Standards-Based Report Cards Benefits and Challenges

This study was designed with the goal of informing a decision for the South Butler Primary School to adopt standards-based report cards or to continue with traditional report cards. School districts in Western Pennsylvania that had already adopted standards-based report cards were studied. A questionnaire was created that was designed to answer three research questions regarding standards-based report cards. The first research question was designed to learn more about the challenges of implementing standards-based report cards. Research indicated that there are several challenges, but solutions to these challenges are readily available. The second research question was designed to learn more about academic benefits students receive when a standards-based report card is in place. While a correlation between high standardized test scores and standards-based report cards could not be shown, there was evidence that students and teachers are more focused on standards when a standards-based report card is in place. The final research question was designed to learn more about whether a standards-based report card better informs an end user when compared to a traditional report card. It was clearly shown through this research that a standards-based report card does better inform an end user when compared to a traditional report card, however the end user must be well educated on the topic.