ERIC Number: ED624580
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Jun
Pages: 40
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Middle School Competency-Based Grading Initiative: 2018-19 to 2020-21
Bulgakov Cooke, Dina; Paeplow, Colleen; Carter, James; Belton, Timothy R.
Wake County Public School System
This report focuses on a competency-based grading initiative at Carroll Middle School. The initiative was implemented from 2018-19 to 2020-21 to address the lack of alignment between report card grades and End-of-Grade (EOG) test results and was designed to ensure consistent delivery of standards-based instruction, formative assessment, and grading. The report addresses changes in stakeholder perceptions over time and describes the instructional approaches used. The results show that while students' and teachers' satisfaction with the grading system improved, some parents remained unsure of how to interpret competency-based grades. Since EOGs were not administered in 2019-20 and results were influenced by low participation rates in 2020-21, we were unable to examine possible proficiency changes during the initiative's implementation. However, we were able to identify Carroll graduates in high school to examine their performance. We compared the grade point averages (GPAs), first quarter grades, and grade 9 retention rates of Carroll Middle School graduates to that of other freshmen in the same high school in Fall 2021. Results show that Carroll graduates did as well as students from other middle schools. These results suggest that Carroll should consider providing more support to parents to build understanding of the standards and grades, discuss ways for parents to support their children's learning in the competency-grading environment, and address parents' concerns about the interpretability of grades. School administrators should continue to support teachers in their competency-based grading efforts.
Descriptors: Middle School Students, Competency Based Education, Evaluation Methods, Program Implementation, Grading, Grade Point Average, High School Freshmen, Program Effectiveness, Middle School Teachers, Portfolios (Background Materials), Electronic Publishing, Teacher Attitudes, Student Attitudes, Goal Orientation, Parent Attitudes, Grades (Scholastic)
Wake County Public School System. 5625 Dillard Drive, Cary, NC 27518. Tel: 919-431-7215; Fax: 919-431-7193; e-mail: wcpss-data-accountability@wcpss.net; Web site: www.wcpss.net
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Numerical/Quantitative Data; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), Data, Research, and Accountability Department
Identifiers - Location: North Carolina
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A