Grading is one of the most hotly debated topics in education, and grading practices themselves are largely based on tradition, instinct, or personal history or philosophy. But to be effective, grading policies and practices must be based on trustworthy research evidence. Enter this book: a review of 100-plus years of grading research that presents…

This study examined which purposes for report card grades that 157 parents of general and special education students perceived as important and then evaluated how effectively these purposes are achieved. Overall, parents felt report card grades were not very effective in meeting important purposes. Significant differences were found between…

Report-card marking items by which elementary school students' noncognitive classroom behaviors are graded were studied to establish a preliminary classification of behavioral assessment domains. Two studies were conducted. The first study employed a cluster-analytic approach to a pool of 136 noncognitive behavior-marking items that had been…

To assess student achievement, states use a variety of accountability tools including school report cards, effectiveness scores, and school rankings. Responses from all 50 state departments of education showed that 19 states rank schools on their effectiveness as part of the state's accountability system. Three states use test scores alone for…

To find out what kinds of information parents regularly get from schools on the progress of their children, the Southwest Regional Laboratory surveyed a sample of public school districts in California, Arizona, and Nevada. Responses were received from 18 school districts ranging in size from fewer than 300 students to more than half a million. The…

Reports on a study of the factors upon which teachers base student evaluations among 77 Italian students and 5 teachers. Presents a two-level model illustrating seven major topics used by teachers for their evaluations. Includes two tables, two figures, and two appendixes illustrating the model. (CFR)