Oh, behave! Determinants and consequences of behavioral grades in schools

We use merged registry data from two large Norwegian counties to examine how formalized behavioral grading affects in‐class grades in high school. Comparing students with similar performance on anonymously graded exams, we find that lower behavioral grades, especially for orderliness, significantly reduce in‐class academic evaluations. Males, students from low socio‐economic backgrounds, and those with immigrant backgrounds are more likely to receive lower behavioral grades, though the academic penalty is similar across groups. The results suggest that teachers place greater weight on organizational skills than on interpersonal behavior, raising concerns about the fairness of teacher‐assigned grades and the extent to which behavioral factors influence academic assessments.