In the current era of student accountability, coupled with high-stakes testing, schools have focused on the alignment of standardized curriculums and assessments. However, developing standardized grading practices are still under examination. Grading serves as an important responsibility, yet many teachers still find the process a challenge of determining which academic and non-academic factors correctly represent student achievement. This qualitative study was designed to examine the grading factors teachers consider when determining student final grades. Middle school language arts teachers from one mid-sized suburban school district in Virginia participated in qualitative interviews. The interviews addressed the following topics: (1) the purposes of grades, (2) the grading factors teachers consider when they grade, (3) the teachers’ influences in determining their practices, and (4) how teachers’ grading practices relate to measurement theory. Overall results in the areas of the purpose of grades, the use of academic and non-academic factors, teachers’ influences, the use of formative and summative assessments, and the need for professional development are consistent with the literature. With respect to how teachers’ practices relate to measurement theory, the findings are consistent with the literature from previous studies. This suggests that although measurement theory experts recommend that achievement factors should be the only factors that determine student grades, the results of this study indicate that teachers use a mixture of variables in determining student grades, known as hodgepodge grading. Recommendations for practice include teacher reflection on determining why they grade, becoming familiar with measurement theory recommendations in terms of using academic factors that measure student achievement, how to use non-academic factors in other ways to support student learning, and providing staff development in the area of grading practices and how practices support measurement standards.

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

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The basic objective of this thesis was to estimate the economic effects of yield grade standards for carcass beef on the various market sectors of the Canadian beef industry. The adoption of the standards was expected to enhance consumer demand, improve efficiency within the processing and marketing services sectors, and improve resource allocation and revenues of livestock producers. A conceptual model showing the interrelationships among market sectors was developed and formulated into a system of equations for econometric estimation. The model contained variables relating to the supply and demand of market participants affected by the change in grading standards. Measurement of these variables was based on published quarterly data, including four years of yield grading, over the 1961-76 period. The statistical results showed a significant economic variables relating to the supply and demand of market participants affected by the change in grading standards. Measurement of these variables was based on published quarterly data, including four years of yield grading, over the 1961-76 period. Binary variables were incorporated in the model to identify any structural change in the relationships coincident with the grade change. Problems in estimation arose due to the simultaneous nature of the model, and intercorrelation problems involving predicted prices for adjacent market levels in certain structural equations. Two alternative specifications of the processing and marketing services relationships were formulated to address this problem. First, variables relating to demand at the adjacent market level were substituted for the corresponding price. The second method involved the ratio of adjacent market level prices. Both specifications resolved the problem,, but in the substitution case intercorrelation was transferred to other variables. Estimates of the parameters of the various equations were obtained by using the two stage least squares regression procedure. The statistical results showed a significant economic impact of yield grades, as measured by the slope and intercept binary variables, in the estimated retailer demand and producer supply equations. But, these results cannot be considered conclusive. A lack of information concerning impact of yield grades, as measured by slope and intercept binary variables, in the estimated retailer demand and producer supply equations. But, these results cannot be considered conclusive. A lack of information concerning historical costs in the processing and marketing sectors necessitated the use of proxy variables which may not have accurately captured the full impact of the grade change. A further problem was that potential yield grade adjustments in carcass weights were dominated by the effects of rapidly rising feed grain prices throughout the grade change period. / Graduation date: 1982

The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between instructor self-concept and instructor written comments on student essays as a function of grading. Two parameters of this relationship were investigated. The first was to determine if instructors found to be low in self-concept made more negative than positive comments on student essays as a function of grading. The second was to determine if instructors found to be high in self-concept made more positive than negative comments on student essays as a function of grading.Three philosophical assumptions were implicit in the research. First, it was assumed that the self-concept could be operationally defined. Secondly, the assumption was made that the self-concept could be adequately assessed. Thirdly, it was assumed that the self-concept possessed construct validity. All three assumptions were supported with research in the review of the literature.Self-concept was defined as the way an individual perceived and evaluated himself. The difference between high self-concept and low self-concept was determined by the magnitude of discrepancy between perceived self and ideal self as measured by the Index of Adjustment and Values.In order to categorize written comments as either positive or negative, a categorizing system was developed by the researcher. This system was based on the findings for teacher verbal behavior reported by Amidon, Flanders and Paul (1963), Gordon (1974) and Ryans (1960). The system was tested for reliability on independent raters, who subsequently categorized the actual written comments.The sample population of volunteer subjects consisted of twenty graduate students who were instructors of freshman English classes at a Midwest university. The names of instructors were supplied to the researcher by the English Department. Thirty names were selected from the list and a letter was sent to each of the possible subjects asking for their cooperation. Seven males and thirteen females participated in the study. At a prearranged time, the researcher met with each of the subjects and administered the Index of Adjustment and Values.Student essays were collected by the English Department at the end of the spring quarter. Essays assigned to instructor participants on the basis of predesignated student to specific instructor assignments, were randomly sampled for each class. Ten essays per instructor were sampled.Two null hypotheses were tested. The first hypothesis stated that no significant relationship would exist between instructors found to be low in self-concept and the type of comments made on student essays as a function of grading. The second hypothesis stated that no significant relationship would exist between instructors found to be high in self-concept and the type of comments made. Both null hypotheses were rejected when analyzed by the Pearson Product Moment Coefficient of Correlation. Additional statistical analyses were performed on the data to investigate interaction effects.

Thesis PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

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