This paper uses a large sample of students from a Dutch university to describe variations in academic performance following a change in the strictness of academic dismissal policies. The research setting includes one moment in which the performance threshold for academic dismissal has been changed, keeping constant other characteristics of the…

Each year, in middle and high school classrooms, secondary science teachers introduce their students to the periodic table of elements (herein the periodic table). According to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013), one of the performance expectations states that high school students should be able to, "Use the…

Traditional grading practices have been in place for well over a hundred years and grades received served to identify in which subjects a student is "smart" or in which ones they are not (Dewitt, 2017). The problem with traditional grading is that it does not provide qualitative information on the difference between an A, B, C, D, or F…

Despite the substantial shifts in education to align classroom instruction and assessment to common academic standards, traditional grading practices remain largely associated with longstanding beliefs and practices. Research suggests that traditional grading may be an inequitable practice that inaccurately communicates student learning (Plourde,…

The U.S agricultural industry is a major player in the global market, and changes in climate that impact the industry have implications for both domestic and global food security. Existing studies have revealed a disconnect between agricultural stakeholders and the wider climatological community which impedes the process of informed decision…

Teachers in American schools have substantial autonomy in grading students in their courses. Music teachers have historically used a plethora of grading criteria that include non-academic and non-achievement data such as participation, attendance, and behavior. This study aims to show how music teachers in the state of Missouri are calculating…

This article uses qualitative methods to examine 29 undergraduate disciplinary learning standards and accreditation documents to identify mentions of the phrase "information literacy" (IL) and references to IL concepts from the Association of College and Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Results…

Assessment reliability can be affected by various types of unforeseen events. In any such circumstances where a concern is raised that the reliability of assessment is lower than usual, our natural inclination is to allow extra leniency in grading to reduce the chances of students missing out on a grade they deserve. This article shows how, by…

This article presents how the District of Columbia's (DC's) state board has designed and coordinated a collaborative process to revise social studies standards that will ideally facilitate learning the long, interconnected arcs of history, economics, politics, and geography that run through the American past, helping students make connections…

The quality of science education in the United States has been progressively declining as shown through standardized test scores and postsecondary science degrees. K-12 science education relies on qualified science teachers. Although education policy has driven reform, such as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), to combat this trend,…

Purpose: The issue of quality assurance in vocational and technical education (VTE) programs identifies a perilous need to develop a conceptual framework for teaching and learning standards. This study aims to identify standard components for teaching and learning to ensure quality delivery for the achievement of VTE objectives. The quality…

High-quality K-12 instructional materials can meaningfully improve teaching practice and student achievement, especially when paired with professional learning support. Yet state policymakers have usually left ultimate authority for textbook selection to school district leaders. Consequently, the quality of materials across U.S. classrooms and…

Part 1 of this article described THE FUSED Technique (Ford & Knutson, 2024) as a new pedagogical approach to teaching K-12 health education, blending or fusing the best aspects from the standards-based and skill-based health education teaching models. THE stands for teaching health education and FUSED stands for functional (data driven)…

This study addresses the need to accurately assess social emotional learning from a quantitative perspective. As school districts evaluate the allocation of educational resources, data is used to inform those decisions. Social emotional learning (SEL) is gaining prevalence in the field of education. However, an accurate way to measure that…

The problem addressed in this study was that students in upper elementary at four Title I elementary schools did not meet district achievement standards in science for four consecutive years, which could impede their educational and employment futures. Little is known how teachers in these elementary grades taught science content to improve…