Iowa Agricultural Educators’ Current and Perceived Grading Practices

Literature on grading reveals that grading practices have not changed much since they were first introduced. However, with alternative approaches, such as standards-based grading, being introduced, it is important to look at how agricultural educators are using grades to evaluate student learning. The purpose of this study was to determine the grading practices of Iowa high school agricultural educators. The accessible population consisted of 236 high school agricultural educators. Findings were based on responses of 157 (69.8%) educators who responded to the study via an online questionnaire. These agricultural educators used a variety of learning approaches, and their beliefs aligned with their grading practices. They also based grades on more than just student learning, sometimes including items such as effort, responsibility, and attendance. This study serves as a starting point and building block to help agricultural educators develop grades that accurately portray a student’s knowledge