Grading

The term grading generally refers to the process of rating student progress or performance in areas of academic achievement, activities, or behaviors using a coding system or established scales of values (such as letters, symbols, numbers, or percentages). This entry explores the history of grading, common methods used for reporting grades, the purposes of grading, and alternative grading practices.

On a daily basis, teachers use both formative and summative evaluations to gather information [Page 744]about students’ progress in achieving learning goals. Formative assessment procedures are generally less formal and are used to guide student learning while it is still in progress. Often more formal, summative assessments help evaluate student achievement at the end of an instructional unit. Summative assessment results are commonly used to inform the grading process at the end of a marking period to create a report card, which may be shared with students, parents, and school officials. Teachers are generally expected to generate report cards several times during the school year. While report cards differ, they commonly address students’ academic achievement; students’ participation in extracurricular activities; and/or students’ behaviors, personal skills, or dispositions (e.g., ability to collaborate, ability to solve problems, ability to be a self-directed learner).