GradeTrack Capstone and System architecture

GRADETRACK: STUDENT RANKING & GRADING SYSTEM FOR TRIMEX COLLEGES - CHM DEPARTMENT

CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

INTRODUCTION

Grading is an essential part of academic institutions as it determines student performance and progress. However, manually computing grades and ranking students can be a tedious and error-prone process, making it difficult for faculty members to manage records efficiently. According to the study of Chua and Luyun (2020), automated grading systems help improve accuracy and reduce workload by minimizing human errors and ensuring a standardized grading process. To address these challenges, this study proposes the GradeTrack: Student Ranking & Grading System for the CHM Department of Trimex Colleges. This system will automate grade computation, apply customizable grading formulas, and track student performance across different grading periods. It will also feature an automated ranking system that updates student standings based on computed grades, ensuring fairness and transparency. Additionally, the system will generate academic reports and provide data visualization tools to help faculty analyze student progress. By reducing errors and streamlining the grading workflow, this project aims to improve efficiency, support faculty decision-making, and promote a more structured and reliable assessment process. With its user-friendly interface and secure data management, the system will ensure that academic records are easily accessible yet protected from unauthorized modifications. Moreover, by automating routine tasks, faculty members can focus more on student development rather than spending excessive time on manual computations. Ultimately, this system seeks to enhance the overall academic experience by providing a more efficient and data-driven approach to student evaluation.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

FEEDBACK

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework of the study

Conceptual Framework of the Study illustrates the Input-Process-Output (IPO) Model, which serves as the foundation for developing the GradeTrack: Student Ranking & Grading System. The input consists of four essential components: (1) Knowledge Requirements, which include grading policies, student evaluation criteria, data management practices, and faculty preferences; (2) Software Requirements, such as a web server, MySQL database, Visual Studio, Windows 10 or 11, and data visualization tools; (3) Hardware Requirements, including a laptop or desktop with at least an Intel i5 processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD storage, and secure local or cloud-based data hosting; and (4) System Functional Requirements, which outline key features like automated grade computation, student ranking, academic period tracking, role-based access control, and report generation. The process follows the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), consisting of requirement gathering, system design, coding, testing, deployment, and maintenance to ensure a structured development approach. The output is the fully functional GradeTrack system, designed to streamline grading, enhance academic transparency, and provide accurate student performance tracking for the CHM Department of Trimex Colleges.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

General Objective

To develop a web-based automated grading and student ranking system that ensures accuracy, efficiency, and transparency in computing, ranking, and reporting student academic performance while maintaining data security and accessibility for the CHM Department of Trimex Colleges.

Specific Objectives

To develop an automated grading system that ensures accuracy and efficiency by applying faculty-defined computation formulas and categorizing grades per academic period (Prelim, Midterm, Semi-Finals, Finals).

To develop a student ranking that updates rankings based on academic performance, ensuring fairness and transparency in identifying top-performing and struggling students.

To develop a student that enforces role-based authentication, encryption, and login security to protect student records and prevent unauthorized access.

To develop a grade reporting and analytics feature that enables faculty to generate, download, and print reports while integrating data visualization tools for academic decision-making.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATIONS

The GradeTrack: Student Ranking & Grading System for TRIMEX COLLEGES - CHM Department is designed to automate the computation of student grades, ranking of academic performance, and generation of reports. The system will allow faculty members to input student scores, apply customizable grading formulas, and automatically compute final grades based on the grading standards set by the CHM Department. Additionally, it will feature an automated student ranking system that dynamically updates based on computed grades, ensuring an accurate and transparent classification of students according to their academic performance. Other functionalities include academic period tracking (Prelim, Midterm, Semi-Finals, Finals) and data visualization tools to help faculty analyze student progress over time. This study is limited to the CHM Department of Trimex Colleges and will not extend its functionalities to other academic programs. The system will focus solely on academic grading and ranking, meaning it will not include attendance monitoring, disciplinary records, or extracurricular activities. Additionally, it will not support real-time grading updates, as faculty members must manually input, adjust, and finalize grades before they are processed by the system. Furthermore, the system will operate as an internal academic tool, meaning it will not integrate with external platforms such as student portals or government education databases. While the system is web-based and accessible to authorized faculty and administrators, students will not have direct access to modify their grades. Instead, they can view their academic performance through printed or digitally shared reports generated by faculty members. Additionally, the system will require an internet connection to function, and offline access or local backups must be handled separately by the institution. Despite these limitations, the study aims to develop a secure, efficient, and faculty-centered grading system that enhances academic transparency and minimizes manual computation errors. By streamlining the grading process, the system will significantly reduce faculty workload while ensuring fair and accurate student performance evaluations within the CHM Department.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The GRADETRACK: STUDENT RANKING & GRADING SYSTEM FOR TRIMEX COLLEGES - CHM DEPARTMENT is designed to improve the accuracy, efficiency, and transparency of academic grading and ranking processes. This study is significant as it benefits various stakeholders in the academic institution, ensuring a structured, automated, and data-driven approach to student evaluation. The primary beneficiaries include:

Faculty Members – The system will reduce the workload of manually computing grades and ranking students, minimizing errors and inconsistencies. It will also provide customizable grading formulas and automated report generation, enabling faculty to focus more on academic instruction and student support.

Students – With an automated grading and ranking system, students will have a transparent and accurate evaluation of their academic performance. The system will provide a structured ranking system, allowing them to track their progress, identify areas for improvement, and set academic goals.

Academic Administrators – The system will allow department heads and school administrators to monitor faculty grading consistency, track student performance trends, and generate reports for institutional decision-making and academic planning.

Trimex Colleges – CHM Department – The institution will benefit from a more efficient grading system, reducing administrative workload and ensuring compliance with academic policies. The system will also help in performance assessment and accreditation compliance.

Future Researchers – This study will serve as a reference for future research on automated academic grading and ranking systems. It will provide insights into system implementation, challenges, and improvements that can be applied to other academic settings.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

To ensure clarity and consistency in this study, the following key terms are defined based on how they are used within the GRADETRACK: STUDENT RANKING & GRADING SYSTEM FOR TRIMEX COLLEGES - CHM DEPARTMENT:

Automated Grading System – A web-based system that computes student grades based on predefined formulas and faculty input, reducing manual errors and improving efficiency.

Student Ranking System – A feature of the system that automatically arranges students in order of academic performance, identifying top-performing and struggling students based on computed grades.

Academic Period Tracking – The classification of grades into different grading periods, such as Prelim, Midterms, Semi-Finals, and Finals, allowing faculty to monitor student progress throughout the semester.

Customizable Grading Formula – A system functionality that enables faculty members to set percentage weights for different assessment components (e.g., quizzes, exams, projects) according to the CHM Department’s grading policies.

Grade Report Generation – The ability of the system to create, download, and print detailed grade summaries, providing faculty with easy access to student academic records.

Role-Based Access Control – A security feature that ensures only authorized faculty and administrators can access or modify student grades, preventing unauthorized changes.

Data Visualization Tools – Graphs, charts, or analytics provided by the system to help faculty analyze trends in student performance and identify areas that need improvement.

Web-Based System – A system that runs through an internet browser, allowing faculty to access grading and ranking features from any device connected to the institution’s network.

Secure Data Storage – A feature that ensures all student records, grades, and rankings are stored in a protected environment, preventing data loss or unauthorized access.

Faculty-Centered Interface – A user-friendly platform designed specifically for teachers and administrators to input grades, generate reports, and analyze student rankings with ease.

CHAPTER 2

Review of Related Literature and Studies

Foreign Literature

As stated by Kong, Julius H. (2023), In recent decades, school performance ranking (or 'league table') have become a common feature of many education systems in the world. The ranking is usually published by government and news agencies in an attempt to measure and compare the relative performance of individual schools against a number of criteria, including academic performance. This paper reports parts of larger case study that set out to investigate teachers' and students' perceptions of performance ranking in secondary schools in Kenya. The study participants were teachers and students of Mathematics drawn from secondary schools in Embu County in Kenya. Data were gathered through one-on-one semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and surveys. The transcriptions of the audio-recorded interviews and focus group discussions were analyzed by first reading the texts of the transcriptions holistically, followed by the development of codes, organizing the codes into larger categories and, finally, organizing the categories into overarching themes. This paper, in particular, examines the research findings through the lens of the existing literature on school performance rankings. The paper demonstrates how school performance rankings in Kenya have been abused over the years to the detriment of quality teaching and learning. Finally, the paper highlights the implications of school performance ranking for policy and practice.

According to Elizabeth Anne Martin (2024), Despite college rankings' popular yet controversial nature, there is little known about the relationship between college rankings and students. Prior literature suggests that students who make use of rankings are more privileged, yet there lacks a comprehensive analysis surrounding the types of students who place importance on rankings in more modern times. Additionally, there is a lack of information regarding how students' use of rankings impacts their college experiences and outcomes. Using data from UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute, this study employs logistic regression to determine the demographic characteristics and pre-college experiences of students who place importance on rankings, and this study draws on Bourdieu's theory of social reproduction to hypothesize that valuing rankings in deciding where to attend college correlates with different types of privilege. Next, this study makes use of inverse probability of treatment weighting, t-tests, and linear regression models to determine the extent to which having valued rankings affects outcomes like sense of belonging and academic adjustment in students' first year of college as well as overall satisfaction in both the first and senior year. This study utilizes the theory of anticipatory socialization to posit that students' use of rankings leads to more informed college decisions, which in turn leads to stronger outcomes. Findings indicate that students with higher levels of privilege are more likely to use rankings during their college search process. Additionally, students who valued rankings in the selection of their college report slightly better outcomes in terms of sense of belonging and overall satisfaction (both first-year and upon graduation) but not academic adjustment. These findings held even after accounting for student privilege. However, students' experiences while in college, such as interacting with faculty, play a larger role in determining their outcomes than whether the student placed importance on rankings. This study elaborates on how the findings are relevant for audiences like college counselors, higher education institutions, and researchers.

As explained by Tobiloba Ojomu (2023), Class ranking remains a prevalent practice in Nigerian primary and secondary schools, yet research has not explored how Nigerian students perceive and experience this practice. This study sought to address this gap in the literature by delving into four Nigerian primary and secondary school alumni's experiences and perceptions of the class ranking practice. Through their unique stories, this narrative inquiry study sheds light on the extent to which class ranking has impacted them. The findings of this study revealed that class ranking had a profound influence on the participants, both within and beyond the classroom setting. It shaped their self-perception, influenced their approach to learning, affected their interactions with parents, teachers, and peers and had implications for their academic and personal adjustments.

In the literature of Soubhik Barari; Eric Newsom; Ji Eun Park; Susan M. Paddock (2024), Prospective students and their families use college rankings to navigate their higher education options. Rising tuition and fees have made the college decision more fraught. Recently, the major college ranking providers have revised their methodologies to reflect costs and other considerations. These revisions raise important questions about the precise qualities the rankings aim to measure. Vanderbilt University asked NORC to produce a report evaluating the methodological validity of five major college ranking systems: U.S. News & World Report (USNWR), Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Forbes' Top College list (Forbes), The Times Higher Education World University Ranking (THE), and the QS World University Ranking (QS). Drawing on well-established social scientific concepts like "construct validity," this report identifies many issues in the conceptualization and construction of college ranking lists and offers methodological improvements that might address these shortcomings. The aim of this report is to inform consumers of these rankings--including college-going students, their parents, and college leaders--of the limitations of existing college ranking systems.

In the book of Chiou, Chiun-Fang PhD*; Hay, Joel W. PhD†; Wallace, Joel F. PharmD, et al.. (2016), A group of health economists chose 16 important criteria for evaluating studies. They used a survey with 120 international experts to assign weights to each criterion. Then, another survey was given to 60 health economics experts to test the grading system’s accuracy. Experts first rated three studies using a simple scale and then applied the grading system. The results showed that the grading system matched well with expert opinions. Statistical tests confirmed its reliability and ability to differentiate study quality. Overall, the system proved effective in evaluating economic studies.

In the literature of Everson, Scott R (2023), The review of literature provides a synthesis of the current state of grading practices and reform efforts that intersect with historical, traditional practices as well as literature related to stakeholder perceptions. Three primary themes emerged from the findings across both sites as it related to perceptions of implementation and transition of grading practices: comfort, academic relevance, and fidelity of implementation. The findings and analyses primarily focus on a student perception perspective of school interest and the school experience as well as student perception whether the grading reform transition still held on to previous, legacy grading practices.

As explained by Townsley, Matt; Buckmiller, Tom (2020), Learning goals such as the Common Core State Standards are helping educational leaders to better understand the critical role assessment and grading plays in the teaching and learning process. In response to the growing body of empirical research on the topic of accurate grading practices, a number of schools are moving away from letter grades and adopting standards-based grading which separately report learning goals from work habits. The purpose of this essay is to document what works when K-12 schools implement standards-based grading through a deep dive into related literature and to suggest areas for future consideration. With this improvement to educational systems on the horizon, K-12 teachers and administrators in the early stages of redesigning their grading practices will benefit from understanding the successes and struggles of early adopters in order to successfully reform grading in their own context.

According to Kong, Eugene H. (2013), Letter grading systems in education have been widely accepted as a strong medium to assess the educational performance of students across the world. It has been a successful system for course. However, recent studies indicate that grades can also foster anxiety and demotivate students to learn. This fact can be challenging because many investigators claim that motivation and student engagement are key to student success, especially in online education. This situation is even more problematic with the recent outbreak of COVID-19. There has been a major shift in the education sector from face-to- face instruction to online instruction. To mitigate the negative effects of the grading system, incorporating a partial student self-grading model in remote learning is proposed. The partial self- grading student model can potentially increase motivation, positive attitude and decrease the temptation to cheat on assignments. Another benefit of this system is that it can create a platform where students and instructors can discuss the grades given, thus creating a two-way learning system instead of a one-way learning system. The powerful impacts and benefits of the partial student self-grading model in online education are explored and discussed.

Local Literature

In the literature of John C. Kenneth (2018), The ranking of students in the Philippines is heavily influenced by their academic performance, as seen in various studies evaluating the country's education system. According to Evaluating the Academic Performance of K‐12 Students in the Philippines (Wiley Online Library, 2020), standardized approaches are used to assess students, raising concerns about whether coursework aligns with industry demands.

According to the OECD (2023), The PISA 2022 Results further highlight the struggles of Filipino students, ranking them among the lowest in mathematics, reading, and science, which affects how students are ranked in schools and their preparedness for future challenges. Similarly, PH students rank sixth worst in reading emphasizes the country's poor ranking in literacy, reinforcing the need for

Previous literatures by Postph (2024, Shows that the report PH students rank sixth worst in reading emphasizes the poor literacy performance of Filipino students, which significantly affects their academic rankings. Since reading comprehension is fundamental to learning across subjects, students with low reading skills tend to struggle in other areas as well, leading to lower rankings in class. This further underscores the need for a more comprehensive grading and ranking system that considers different learning capabilities and provides support for struggling students.

Wikipedia (2025), Academic Grading in the Philippines details the grading systems used across different educational institutions in the country. It highlights how schools implement various ranking criteria based on performance in examinations, coursework, and other assessments. However, given the academic challenges faced by Filipino students, as indicated in other studies, there is a growing need to refine these ranking methods to ensure that students are evaluated holistically rather than solely based on numerical scores.

Based on the literature of Plata, Sterling, Compared to international SBG, SBAR does not record quizzes, homework, classroom tasks, major tests, and class participation. Instead, SBAR uses the KPUP model that comprises knowledge (15%), process/skills (25%), understanding, (30%), and products/performances (30%). Instead of reporting the attainment of content standards, the model indicates that teachers record assessment evidence for each aspect of SBAR. Hence, the assumption is that students who need to assess themselves may be confused on how they are meeting the standards because the terms are not aligned with the content standards included in their lesson or unit of study. Furthermore, SBAR uses letter grades:

According to Gordon Schools (2018), An automated system is any system where an input is provided and a machine or computer carries out a process that produces an output. Advantages of Automated Systems include the following: Speed – They can process information much more quickly than humans. This means they are good for controlling machinery that might need to be adjusted instantly; Repetition – Automated systems can do the same task over and over again without getting bored, needing breaks or making mistakes; Accuracy – They can do very detailed work and follow precise instructions without error; Safety – Automated systems can work in places where it would be unsafe to put a human, for example, in a nuclear power plant, under water or in space; Efficiency – They get more done than humans but cost less to operate. This is because the do need breaks, wages, holidays, canteens, heating and lighting. The quality of the work done is always of the same standard being materials are not wasted due to human error; and Adaptability – Automated systems can be reprogrammed to do different tasks. For example, a robot that was used to make one type of car could be reprogrammed to work with a new model or be used to spray paint a car instead of being used to weld parts together.

In the literature of Tansey, (2007), The respondents are the selected public school teachers in the Philippines who used the E-Class Record and Consolidation of Grades in MS Excel format. In the selection, the researchers used non- probability sampling method. Non-probability sampling method involves researchers drawing samples from a larger population without the requirement of random selection. The distinguishing character of non-probability sampling is that subjective judgments play a role in the selection of the sample, in that the researcher decides which units of the population will be included in the sample. While this means the researcher has greater control of the selection process, the trade-off is that such sampling techniques severely limit the potential to generalize from the findings of the sample to the wider population. Given the role that subjective selection plays in drawing the sample, selection bias can easily be introduced, compromising the possibility of arriving at robust findings and generalizations.

Based on the literature of Dellosa, (2014). Microsoft Excel application software was useful in developing the electronic class record. The grade sheet tab is used to display the summary of the grades of each student per quarter and the final grade of each student. It also shows the summary of total students who belong to the different levels of proficiency. This grade sheet tab is one of the documents to be submitted to the principal per grading period. Summary of ranking per quarters and finals is also provided to easily determine the top and least performing students.

Foreign Studies

In the study of Dill, David D. & Soo, Maarja (2005), The global expansion of access to higher education has increased demand for information on academic quality and has led to the development of university ranking systems or league tables in many countries of the world. A recent UNESCO/CEPES conference on higher education indicators concluded that cross-national research on these ranking systems could make an important contribution to improving the international market for higher education. The comparison and analysis of national university ranking systems can help address a number of important policy questions. First, is there an emerging international consensus on the measurement of academic quality as reflected in these ranking systems? Second, what impact are the different ranking systems having on university and academic behavior in their respective countries? Finally, are there important public interests that are thus far not reflected in these rankings? If so, is there a needed and appropriate role for public policy in the development and distribution of university ranking systems and what might that role be? This paper explores these questions through a comparative analysis of university rankings in Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US.

By the studies of Rafique, Tayyaba, Awan, Muhammad Usman et al.. (2023), The development of multiple university ranking systems at national and global levels has been driven by increasing interest in improving efficiency in the national educational sector without compromising the demand for international standards. Global university ranking systems play an important role by providing the foundation for competing in this global era. One approach could be developing and evaluating criteria to reduce the unnecessary use of standard, less productive indicators. This study aims to systematically exploit national and global university ranking systems in terms of their indicators and relevance to national educational needs. This study uses two online qualitative focus groups with 10 participants each. The participants were purposively sampled, and the transcribed data from the focus group were thematically analyzed. Findings indicate that university ranking should include indicators like governance and digital presence, as these are missing in global ranking indicators. These findings will guide the development of a university ranking framework that policymakers and universities can implement to improve institutional performance.

In the light of Babones, Salvatore (2014), The publication of the first major international university rankings in 2003 opened up a new era in the internationalization of higher education, with universities around the world reorienting their research efforts toward securing success in international (as opposed to domestic) ranking systems. This has generated a potential principal-agency problem, as nationally-funded universities increasingly seek international validation. This opens up the possibility that a focus on rankings success might actually lead universities to implement policies that undermine their educational missions. This paper examines Australian universities’ pursuit of international rankings over the first two decades of the twenty-first century as a case study in the internationalization of higher education, with a focus on the behavior of Australia’s Group of Eight (Go8) research-intensive universities. Two major findings emerge. First, many Australian universities seem to have excessively expanded their international student enrolments as a way to generate the funds needed to compete in the ‘rankings game’. Second, many Australian universities seem to have prioritized research in fields that yield higher returns in rankings outcomes. These findings provide circumstantial evidence that Go8 universities may have compromised their educational missions in the pursuit of rankings success.

Based on the study of Clarke, Marguerite (2007), This article examines the impact of institutional and program‐area rankings on student access to, and choice in, U.S. higher education. It also discusses the impact of rankings on student opportunities after graduation in terms of placement success and earnings. The discussion is informed by the broader research literature in these areas, and includes comparisons to findings for other higher education systems. The author concludes with comments on the likely effects of the newest addition to the rankings scene – so‐called ‘world’ rankings – on access, choice, and opportunity outcomes globally.

According to Mussard,Maxime & James, Alex Pappachen (2018), Global University ranking tables influence students and public opinion perceptions and the overall reputations of universities among an international audience. In this paper, the credibility of such ranking tables is questioned based on the tendency of ranking systems to promote questionable universities, documented instances of ethical misconduct, and inconsistencies between different ranking tables. The findings are validated using the Academic Ranking of World Universities (or Shanghai ranking), the QS University ranking, and the THE World University ranking, which are considered the golden standards today among Global University ranking tables. Inconsistencies between ranking tables with respect to parameters used in analysis and validation are pointed out. Furthermore, it is shown that all three ranking tables can be gamed by universities to get a high ranking using parameters that do not capture the wide spectrum of characteristics that reflect academic excellence in research, teaching, and services.

By the research of Langeetha, T.; Mekala, S. 2021, Assessments determine the student’s knowledge and skill in a specific course and the grades communicate the skill level to the stakeholders. In this line, the assessment and grading system become the prime requisites of the education system. Thus, educators and policymakers must ensure a fair, reliable, valid, flexible, and transparent grading system for quality education. The two different types of grading are absolute grading and relative grading. Relative grading (or norm-referenced assessment) refers to teachers’ assessing students’ performance relative to their classmates’ performance. In contrast, absolute grading (or criterion-referenced assessment) refers to teachers’ grading students’ performance on definite learning criteria, usually fixed by the teacher. Though most Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in India follow the absolute grading system, the high-ranking institutions mostly follow the relative grading system. Both the grading systems have their share of pros and cons. This paper analyzes the features, attributes, and characteristics of both the relative and absolute grading systems followed in higher education. It also concentrates on how these grading systems impact language learning and acquisition, especially in English as Second Language (ESL) and English as Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. It is established that language learning is quite different from learning other subjects and requires different assessment methods. On analysis, absolute grading seems to render a more conducive environment for language learning and assessment than relative grading in higher education in the ESL/EFL context.

In the study of Cheng, Liying; DeLuca, Christopher; et al..(2018), The current trend towards globalization, immigration, and internationalization of schools and universities around the world has led to the increased use of grades across educational systems. Given the use of grades for student promotion, mobilization, and admission into educational programs internationally, there is an urgent need to understand how grades are constructed differently in diverse systems of education. This study specifically examines grading policies across two educational contexts – Canada and China – to gain a nuanced understanding of how grades are constructed in these two systems where we see a large fast increase of Chinese students studying at Canadian tertiary institutions. This comparative analysis of Ministry of Education documents within and across these two learning contexts indicates significant differences in policies that guide teacher constructed grades in Canada and China. In Canada, achievement is the primary consideration in the construction of classroom grades, whereas grades in China include considerations of both the learning (i.e., achievement) and the learner (i.e., learning skills and personal dispositions). The findings of the study have significant implications for understanding the validity of grade interpretations across educational systems.

According to Witte, Anne E. (2011), In granting or withholding academic credits, educational institutions rely on norm-referenced, percentage or criterion based grading scales to communicate evaluation results to students, parents, employers and other schools. As admission into a new school, transfer between schools, job recruitment, scholarships and financial aid funding may be conditional on grades, it is worth increasing general understanding about the opportunities and limitations of conversion protocol used between international grading scales. This is especially so as more and more students are mobile during their formative years and have transcript histories with foreign exchange credits expressed in different national grading language. As student motivation and achievement may differ across cultures, and lecturers may set exams and practice grading strategies that vary within and between disciplines and institutions (implicit features of grading), the explicit conversion of one grading system to another presents a statistical, cultural and educational dilemma. This article investigates some of the implicit features of explicit grading scales to highlight some of the variables in using, transferring and interpreting grades across cultures to a readership of lecturers, students, recruiters and academic administrators.

Previous researches by Kirillov,Andrey Vladimirovich; Vinichenko, Mikhail Vasilevich; et al…(2015), shows that the article describes main grading principles applied in Russia as well as internationally. The grading system is based on those used by Hay Group and Watson Wyatt. We evaluated existing grading examples for administrative and support personnel, methodology, effectiveness and how it affects performance results in Higher Education Institutions. Based on this, we set goals, principles and established regulatory basis for implementing grading in the University. In addition to this, we studied all possible ways to create effective working group to carry out this task and, its activities and performance in proceeding with administrative and support personnel optimization and organizational reform at large aiming to create a sustainable effective structure in the University. The effectiveness indicators (KPI), their use as well as the positions’ scale, compensation packages and re-designed remuneration system were introduced. Nevertheless, during this process we identified a number of problems that University leadership faced while implementing reform. These problems occurred largely due to personnel non-readiness for cordial changes, lengthy decision making and complex management system (at the level of the Ministry of Higher Education and other related regulatory bodies) that constantly changes during reform system and counter reforms danger. We would like to point out that grading was carried out by University personnel without third party involvement that lead to effective management team formation.

In the study of Manoharan, Kesavan; Dissanayake, Pujitha B.G.; et al…(2023), The performance-based utilisation of labour resources is a decisive function for developing characteristics of the next normal in the construction industry. Based on the industry's needs, this study aims to develop a framework for the systematic process of labour performance evaluations and labour grading towards achieving higher productivity in construction operations.

Local Studies

Explained by the study of Estrera, Paul Joseph M.; Natan, Pamela E.; et al..(2017), Predicting students’ academic performance is mostly useful to help the educators and learners improve their teaching and learning process. In this study, the researchers develop a system that merges the work of a dynamic web-based grade book and predictive analytics for the students’ performance. We have performed series of test to evaluate the importance of the attributes and the results shows that the student’s GPA, gender, study behavior, interest in studies and the engaged time in studying of the USTP Senior High School students had a great impact in the prediction. The researchers also found out that using the Decision Tree Algorithm is efficient for the prediction. It can be concluded that this paper will help the students and teachers to monitor the students’ performance in a systematic way and taking appropriate action to improve it. The researchers recommend that the students’ entrance exam results and extra-curricular activities would be included in predicting the academic performance of the students.

Based on the study of Ignacio, Louie Benedict; Cristobal, Andrea Gaile A.; David, Paul Christian (2022), In the recent report released by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the Philippines was ranked as one of the lowest in Mathematics, Science, and Reading Comprehension among 79 participating countries. The country also ranked low in other assessment programs, including TIMSS, SEA-PLM, and NAT. Despite the educational reforms established to improve the Philippine Education System, the Philippines remains low and significantly below its neighboring countries regarding quality education. Therefore, this study (1) describes how the Department of Education has undertaken the objectives of R.A. 10533, (2) determines the effect of policy implementation on the ranking of Philippine education quality in local and international assessment programs through the perspective of education experts, and (3) identifies the importance of local and international assessment programs in analyzing the current condition of education quality in the Philippines. This research has employed a qualitative approach using thematic analysis on narratives coming from (1) DepEd-OUCI, (2) DepEd-BEA, and (3) Education Policy experts, as well as documents used by the Department of Education and the Curriculum Consultative Committee. This study concludes that there are still challenges plaguing the implementation process. Hence, the need for further improvement in certain aspects is enumerated in this research. Moreover, considerable discrepancies in the disorganized and incoherent implementation system amongst and within the Department of Education, administrators, and other stakeholders, as well as confounded policy interpretation due to system instability, were all deduced.

As explained by Corpuz, Jaysi Tanguilan; Peña, Glenda Sullano; Baconguis, Rowena Dela Torre (2022), Business management is a priority course in most universities given the thrust to develop entrepreneurs. Motivational profile of business management students in a state university in Cavite, Philippines was assessed and analyzed its relation to their academic performance. Achievement, affiliation and power based on McClelland’s theory (1960), were compared across sex groupings and determined the most dominant motivation per year level. Cochran’s sample size with .05 alpha level was used to obtain a total of 311 participants, descriptive statistics (mean, percentage, frequency count) and correlational analysis (Pearson r correlation and t-test) were used in analyzing the data. Outcomes show a substantial relationship between achievement motivation and students’ academic performance. Most participants are females, junior level and have very good academic performance. Results show a dominant motivational profile in the desire to achieve, followed by affiliation, lastly, power. Achievement motivation is highest for freshmen, juniors are affiliation-oriented and seniors are power-motivated. There is no significant difference between sex and motivational profiles, there is a weak negative correlation between achievement motivational profile and academic performance, no significant difference between affiliation and power motivational profiles and academic performance. Results imply that while studies show a positive correlation between motivational profiles and academic performance, other factors that may define academic performance, like teaching methodologies, can be maximized by schools. As student’s motivation shifts from achievement to affiliation to power, teachers may ensure that students have a healthy combination of activities that foster a sense of achievement, good interpersonal relationships, collaboration and healthy competition.

Based on the studies of Balatbat, Ma. Lourdes S.; Dahilig, Vina Rose A. (2016), Evaluation of how the students perceive the factors that affect their own academic performance is important to ensure that the learning goals of any college program are met. Such selfperceptions may guide educators in choosing interventions that need to be implemented to ensure academic success. This study was conducted to identify students’ perceptions on the factors affecting academic performance. The study utilized a survey instrument administered to all 108 students enrolled in the BS Pharmacy program. The mean age of the respondents was 19.82±0.18. Majority were female (78.07 %). The students ranked highest on academic competence (4.11±0.49) and strategic studying 3.93±0.94. The lowest scores were on the test anxiety (3.11 ±0.51) and test competence (3.125±0.25) domains. The results indicate that while the students use strategic studying techniques and can, to some degree, manage the Pharmacy course load, their academic success is hampered by poor test-taking skills. Educators may explore test counselling to help improve academic performance.

In the study of Dotong, Conrado I.; Laguador, Jake M. (2015), Measuring one’s capability to promote excellence is an enduring process to meet certain standards of evaluation wherein specific level of quality is determined to provide substantial information for the intended community and global market. This study on quality assurance of higher educational institutions explores the significance of local accreditations and certifications from government and private agencies to acquire international level of specialized accreditation and recognition from foreign regulation authorities. Any Quality Assurance mechanisms either locally or internationally recognized that is being utilized and adopted by the HEIs must reflect on the quality of their graduates which is one way of measuring the performance of an institution. HEIs of most developed countries are sustaining various program accreditations for strong collaboration among the academe and industries in their respective regions and to attract more foreign students as they adopted international standards and qualification frameworks for the graduates. It is nearly one (1) percent only of the market share of international students in the world chose to study in the Philippines. It is recommended that strengthening the degree program through QS World University Ranking by Subject must be the focus of the marketing strategy of the HEIs rather than promoting the institution as a whole. International recognition of the program by subject could somehow uplift the credibility of the institution in the world market. Introducing the degree programs in international arena is a little bit easier strategy to be recognized than bringing the entire university in the big picture which is quite difficult to assume good results. Achieving excellence is a never ending process of improving the quality of products and services which is bounded by measures of unobtainable goal of perfection.

As explained by Catabijan, Carlo G. (2022), With the purpose of ensuring fairness and a level playing field in the selection process, the new admissions policy of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine (UPCM) has applied adjustment factors (AF) in the computation of the general weighted averages (GWAs) of applicants.

Based on the research of Abisado, Mideth B.; Unico, Maricris G.; et al…(2020), The Corona Virus 19 (COVID 19) pandemic has brought challenges and opportunities in the world and the Philippine educational system. While there are universities that are doing online learning in the past decades, over 100 local universities and colleges are left with traditional instruction, face-to-face learning sessions. The traditional universities have no choice but to become adaptive to the “new normal” once declared by the World Health Organization. Philippine data on the effect of pandemic suggest that the student populace are prone to carry the virus through interaction and traveling to and from the schools. Classes cannot be delivered in traditional ways anymore, to mitigate the spread of the virus, until a vaccine is available. This paper provides a framework for local universities and colleges in implementing flexible learning procedures. The asynchronous course delivery consists of the design of outcomes-based teaching and learning plan, course materials, scheduled on-line and face-to-face meetings, technology, and center for technology education.

Based on the thesis of Marcial, Dave E. (2012), This paper presents descriptive results on the profile of the information technology (IT) resources in the higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Philippines in terms of expenditures, internet bandwidth, information systems (IS) development and connectivity. The study reveals that 22.7% HEIs have an annual IT expenditure of Php 500,000.00 to Php 1M. The fastest Internet connectivity among the HEIs is 16-20 mbps and the least bandwidth connected to the HEIs is 1 mbps. The most developed IS in the HEIs is the enrollment and grading system. A library system is considered as the most outsourced IS and the most unavailable IS in the HEIs is a hostel or dorm services system. Accounting Related System is ranked first when it comes to LAN connectivity while e-learning, alumni management system, and information and publication system are the most available Internet-connected systems in the HEIs. The increasing role and demands of IT in the development of an organization calls for an active reaction to the challenges of the information society. IT plays a significant impact in the HEIs in the Philippines; however, they are technologically challenged of keeping abreast to the latest trend and development in IT.

According to the study of Bondoc, Orville L.; Santiago, Rene C.; et al…(2021), This study investigated the characteristics of 307 eggs randomly collected from 7 mallard breeds that were raised in the same production and management system using the size classification and grading system for mallard duck eggs. Egg distribution by size classification based on egg weight was 17.26% extra-large (>78 g), 55.37% large (68–78 g), 24.76% medium (57–67 g), and 2.61% small (<57 g). Egg distribution by grade classification based on Haugh unit values was 21.17% Grade-AA, 47.56% Grade-A, 28.01% Grade-B, and 3.26% Grade-C. Based on the median of egg weight and Haugh unit values, the Itik-Pinas (IP) breeds (IP–Itim, IP–Khaki, Kayumanggi–IP), Khaki Campbell, Tsaiya, and White Mallard eggs were classified as large and Grade-A. Pekin eggs were classified as extra–large and Grade-AA. Bigger egg sizes corresponded to a significant increase (P<0.05) in short and long circumference, and weight of yolk, albumen, and eggshell. On the other hand, higher egg grades corresponded to a significant increase (P<0.05) in albumen height only. The new size and grade classification system may be applied to compare eggs from different mallard breeds in major egg-producing regions. However, it should be validated and improved further using larger data sets and considering local consumer preferences.

As Explained by Oraño, Jannie Fleur V.; Padao, Francis Rey F.; Malangsa, Rhoderick D. (2019), Cacao is one of the major crops of the tropical world and is known worldwide for its beans used for manufacturing of products which are highly popular and widely consumed around the world such as chocolate and cocoa powder. Grading the cacao beans is a method utilized by the cacao experts and farmers to ensure valuable and good supply of cacao beans in the market. However, manual grading of the cacao beans using the naked eye observation is more laborious, time consuming and less accurate. To automate the said process, a computer-based cacao beans grading system was developed using image processing and KNN algorithm. One hundred ninety (190) samples were consumed as training examples and sixty samples (60) for classification. The system was designed and developed using C# Windows Form Application as its programming language, XAMPP as its server scripting language, and MySQL as its database. The accuracy calculation of the system resulted to 93.33%, which implies that the KNN model was able to effectively grade cacao beans.

Synthesis of the Study

The researchers gathered valuable insights from various foreign and local literatures on grading systems and student ranking to enhance the development of their capstone project. Kong (2023) and Ojomu (2023) highlighted the impact of student ranking on academic motivation, which helped shape a more structured and fair ranking system. Martin (2024) and Barari et al. (2024) provided an understanding of how rankings influence student decisions, guiding the researcher in refining the ranking criteria for the system. Locally, Kenneth (2018) and the OECD (2023) emphasized challenges in student performance evaluation, reinforcing the need for a more adaptive grading approach. Additionally, studies by Plata and Dellosa demonstrated the benefits of automation in grading, ensuring accuracy and efficiency in ranking students. By integrating these findings, the researcher aims to develop a well-organized and systematic grading and ranking system that supports both educators and students in tracking academic performance effectively.

The researchers gained insights from various studies on university rankings and grading systems, which helped refine the capstone project’s structure and objectives. Studies by Dill & Soo (2005) and Rafique et al. (2023) emphasized the importance of ranking systems in shaping academic policies and institutional performance, guiding the researcher in implementing a structured ranking framework. Babones (2014) and Clarke (2007) highlighted the impact of rankings on student choices and university priorities, reinforcing the need for a balanced approach to grading and ranking. Furthermore, Mussard & James (2018) and Langeetha & Mekala (2021) pointed out issues in global ranking credibility and grading methodologies, ensuring that the project adopts a fair and transparent grading system. Cheng et al. (2018) and Witte (2011) provided comparative perspectives on grading policies across different educational systems, helping the researcher develop a flexible and standardized assessment method. Lastly, studies by Kirillov et al. (2015) and Manoharan et al. (2023) demonstrated the importance of performance-based evaluations in academia, which inspired the integration of systematic grading strategies in the project. By utilizing these findings, the researcher aims to create a well-organized and effective grading and ranking system that aligns with academic standards and institutional needs.

Overall, the gathered studies and literature provided essential insights that helped shape the development of the capstone project. The research on university ranking systems, grading methodologies, and academic performance monitoring highlighted the importance of systematic evaluation and data-driven decision-making. These findings guided the researcher in creating a well-structured and efficient system that ensures accurate tracking of student performance while addressing.