading Scale

Hawkins Shaw, Carolyn

2025

Overview

For over a century it has been the responsibility of the teacher to assign grades which indicate students’ mastery of the learning. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative study was to examine factors which influence K-12 teachers’ perceptions of grading practices using a validated Likert survey. The researcher wants to capture the perceptions of one of the largest counties in Tennessee. The change from a seven-point scale to a ten-point scale meant teachers saw students who failed in the past be promoted, graduation rates escalate, and retention rates decrease. The next year, the teachers would have students who were further behind. Teachers’ perceptions of how to grade could greatly impact students’ futures in school and after school. Promotion, grade point averages (GPAs), college entrance, are all critical to students and parents. Ultimately, the schools and districts are also impacted as the state assigns grades of A-F to schools in each district. There is an apparent disconnect between classroom assessments and state assessments. Student report cards often show that students have mastered concepts, but state assessments indicate non mastery. Educational systems are imploded with high-stakes testing. Teachers are pressured to ensure that students master the standards of state assessments. This is critical to the future of students and teacher retention as it is apparent that classroom assessment affects students, teachers, districts, and states. Grading inconsistency has eluded us for over a century (Brookhart et al., 2016; Guskey, 2015: Schneider & Hutt, 2014). There is an inconsistency from class to class, across grades, and district to district. This study indicates inconsistencies in grading practices as do prior studies of how teachers make school decisions about grading (McMillan, 2003).

• Publisher: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
• Subject: Educational administration / Educational leadership / Teacher education
• ISBN: 9798310398795