Guidelines for Using and Documenting Course Grades as an Assessment of Candidate
Content Knowledge
Course grades in specific content courses may be used as one content assessment. If programs
choose to use course grades as one assessment, they must follow these guidelines. Grades can be
used for Assessment #1 (if there is no state licensure test), Assessment #2, or one of the optional
assessments.
Acceptable documentation required for programs using course grades is as follows:
1. Courses must be required for all candidates in the program; elective courses may not be
used as evidence.
2. Faculty may choose which courses will be used in this assessment. For example, they
could select all courses in an academic major, or they could select a cluster of courses
that address a specific domain, or they could select only one course, etc.
3. The documentation of course grades-based evidence must include curriculum
requirements, including the course numbers of required courses. (a) For baccalaureate
programs, documentation must be consistent with course listings provided in the Program
of Study submitted in Section I of the program report. (b) If course grades are used as an
assessment for a graduate level program that relies on coursework that may have been
taken at another institution, the assessment must include the advising sheet that is used by
the program to determine the sufficiency of courses taken by a candidate at another
institution. The advising sheet must include specific information on required coursework
and remediation required for deficiencies in the content acquirement of admitted
candidates.
4. The grade evidence must be accompanied by the institution’s grade policy or definitions
of grades.
5. Grade data must be disaggregated by program level (e.g. baccalaureate and post
baccalaureate), grade level (e.g. middle grade and secondary), licensure category (e.g.
history or social studies), and program site.
6. Syllabi cannot be submitted.
Format for Submission of Grades as a Course-Based Content Assessment
The following format is required for submission of grades as a course grade-based assessment
under Section IV of the program report. For this specific assessment, these instructions take the
place of the general instructions for submitting assessments cited at the beginning of Section IV.
Part 1. Description of the assessment. Provide a brief description of the courses and a rationale
for the selection of this particular set of courses. Provide a rationale for how these courses align
with specific national standards as well as an analysis of grade data included in the submission.
(Limit to two pages).
Rev. Apr. 2010
NOTE: If course grades are used as an assessment for a graduate level program that relies
on coursework that may have been taken at another institution, the report must include the
advising sheet that is used by the program to determine the sufficiency of courses taken by
a candidate at another institution.
If course grades are used as an assessment for a graduate level program that relies on coursework
that may have been taken at another institution, the report must include the advising sheet that is
used by the program to determine the sufficiency of courses taken by a candidate at another
institution.
Part 2. Alignment with content standards. This part must include a matrix that shows alignment
of courses with specific national standard. Faculty can choose one of the following two
examples—one is organized by course, the other is organized by national standard. Brief course
descriptions should be included if the course title does not identify the course content.
A graduate level program that relies on coursework that may have been taken at another
institution must show alignment between the content standards and the program’s advising sheet
that is used to determine the sufficiency of courses taken by a candidate at another institution.
Example 1: Alignment Matrix organized by Course
Course Name & No.
Content Standard/s Brief Description of How the
Addressed by Course
Course Meets Cited
Standards (if course title is
unclear)
MATH 150: Discrete Mathematics 9.5, 9.7, 13.1, 13.2, 13.3
Example 2: Alignment Matrix organized by National Standard
Natioanl Standard/s
Addressed by Course
NCTE 3.5
NCTE 3.6
Course Name & No.
Brief Description of How the
Course Meets Cited Standards
(if course title is unclear)
Young Adult Literature 203
English 105
Part 3. Grade Policy and Minimum Expectation. The program must submit grading policies that
are used by the institution or program and the minimum expectation for candidate grades (e.g.,
all candidates must achieve a C or better in all selected coursework)
Rev. Apr. 2010
Part 4. Data table(s). Data tables must provide, at minimum, the grade distributions and mean
course grades for candidates in the selected courses. NOTE: The “n” in the data table/s for
each year or semester must be relatively consistent with the numbers of candidates and
completers reported in Attachment A to Section I. Large inconsistencies between the two data
sets must be explained in a note included with the data table(s).
NOTE: If course grades are used as an assessment for a graduate level program that relies
on coursework that may have been taken at another institution, the program may provide
data as candidates’ grade point average across all courses listed on program advising sheet
or transcript analysis form.
Part 4. Sample Data Tables
Example 1. Candidates’ Grades in Required Mathematics Courses
Secondary Math Education Candidates
Baccalaureate Program
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
Average
% of
Average
% of
Average
% of
course
candidates
course
candidates
course
candidates
grade and meeting
grade and
meeting
grade and
meeting
(range)* minimum
(range)
minimum
(range)
minimum
expectation
expectation
expectation
Math 101 3.75 (3.0–
100
3.75 (3.0–
92
3.75 (3.0–
97
3.9)
3.9)
3.9)
Math 203 3.3 (3.0 –
95
3.3 (3.0 –
100
3.3 (3.0 –
88
3.5)
3.5)
3.5)
Math 305 3.4 (3.2 –
87
3.4 (3.2 –
89
3.4 (3.2 –
100
3.7)
3.7)
3.7)
*A = 4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0
Example 2. Mean GPA in Science Major Courses for Candidates admitted to MAT
Program Secondary Science Education Candidates
Academic Year
GPA (mean, range)*
% of candidates meeting minimum
expectation
2004-2005
3.75 (3.0– 3.9)
100
2005-2006
3.3 (3.0 – 3.5)
95
2006-2007
3.4 (3.2 – 3.7)
92
*A = 4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0
Part 5. A brief analysis of the data findings.
Rev. Apr. 2010