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Great Expectations: The Impact of Rigorous Grading Practices on Student Achievement
 
A new report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, authored by American University professor Seth Gershenson, examines the effects of demanding high expectations of students through grading policies.  Previous studies show that secondary students whose teachers set high expectations are more likely to complete high school and even college.  But how can we trust that “good grades” reflect real learning and comprehension, in an era of GPA inflation that doesn’t track with the nation’s stagnant SAT scores?

In Great Expectations, Gershenson analyzes data from North Carolina public school Algebra I students (8th- and 9th-graders in this state-required math class between 2006 and 2016) to assess discrepancies between end of course scores and the mid-course grades assigned to those same students.

Findings included that students of all races were more likely to succeed in future math classes, and in all types of schools, if their Algebra I teachers set and adhered to rigorous grading policies.  Students whose teachers demonstrated high expectations through mid-course grading performed better on end of course exams, illustrating better learning.  The study also found that new teachers in their first four years demonstrated lower-than-average expectations, but standards are elevated with more years teaching.