Causing Grade Disputes

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. A student must be capable of formulating cohesive essays with lucid purpose. If I work sedulously but without skill, I will only receive a mediocre grade. However, if I work assiduously and genuinely learn and utilize what is taught, I will succeed in this course and make above-average grades. The AP English Language and Composition course will teach students to write for a different audience, one that simultaneously consists of the entire …show more content…
Professor Marshall Grossman of the University of Maryland observed, “Many students come in with the conviction that they’ve worked hard and deserve a higher mark.” A study conducted at the University of California found that a third of their students thought they deserved a B just for attending lectures. The idea that following basic protocol merited high grades possibly stems from “increased parental pressure, competition among peers and family members and a heightened sense of achievement anxiety,” according to Professor Ellen Greenberger, the leader of the study. AP courses, such as the AP English Language and Composition course, often dispel these notions. This year, I aspire to surpass these elementary principles and write essays deserving of high marks, because of the content, not the effort put into each