You already know that in school, graded assignments and tests show what you have learned.  Your grades tell you and your teacher how well you learn your course material. 

Course grades are recorded on your high school transcript, which is your permanent high school record.  Your transcript lists all of the high school courses you have taken and the grades you have earned in those courses.  But the grades on your transcript tell much more than what course content you have learned or mastered. In many ways, your transcript describes who you are, what you have learned, and what you have done.  It reveals how well you manage your time, meet class expectations, work through difficulty, solve problems, meet challenges, work with others, and plan. 

In reality, your transcript is a picture of how you learn.  Employers, colleges, scholarship committees, and others will look at your transcript as they make decisions about your admittance, enrollment, and money. How well you learn in your high school courses may determine your future opportunities.