Do high grading standards affect student performance?

Abstract

This paper explores the effects of high grading standards on student test performance in elementary school. While high standards have been advocated by policy-makers, business groups, and teacher unions, very little is known about their effects on outcomes. Most of the existing research on standards is theoretical, generally finding that standards have mixed effects on students. However, very little empirical work has to date been completed on this topic. This paper provides the first empirical evidence on the effects of grading standards, measured at the teacher level. Using an exceptionally rich set of data including every third, fourth, and fifth grader in a large school district over four years, we match students' test score gains and disciplinary problems to teacher-level grading standards. In models in which we control for student-level fixed effects, we find substantial evidence that higher grading standards benefit students, and that the magnitudes of these effects depend on the match between the student and the classroom. While dynamic selection and mean reversion complicate the estimated effects of grading standards, they tend to lead to understated effects of standards.

Systematic differences across evaluation schemes and educational choice

“…Alternatively, the observed pattern may be due to regression to the mean: teacher grading is based on an evaluation of the students' skills that the teacher has formed over a longer time period, which reduces variation across students compared to the one-shot exam. Teachers using their grading practice to stimulate student effort is another potential explanation (see for example Figlio & Lucas, 2004). If teachers grade academically weak pupils more leniently -as to not discourage them -and grade academically strong more rigidly -to encourage them to work harder -this behaviour is compatible with the pattern in the raw data.…”

Students’ Progress throughout Examination Process as a Markov Chain

“…It proposes that the students who are able to write the test with satisfactory number of points can pass the exam without the bonus points. It can be concluded that the partial evaluation during the semester is more helpful to the weaker students what is an inverse effect comparing with the higher grading standards (Figlio & Lucas, 2004).…”

“…The teachers vary considerably in their grading standards (Figlio & Lucas, 2004). The high grading standards may help some students at the expense of others (Betts & Grogger, 2000).The students benefit academically from higher grading standards while the high-ability students benefit more than low-ability students (Figlio & Lucas, 2004).…”

“…The high grading standards may help some students at the expense of others (Betts & Grogger, 2000).The students benefit academically from higher grading standards while the high-ability students benefit more than low-ability students (Figlio & Lucas, 2004). The higher graduation standards lead to relatively increased dropout rates and affect decisions to remain in school (Dean et al, 2001).…”

The costs of failure: Negative externalities in high school course repetition

“…In an investigation of how increases in standards affect individual achievement, Goodman (2012b) shows little impact, which may be consistent with findings in this paper if potential gains to high-achieving students are offset by losses to low-achieving students who are both more likely to repeat failed courses and experience the negative externalities exerted by repeating course-mates. Betts and Grogger (2003) find that higher standards raise test scores throughout the distribution with gains being greatest for top achievers, and Figlio and Lucas (2004) argue that higher grading standards benefit students. 4 The effects of grade retention and course repetition on the individual, however, are likely to differ along several dimensions.…”