The Impact of Teacher Grading Practices and Student Performance in Virginia's Standards of Learning (SOL) Assessments

Abstract

This dissertation examined the relationship of grading practices on student learning outcomes, specifically on student performance on Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments. The purpose of this study was to compare Standards-Based Grading (SBG) and Traditional Grading to identify (a) the extent to which course grades correlate with SOL outcomes in each grading system, and (b) the association between students' course grades and the number of SOL test attempts required to earn verified credit. Using a quantitative and correlational design, data were collected from multiple high schools in two participating Northern Virginia school districts and analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, Spearman's rank-order correlations, chi-square analyses, and crosstab analyses. Results indicated that higher course grades were associated with higher SOL scores in both grading systems, with a larger observed correlation in the SBG group than in the Traditional Grading group. Students in the SBG group also had slightly higher mean SOL scores, although the practical difference between grading systems was negligible. Higher course grades were associated with fewer SOL assessment attempts in both grading systems. The findings suggest that course grades are associated with SOL performance and assessment attempts and provide evidence for educational leaders evaluating grading practices and their alignment with measures of student proficiency. The findings may also inform discussions among leaders within the Virginia Department of Education regarding grading practices, verified credit, and diploma policies intended to promote fairness, rigor, and accurate measurement of student learning.