Standards-based grading emphasizes?

• A. Grades reflect mastery of specific standards and progress toward mastery rather than point accumulation.
• B. Grades reflect attendance and participation only.
• C. Grades are based on random sampling of work.
• D. Grades are determined by behavior alone.

Answer: (A)

Standards-based grading focuses on whether students have demonstrated mastery of clearly defined standards. It ties each grade to evidence of learning aligned to those standards, not to the total number of points earned or to behaviors. The grade shows what a student can actually do relative to the targets and tracks progress toward mastery as they learn. Assessments are designed to match the standards, and students can demonstrate proficiency in different ways, often using rubrics that describe what mastery looks like. That’s why the best answer is that grades reflect mastery of specific standards and progress toward mastery rather than point accumulation. Choices based on attendance, participation, random sampling of work, or behavior alone don’t directly measure the essential knowledge and skills defined by the standards.