Online Gradebooks and Student Achievement

Eric Ceresa

from an unpublished doctoral dissertation by Mark S. Mathern

Online gradebooks

Parental involvement improves student achievement

Internet use provides an opportunity to expand parental involvement◦Expected improvements in achievement,

attendance, and parent-teacher communicationEast Detroit High School is planning to

implement in September 2011

Study

Focused on parents and faculty of one large high school in Wyoming◦92.6% white, 16.52% free or reduced lunch

Used Pinnacle Internet ViewerCompared access rates and GPA; excluded

standardized test scores; nonexperimentalAlso conducted telephone interviews to

study perceptions

Findings

52.48% of families accessed online gradebookNo significant relationship between access rate and

GPANo significant relationship between access rate and

attendanceNo significant relationship between changes in

access rate and changes in GPA or attendance for group as a whole◦ Some evidence of a relationship between change in access

and change in GPA for low SES students◦ Some evidence of a relationship between change in access

and change in attendance for high SES students

Findings

Parents and students reported using system to check grades and missing assignments

Teachers generally agreed that parents and students checked grades infrequently

Parents, teachers, and students agreed that the system improved parent-teacher communication◦ More specific questions; one teacher described parents questioning

grading practices Students reported higher levels of accountability Parents reported that quality of communication eroded when

gradebooks were infrequently updated or teachers were unreachable

Parents reported using gradebook for attendance, but teachers reported no change in attendance

All three groups reported positive change in communication as a result of online gradebook access

Summary

Quantitative data shows no significant relationship between gradebook access and GPA or attendance (though GPA and attendance strongly correlated)

Qualitative data shows that all stakeholders perceived online gradebook access as a positive factor in parent-teacher communication and student accountability

References

Mathern, M. S. (2009). The relationship of electronic grade book access to student achievement, student attendance, and parent-teacher communication. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Seton Hall University, NJ.