How Academic Performance is Measured

Determining the academic performance is very crucial for both the educator and the student. This will guide the student in his own growth and development as he grows into maturity.  Seeing how he is performing at school helps him to know and discover certain things that may be conducive to getting better and better each day. Fortunately, there are quite a lot of ways to determine the academic performance of students like the following:

GRADES

Certainly the most well-known indicator of academic performance, grades are the student's "score" for their classes and overall tenure. Grades are most often a tallying or average of assignment and test scores and may often be affected by factors such as attendance and instructor opinion of the student as well. Grading systems vary greatly by country and school; common scales include a percentage from 1-100, lettering systems from A-F, and grade point averages (GPA) from 0-4.0 or above.

The extent of student’s learning in academics may be determined by the grades that a student earns for a period of learning has been done. It is believed that a grade is a primary factor that indicates of such learning. If a student earns high grades it is concluded that they may also have learned a lot while low grades indicate lesser learning. However, many experiences and studies found out that there are also several factors that would affect the grades. Not a single factor can be definitely pointed out as predicting grades. It has been interplay of so many factors – gender, IQ, study habits, age, year level, parent’s educational attainment, social status, number of siblings, birth order, etc. In fact, almost all of existing environmental and personal factors are a variable of academic performance.

ATTENDANCE

It would be difficult to perform well in class if the student doesn't attend. In public grade schools, attendance is compulsory and numerous unexcused absences may lead to notifying the students' parents, barring of make-up work for missed assignments and tests, or direct affects on grades. In extreme instances, parents have even been taken to court and given jail time for their truant students!

STANDARDIZED TESTS

Standardized tests are those that provide a consistent measure of a student's performance with those that take the same test, often nationwide.  As the testing procedures and scoring are consistent regardless where the test is taken, standardized tests can provide a more direct representation of the taker's knowledge and aptitude than his or her grade in school.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Although by definition voluntary, involvement in extra-curricular activities such as sports, volunteer work, and school newspapers develop and showcase student initiative and leadership skills, as well as provide insight into the student's interests and priorities. Extra-curricular activities therefore can make a student more attractive to colleges and employers.

BEHAVIOUR

Yet another measure of academic performance is the assessment of the student's behaviour while in school. Grade schools often have strict guidelines for student behaviour, and violations such as academic dishonesty (cheating and plagiarism) and class disruptions can lead to disciplinary action.