Standards referenced learning is the practice of instructing and assessing students based on pre-determined expectations of what the student will know and be able to do. It is an approach that seeks to identify a student's true level of understanding. Unlike with traditional grading systems, a standards referenced grading system measures a student's mastery of grade level standards by prioritizing the most recent, consistent level of performance. These expectations are called “standards” or “proficiencies.” Students have the opportunity to demonstrate their progress in meeting or exceeding the stated standard through multiple assessments, such as test, quizzes, task, projects, teacher interviews, etc...
Rather than averaging together all of a student’s work, proficiency based grading tracks the student’s progress toward meeting a specific expectation. The grades that a student receives convey that the student: