An Education Leadership Program’s Continuous Improvement Journey Toward a Standards-Based System

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to evaluate the perceptions of graduate students enrolled in an education leadership program that used standards-based grading (SBG), about their perceptions of the effectiveness of SBG and their inclination to use it later in their own classrooms. Data and conclusions from this study will help the authors refine the ways they are using SBG in their courses and programmatically. Results indicated that SBG facilitated ownership of learning and deep levels of thinking and engagement. Students observed that they benefitted from the ongoing and substantive formative feedback, which they report is often neglected, even in their professional evaluation processes. Further, they reported the ability to better track their progress toward standards. In spite of these benefits, students were mixed in their predictions as to whether they would ultimately incorporate SBG in their own classrooms. As such, the authors have committed to a more comprehensive transition to a standards-based learning, assessment, and grading model in their educational leadership program. They have expanded their inquiry of SBG’s effects, and have advanced discussion about its appropriateness in other areas of the university. Ultimately, they encourage others in higher education to become more conversant in SBG principles and to conduct classes in a manner consistent with preparing educators for standards-based environments.