Grades are back in the higher education press.
Section 5 of the recent “Compact” from the Department of Education includes a stipulation about grading, a report, Re-Centering Academics at Harvard College: Update on Grading and Workload, cites issues about grade inflation and student perception that grades should reflect the amount of time they spend on an assignment, and a recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, “Grading is Broken,” says students equate grades with “effort over mastery.”
Grade inflation is real, but it is also artificial.
It is no wonder that many students believe effort should align with a grade. We live in the era of eighth-place medals, which celebrates and awards participation. We have taught students to equate showing up and putting in the time with commendation.
And, at an elite institution, like Harvard, where a straight-A average is an expectation of admission, shouldn’t one expect the same performance in college, or should there be a reset of expectations? Is that fair, and what is the point or purpose of grading anyway?
Collegiate grading is naturally inflated. At most higher educations, students must achieve an over-all GPA of 2.0 to graduate along with a minimum of 2.0 in their majors, which often includes a minimum grade for all courses counted in the major. Therefore, in college, C is not average, it is the minimum for degree completion.
For millennia, students either passed a class or not. Grading began at Yale University in 1785, when President Ezra Stiles examined all 58 seniors and assigned them to four categories: Optimi (optimal), second Optimi, Inferiores, and Pejores (worst). These categories were converted to a four-point system by 1837[1].
Initially, the purpose of grading students who had passed was to rank them and identify the highest scoring student as the valedictorian, meaning the one giving the valedictory (“farewell speech”). This speech was given as part of the Baccalaureate Ceremony. Baccalaureate means “laurel berry” referring to the ancient Roman practice of honoring successful students by placing laurels on their heads. It is now the name of the traditional four-year degree and a ceremony often held before commencement, which is typically religious. At Susquehanna, our Baccalaureate Ceremony is a non-sectarian celebration of gratitude featuring a number of student reflections.
The modern letter-grading system of A=4.0, B=3.0 began at Mount Holyoke College in 1897, although this did not become the norm nationally until after the Second World War[2].
Some schools do not give grades. One example is Bennington College where each student is given a written evaluation at mid-term and the end of the semester indicating if the student fulfilled the requirements of the course and providing a detailed commentary on the student’s performance. These “Narrative Evaluations” are quite detailed and may encompass multiple pages about the student’s progress and coursework. In recent years, students there can also request traditional grades in individual classes[3].
The practical use of grades today is as a measure of how well a student is likely to do in a successive academic pursuit. In general, the best indicator of a student being successful in college is not test scores, but their performance in high school. A high SAT score shows a mastery of subject matter and good test-taking ability. Good grades are a better measure of success throughout the duration of a course, which is one reason many colleges have gone test-optional.
When admissions professionals review students’ transcripts they don’t just look to the bottom for an overall GPA, they look for patterns. A student who improves over time is likely to keep that momentum in college, just as one whose grades are in decline is likely to be at risk for low engagement.
There is a wide range of rigor from school to school, so most admissions offices utilize a weighted GPA system to account for that variety. Likewise, Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate credits are weighted and, depending upon the final exam score, may qualify the student for earned college credit.
Aside from picking a speaker or informing admissions counselors, what purpose do grades serve? Precious little.
Years ago, at a welcome for parents of incoming students, a president said, “Don’t worry about your students’ grades. If they mention their GPA more than a week after graduation, you didn’t raise them well.”
From an educator’s standpoint, the value of grades is as a motivator for students. If pursuit of an A leads students to work harder and make the most of their education, good for them. If we start judging them by their GPAs, shame on us.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grading_in_education
[2] https://www.humanrestorationproject.org/writing/a-brief-history-of-grades-and-gradeless-learning
[3] https://www.bennington.edu/academics/advising/grades-and-evaluation