Grading Student Behavior

Arbeitspapier

Numerous countries require teachers to assign comportment grades rating students' social and work behavior in the classroom. However, the impact of such policies on student outcomes remains unknown. We exploit the staggered introduction of comportment grading across German federal states to estimate its causal effect on students' school-to-work transitions as well as academic achievement and non-cognitive abilities. Analyzing census data, household surveys, and nationwide student assessments, we show that comportment grading does not meaningfully affect these outcomes and rule out large effect sizes. Exploring reasons for this finding, supplementary analyses suggest that comportment grades do not convey much information beyond students' grade point average.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: CESifo Working Paper ; No. 9275

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making‡ ; Analysis of Education ; Education: Government Policy ; Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
• Subject: school reforms ; report cards ; school-to-work transition ; student achievement

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Schoner, Florian ; Mergele, Lukas ; Zierow, Larissa
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Center for Economic Studies and ifo Institute (CESifo)
• (where): Munich
• (when): 2021

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/245456
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:43 AM CET