Yes, They Can All Succeed
Abstract
Although grading is generally acknowledged to be a universal technique for student evaluation, the various methods of grading itself are far less known amongst students and teachers alike. This paper illustrates the common misconceptions concerning Standards-Based Assessments and also provides a comparison between Standards-Based Assessments and other student grading methods.
Researchers have repeatedly pointed out the inconsistent use of terminology regarding assessment methods. Through the analysis of many journals in this field of research, it is evident that concepts such as “analytic scoring” and “holistic scoring” should be rigorously defined. As a result, I have developed clear definitions for such concepts for reference of future academics.
On an international scale, the United States supported a standards-based education reform after the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (No Child Left Behind) in 2001. This paper analyzes statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and compares cases of successful applications of Standards-Based Assessments worldwide. Finally, I conclude that statewide assessments in the U.S. should be based on the Standards-Based Assessments alone for elementary and secondary school students to better prepare them for the post-secondary environment.