CURRENT GRADING PRACTICES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN THE CORE CONTENT AREAS: WHAT DO GRADES MEAN? by Nathan E. McLean A dissertation submitted to the faculty of The University of North Carolina at Charlotte in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Charlotte 2018 Approved by: ______________________________ Dr. Claudia Flowers ______________________________ Dr. Jim Watson ______________________________ Dr. Debra Morris ______________________________ Dr. Paola Pilonieta ii ©2018 Nathan E. McLean ALL RIGHTS RESERVED iii Abstract NATHAN E. MCLEAN. Current grading practices of secondary school teachers in the core content areas: what do grades mean? (Under the direction of Dr. CLAUDIA FLOWERS and Dr. JIM WATSON). Using survey research methodology, the study investigates assessment and grading practices of secondary school teachers. A total of 248 teachers in the Piedmont and coastal regions of North Carolina completed a web-based survey examining academic and nonacademic factors that impacted the final grades of their students and assessment types used in the classroom. The results suggested that the grades teachers assigned are a conglomerate of various factors and mainly use achievement but also incorporate non- achievement factors. The most used factors to determine student grades were: percent correct, use of zeros, objective mastery, academic performance, effort, homework completion, the adjustment of borderline grades, homework quality, the degree that a student pays attention or participates, and improvement since the beginning of the year. The most prevalent assessment type was summative assessments with objective questions created by the teacher. While teachers agreed that the grades assigned by teachers across the state of North Carolina are inflated and contribute to the continually increasing graduation rate, most teachers also believe their grades represent achievement, as opposed to any other factors. There were differences found between core content teachers in the factors used to assign final grades, with math teachers less likely to use objective mastery and homework completion. Implications for school leaders and suggestions for future research are discussed. iv Acknowledgments After intensively reading and writing for more than a year, this final note signifies the end of the dissertation. The process undertaken during this time has been a wonderful learning experience both professionally and personally, and an achievement I am very proud of. Although I have completed the doctoral program and my dissertation, I could not have done so without the help of several people, and I would like to recognize their contributions. First, I would like to thank Dr. Claudia Flowers for working diligently with me from the beginning to narrow my topic and framing the process to keep me moving in the right direction. Your open communication and honest feedback were vital to completing the process while simultaneously instilling a desire to continue in academia. Your professionalism should be an example to others. I would also like to recognize Dr. Jim Watson, Dr. Debra Morris, and Dr. Paola Pilonieta for serving on my Dissertation Committee. The feedback you have provided throughout the process was valuable and integral to the successful completion of the final document. Lastly and most importantly, I would like to thank my wife Andrea, daughter Addison, and my son Bryson for their unwavering support of me throughout the entire process. The time they sacrificed allowing me to work on numerous vacations and weekends has finally paid off and they can have their husband and father back. Without v their help, this day of culmination would never have come and for this I am forever grateful. vi Table of Contents List of Tables .................................................................................................................... ix Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 Problem Statement .......................................................................................................... 4 Purpose Statement ........................................................................................................... 6 Research Questions ......................................................................................................... 6 Significance Statement .................................................................................................... 7 Practical Framework ....................................................................................................... 8 Methodology ................................................................................................................. 10 Limitations .................................................................................................................... 10 Delimitations ................................................................................................................. 11 Summary ....................................................................................................................... 11 Chapter 2: Review of Literature ....................................................................................... 13 The Development of an Assessment and Grading System ........................................... 14 Grading and Assessment in the United States ............................................................... 16 Political Influence of Assessment and Grading ............................................................ 20 Improving America’s School Act .............................................................................. 21 No Child Left Behind ................................................................................................ 22 North Carolina’s Educational Reform ....................................................................... 22 Student accountability and grading. .......................................................................... 23 Results of the Standards-Based Reform .................................................................... 24 Graduates and Remedial Courses .................................................................................. 25 Remedial Course Enrollment and Impacts ................................................................ 28 College Ready Graduates .......................................................................................... 32 Summary .................................................................................................................... 34 Research on Assessment and Grading .......................................................................... 35 Formative Assessments ............................................................................................. 37 Summative Assessments............................................................................................ 39 Non-Achievement Factors ......................................................................................... 40 vii Current Practices in Research .................................................................................... 40 Content areas. ........................................................................................................... 45 Teacher and student characteristics .......................................................................... 47 Conclusions ................................................................................................................... 48 Chapter 3: Methodology ................................................................................................... 50 Description of Participants ............................................................................................ 50 Research Design ............................................................................................................ 51 Description of Instrument.............................................................................................. 52 Procedures ..................................................................................................................... 56 Data Analysis ................................................................................................................ 61 Summary ....................................................................................................................... 62 Chapter 4: Data Analysis .................................................................................................. 64 Participants .................................................................................................................... 65 Grading Factors Used by Secondary Teachers ............................................................. 66 Assessment Types Used by Secondary Teachers .......................................................... 72 How Assessment and Grading Factors Vary by Content Area ..................................... 76 Conclusions ................................................................................................................... 83 Chapter 5: Discussion ....................................................................................................... 87 Major Findings .............................................................................................................. 87 Grading Factors ........................................................................................................