Engaging Behavior: Standards-Based Grading in the Secondary ELA Classroom

There is movement in the field of education revolving around the grading system. After centuries of use, the traditional grading system in which students earn extra credit, take tests, and strive for As, is being shifted aside in favor of standards-based grading, a system in which students practice their skills and are assessed only on how they do. Standards-based grading is a controversial subject, due in part to a lack of understanding of what exactly it is and fear that is may not be good for the students. During student teaching, I worked in a school that had made the move to standards-based grading a few years prior. I observed how standards-based grading affected the students’ behavioral engagement. This self-study includes a literature review, a methodology, an analysis of data, and concluding thoughts on standards-based grading. After completing my self-study, I found myself in favor of standards-based grading. Additional research is necessary as this is still a fairly new grading system, but I found standards-based grading to have no negative affect on behavioral engagement