Growing Success or Growing Confusion? Gaps in Ontario's Standards-Based Implementation

This paper evaluates the alignment between Ontario's Growing Success policy and the core principles of standards-based grading (SBG). The procedures employed include analyses of the hierarchical structure of the provincial curriculum, the construct validity of assessment categories, and the reliability of reporting methods. Results demonstrate that the current four-category rubric framework often lacks explicit alignment with learning standards, eroding the shared meaning of grades. Additionally, the study identifies significant implementation gaps in level-to-percentage conversions and the separate reporting of behavioural learning skills. The study concludes that Ontario should transition to directly setting grading standards, use a predictive validity framework to calibrate achievement levels, and implement technological tools to support scalable reassessment practices. These modifications are essential for creating a more transparent, reliable, and instructionally useful assessment model within the K–12 system.