Student Report Cards

Happy African American elementary boy showing his family exam results with the red letter A.
E+
Student Achievement From Our Research Center Who's the Real Audience for A-F and Numeric Grades? Hint: It's Not the Students
Traditional grading systems help parents—as well as colleges and universities—get a sense of how students are doing, educators say.
Alyson Klein, December 5, 2023
2 min read
Hand holding out school report card with grades for test scores or school grades. Background with student silhouettes.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Families & the Community Parents Don’t Know When Their Kids Have Fallen Behind. Report Cards Could Be the Problem
Parents rely on report cards to gauge whether their kids are on track academically. But they might be misleading, a survey shows.
Caitlynn Peetz, November 15, 2023
6 min read
A student's grades are unknown
Robert Neubecker for Education Week
Assessment Opinion Grading Has Always Been an Imperfect Exercise. COVID-19 Made It Worse
It’s hard reducing the complexity of each student’s social, emotional, and academic learning to a letter grade. Maybe we’re doing it wrong.
Lory Walker Peroff, June 1, 2021
4 min read
Girl holding test with C- letter grade.
Getty
Assessment Opinion What Traditional Classroom Grading Gets Wrong
It's time to make grades bias-resistant and fairer, writes Joe Feldman. Four key aspects of equitable grading can help.
Joe Feldman, January 23, 2019
6 min read
Student Well-Being Is Your Child Showing Grit? School Report Cards Rate Students' Soft Skills
As more schools size up students on nonacademic skills such as grit and responsible decisionmaking, it's a challenge to make the feedback useful—and understandable—for parents.
Evie Blad, May 30, 2017
7 min read
Assessment Opinion Grading Standards Can Elevate Teaching
An accurate and fair grading system empowers teachers and students while also building trust, writes Joe Feldman.
Joe Feldman, November 12, 2014
6 min read
Student Well-Being New Character Report Cards Rate Students on 'Grit'
The KIPP charter school network and other schools are testing student report cards designed to measure key character traits.
Sarah D. Sparks, June 2, 2014
1 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
iStockphoto.com/Dariusz Chramienko
Assessment Opinion Why Grades Should Reflect Mastery, Not Speed
Schools need to change their grading to truly reflect students' comprehension of subjects, Ryan McLane writes.
Ryan McLane, June 3, 2013
5 min read
School Climate & Safety States Use School Score Cards to Target Climate Problems
Under a federal grant program, 11 states are using student surveys and select data to monitor and address issues around safety, discipline, and engagement.
March 26, 2013
8 min read
Assessment Nev. Students Accused of Hacking Network to Change Grades
Authorities in Pahrump, Nev., have arrested 13 people as part of an investigation into students' hacking into a school computer system to change class grades.
McClatchy-Tribune, June 15, 2011
1 min read
Special Education Letter Clarifies Report Rules for Disabilities
School districts can refer to a student’s disability or special education status on report cards, but should generally not do so on transcripts, new federal guidance says.
Christina A. Samuels, October 24, 2008
3 min read
The grades Texas students earn in music and other elective courses would not count in their grade point averages under a proposal to create a statewide formula for calculating GPAs. These students at Martin High School in Arlington, Texas, are shown in a 2006 rehearsal.
The grades Texas students earn in music and other elective courses would not count in their grade point averages under a proposal to create a statewide formula for calculating GPAs. These students at Martin High School in Arlington, Texas, are shown in a 2006 rehearsal.
Brad Loper/Dallas Morning News-File 2006
Federal Texas Move to Tighten GPA Formula Sparks Backlash
A formula that all high schools would have to use to calculate GPAs is encountering strong resistance from educators who fear it could discourage teenagers from taking challenging courses.
Catherine Gewertz, September 29, 2008
5 min read
Assessment Grade-Fixing Charges Hit Acclaimed School
A nationally recognized San Diego charter school has been hit by charges that school officials improperly changed student grades.
Scott J. Cech, January 2, 2008
4 min read
Assessment Opinion Grade Inflation: High Schools’ Skeleton in The Closet
Perry A. Zirkel looks at the negative effects of grade inflation, and the No Child Left Behind Act's hand in perpetuating the problem.
Perry A. Zirkel, March 27, 2007
6 min read