In an effort to build scalable measures of student skills, particularly in contexts where the meaning of grades is uncertain, this project uses statewide longitudinal Virginia data on course taking, grades, Standards of Learning scores, and linked higher education, workforce, and social safety net participation to determine when and for whom grades and test scores function as a reasonable proxy for skill development and as predictors of economic mobility. Drawing on the Virginia Longitudinal Data System, the study examines the alignment between grades and test scores, the influence of school‑ and district‑level structural factors on how skills are developed and assessed, and which high school indicators best predict postsecondary trajectories, labor market outcomes, and economic security. By integrating multiple academic and behavioral measures, the research aims to identify how both course grades and standardized test performance—as complementary but partially distinct measures of student competency—relate to underlying skill growth and to long-term outcomes, and to clarify the contexts in which each measure provides reliable signals of the competencies most consequential for upward mobility.

Data Sources 

• Data: Educational administrative data from Virginia Longitudinal Data System and National Student Clearinghouse postsecondary enrollment and completion records
• Mobility Outcomes: Virginia Unemployment Insurance employment and earnings and participation in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)