Title:

Standards-Based Assessment in the South Carolina High School Credential Program

Research Focus:

This applied research project addresses the misalignment between traditional grading and the SCHSC’s functional, skill-based goals. It offers a PD solution that builds assessment literacy and embeds SEL to create emotionally safe, equitable grading systems (Feldman, 2019b; CASEL, 2020).

Problem Statement:

Traditional grades emphasize compliance and effort rather than mastery of real-world skills (Feldman, 2019a). In the SCHSC context, this leads to confusion, anxiety, and disengagement among students with disabilities. A lack of teacher preparation in SBA and SEL-informed practices contributes to this misalignment (Guskey, 2015; Darling-Hammond et al., 2014).

Research Question:

How might a professional development program on SEL and standards-based assessment be developed to address implementation challenges faced by SCHSC teachers?