Inquiry post 2: The impact standards-based grading has on students in the classroom

 I inquired about standards-based or mastery grading and its difference from traditional grading in the classroom. During my research, I learned that several instructional methods have come and gone in American education. During that process, only two methods of grading remained. There was mastery grading and comparative grading. There has been a long debate over the two grading systems, which comparative also commonly known as the traditional grading scale, won the debate (Juarez, 1994). Comparative grading was first implemented into the education system around 1785; however, despite the debates over the two grading scales, mastery grading was still being used. The first case that showed mastery grading was used in the Pueblo, Colorado school district as early as 1888 (Juarez, 1994). Ebal (1980) says that comparative grading brings more effort into students getting grades and keeping them accountable for their actions.

               Mastery grading is about getting rid of that traditional feeling of a 100-point scale and focusing on mastering the content. Schools that have implemented mastery-based grading, especially in the middle level, have seen a growth in their students' on achieving the skills that are necessary for real-world problems. Unlike traditional grading, teachers are skeptical about students having the accountability of turning their work in on time. “We realized that everything in education has changed, but the one thing that hasn’t changed was grading practices” (Alex, 2022). It shows in our schools that with traditional grading, it pits students against students. It even causes high anxiety when it comes to test taking. Students who learn in a classroom that uses standards-based grading show that students are more likely to be motivated over a longer time when it comes to learning than with traditional grading (Fink, 2015). Knowing that standards-based grading can have an impact on students' motivations is essential for the middle level. By using the standards that are given as the first step in teaching, it keeps students at the same level. Most school districts that use standards-based grading use a 1-4 or 1-5 scale. One would show that students are struggling with the skill they are learning. Five is, they have completely mastered the necessary skill. It also provides a more realistic view of where the students are.

               By using the standards to grade the students, it provides the students with an opportunity to not be put against their peers it is making each of them equals in learning. Along with making students view themselves as equals in the classroom, mastery-based grading also brings in a community unlike traditional grading. With community, teachers are being involved with the parents, and the parents are involved with the students. “Supports building relationships, you have conversations, which is an opportunity to develop those soft skills” (Alex, 2022). It allows trust to be created between the teacher and student. The students also learn to trust their work and the progress that it took to complete that work. With this information, I work with my students, figuring out where they are when learning specific skills. By using standards-based grading, I know where each student is with each skill that we learn and the progress that they make. I already use standards-based grading within my classroom, and by using the standards, I can create lessons and opportunities to better develop the skills my students are learning. Students are more focused on working to achieve mastery of the skill than on what grade they will get at the end of the assignment.