The purpose of this action research study was to examine grading practices in one military-connected high school and to make recommendations for aligning grading practices to improve student achievement, engagement, and equity. Through iterative research cycles of look, think, and act, teachers from one military-connected high school participated in two cycles of action research. The nine Cycle 1 research participants completed questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, and they contributed data that, after coding and synthesizing, revealed a disconnect between teachers' reasons for grading, their grading practices, and their beliefs for grading. Five themes were developed from the data in the first research cycle: 1) Grading reasons are impacted by prior and current experiences; 2) Grading reasons and practices are both positively and negatively affected by system expectations and supports; 3) Grading alignment requires intentional planning; 4) Grading equity and motivation reinforces and is reinforced by school culture; and 5) Grading alignment readiness must address causes for the misalignment. The data also represented teachers' readiness to engage in standards-based grading alignment, which was used to develop an action plan to guide the work in Cycle 2. Participating in a six-week workshop, built on the principles of Experiential Learning and Kotter's Eight Accelerators, five teachers engaged, learned, collaborated, and practiced implementing the four principles of standards-based grading. These principles include "clear communication, feedback loops, accurate reporting, and opportunities and time to demonstrate learning." From observations of their interactions, questionnaire responses, weekly digital journal entries, semi-structured interviews, field notes, and analytic memos, data was derived, coded, analyzed, and visualized. Six themes arose from the second cycle: 1) Feelings associated with grading, 2) Requirements for change, 3) Obstacles, 4) Shifts and Decision points, 5) Stakeholder expectations, and 6) Desired Outcomes. Implications for the organization include awareness that the unique student population requires urgent action to support improved achievement, engagement, and equity, which can be accomplished through high-quality professional earning that acknowledges and validates teachers' unique identities, sense-making, and needs. To provide professional learning that is well-suited to specific military-connected sites and the teachers who serve there, a grounded theory has been developed. This theory asserts that the same framework used to guide standards-based grading should be applied to professional learning for teachers, thereby providing a meta-learning experience that is at once relevant, timely, and high-quality. Recommendations for preparation, initiation, and sustainment are also provided in the conclusion. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]