There are a lot of on-going debates about the traditional grading system. Many argue that the system deters learning therefore; it should be overhauled and/or reformed. Alfie Kohn, an American author and educator that speaks and writes about education and parenting is very much opposed to the traditional grading system. In his essay “From Degrading to De-Grading”, Alfie Kohn argues against it, he claim that students are so grade driven that it reduces their interest in learning, creativity and preference for challenging tasks. Not only that, it also encourages cheating, disrupt curriculum and waste teachers’ time.…
In the article, “Student Expectations Seen as Causing Grade Disputes,” studies outline a troubling trend in the minds of America’s youth: Students deserve high marks just for fulfilling rudimentary requests. While this concept seems to be present in most teens’ minds, many others hold a different view. In the Patrick Henry AP English Language and Composition Syllabus, this idea is explicated with clarity: “The grade of A is a performance grade, not an effort grade.” In this class, neither attending live seminars nor relying on prior knowledge is enough to obtain an extraordinary score.…
The scenario that confronts Mr. Chris Warren is an attention-grabbing predicament that will without a doubt create significant change in the policy and practices of grading. Foremost, the issue that is creating this dilemma should be examined to determine if the appropriate policies are being followed. The practice that Mr. Warren has followed is a procedure that he or possibly someone prior to his administration initiated that could not align with school board policy on grading. An additional concern that was not noted is the possibility of having an end-of-course exam for graduation. If an end-of-course exam is a requirement to graduate, this practice causes serious concern for the ability of a special education student to pass with the appropriate…
Therefore, like pennies, even though letter grades are our tradition, since it is not reflective, schools shouldn’t keep on using it. According to an education expert Alfie Kohn, "letter grades are not only unnecessary but harmful” (Long). Research shows that the students receiving letters and percentage grades do not try to master what they learn, but only seeks better grades. Also, it does not reflect on the students' learning and improvements.…
This article explores the level of dependency that should be used on test-based grade retention and if the policies abide by appropriate standards determined by the professional testing community. The focus of this article is to understand if the use of the outcomes on standardized- testing is an appropriate and nondiscriminatory measure to help determine grade retention. Evidence suggests that majority of the time, test-based grade retention violates professional standards for the improper use of testing.…
I am writing to inform you about administration’s proposition to change grading policies for major level courses and the turmoil it has created amongst students. A change this substantial will greatly affect students going forward, and the pros/cons should be weighed out effectively before moving forward. In my opinion, a pass/fail grading policy would be very beneficial. The pressure to perform well in classes is sometimes unbearable, especially for those in majors that want to pursue a higher education after achieving their Bachelor Degree. In accounting specifically, the intense recruiting process puts heavy emphasis put on your “Accounting GPA.…
In the article “Don’t Worry about Grade Inflation” by Jordan Ellenberg, it is stated that it doesn’t matter whether the grades used are A, A-, B+, B and B- or A, B, C, D and F. The ability to tell students apart based on either of these grade systems would be the same, according to this system. This idea stem from something known as a norm-referenced system. One semi-version of this seen in college classes is the normalization of exam grades onto a bell curve, manipulating the numbers to make the average a 75%. When the average is lower than the professor or the college feels it should be, there is pressure to increase it to a certain standard.…
Three weeks into the school year, you notice that one of your eighth-grade students is consistently disengaged during lessons. She rarely answers questions, and when you call on her, she typically shrugs her shoulders and says, "I don't know. " Even when other students are engaged, you often find her listening to music, engaging in off-topic conversation, or putting her head down on her desk. Your assessments show that the student is well-below grade level in reading and mathematics. Answer both of the questions below, keeping each answer to about 150 words in…
Good morning, I am writing you today because I am concerned about my final grade. I was looking at my grade on blackboard, and my participation grade is 10 out of 10 points; instead of 20 out of 20 points; based on what the syllabus reads. Also, my finial paper is not graded on blackboard. On the syllabus, it says the course is out of 400 points total. I do not understand how my grades are added in blackboard.…
Steven M. Cahn in his article Guiding, Grading, and Guarding, is about several aspects in the life of a Teacher. How to make students comprehend the session’s teachers taught, the problem with the grading system, and the trouble a professor faces controlling a classroom they fear. This article could not be any more accurate about the problems we face in our school systems. Dr. Cahn describes how great teachers not only motivate their students, teach the material at hand, and organize a classroom, but also provide a vision of excellence. Describing how teachers have to enter a new classroom with a goal of the progression of its students in mind.…
Other examples would include future attorneys and doctors. I would also argue that students’ work ethics might be drastically altered. To change the current higher learning grading standards would send the country’s future work force into a state of depressing mediocrity that could cause a decline in services offered to the public. My opening argument will be the lastly noted aforementioned. If students knew they were being graded on the strict basis of pass or fail, what would be the objective in achieving a grade higher than 70 which accomplishes all being sought?…
The concept of an institute of higher learning being a place where someone could learn and earn an education has taken a drastic shift. Instead, Universities and Colleges are being run with the same philosophy as a business that seeks to attract and retain customer approval (Lord, 2008). As a result, student opinion surveys are used to dictate how effective a professor is, and whether or not the material being taught was satisfactory. As Professor Stanley Fish argues, the results of the survey depend heavily on the mood and classroom experience of the student (as cited in Lord, 2008). Unfortunately, this method of educating to satisfy the student body has removed the instructor’s authority and criticality; resulting in lenient grading practices…
However, the disadvantages of the weighted GPA system can be counteracted through a few precautions and a little extra work on everybody’s part such as informing students of the difference between honors and regular classes thus providing a sense of security to the regular students so that they do not attempt something too challenging for them. Thus proving that the advantages of using a weighted GPA system far outweigh the disadvantages of using one, and the advantages of using a regular GPA system in a high school…
The grade discrepancy that I am experiencing is one that started off as me believing I earned a better grade than what I received and wanting to try and get it changed to me actually have had, in regards to my professors syllabus and point break down she gave me, earned a grade higher (C+) than what was given to me on my transcript (C). I first emailed her on 12/18/15 asking her about my grade and why I received that grade to which she responded to me on 12/19/15 with my point breakdown. I then replied on 12/26/15 asking here if there were anything I could do to improve that grade based on things that had happened in class in regards to participation and a project we did, and asked if she would want to meet in person if she wanted to discuss…
Main Point: Campbell High School’s grading system should be similar to college’s grading systems. Sub-point: They should adapt how colleges grade their work in terms of how much each assignment is worth. Evidence Point: After looking through three different syllabi from Windward Community College, they all have similarities to them. Those similarities are that classwork and homework are much more valuable, there are more projects instead of tests, and tests as a whole are worth more of a reasonable amount, instead of how it is in our grading system.…