why schools should continue using the letter grading system instead of switching over to the pass/fail system.
why schools should continue using the letter grading system instead of switching over to the pass/fail system.
There has been a debate regarding whether struggling students should repeat a grade. Proponents point out that grade retention gives another chance for the student in trouble to “get it right” the second time. On the other hand, opponents argue that the harms retention bring outweigh the benefits. Though there are valid arguments on both sides of this issue, those who disagree with grade retention policy have a strong case for the following reasons:…
The executive branch consists of six-state wide elected offices. Texas traditionally followed the plural executive system, which means that the general public votes six of the main executive branch officials in. The main advantage of this system is that every office holder is accountable for himself. They don’t have to answer to for each other or to each other but instead they are held responsible for their action, directly by the public. It puts the responsibly right on their shoulders. It also makes the voter more independent, as they cast separate vote for every office. Governor’s office, being the most talked about, is simply one of the six elected offices of executive branch. Second comes the lieutenant governor’s office. Lieutenant governor is considered the most powerful elected official in state of Texas. Other members of the executive branch are attorney general, the comptroller of public accounts, the commissioner of agriculture and the commissioner of general land office.…
I believe that it should be replaced but it needs to be replaced with something that gives teachers more freedom to teach the way they feel their students will learn best. It would be possible for school districts to be in charge of their own numbers, and send these numbers in annually showing how well their students are doing. With that said there would need to be an audit from time-to-time making sure districts are not cooking the books, and kept honest.…
I embrace Alfie Kohn’s ideology that by grading a student’s work one actually hinders the process of learning. Having three school-aged children myself, I see the effect grades have on their mindset. If they do not achieve an “A” they feel less than their peers. I also have seen instances where they will pick the easiest assignment or not bother to complete extra credit assignments for grading. Therefore, in this regard I do agree that grading does play a factor in their learning experience. However, the practicality of overcoming the mindset of a nation of people is a daunting task that may very well take years to persuade. As much as I may agree with Mr. Kohn’s ideology, I do not see this becoming mainstreamed within the educational system any time in the near future. His ideology would have to be fully embraced by the educational system for steps of improvement in grading students to take hold. This may very well take a grass roots effort from the parents and citizens themselves before ideology could be changed, which would take much time in educating the public on this subject. As much as I personally would love to see this type of learning be prevalent within our educational system I do not see it happening in my lifetime. One can only hope.…
Farber is correct in saying that our school grading systems are terrible because grades are not an accurate evaluation tool. Schools should get rid of the grading system. Instead, schools should substitute a different method for evaluation. Schools could try to use the credit system, and see the impact that it has instead of our current grading system. Any other option has to be better than giving A’s and F’s. Is giving grades is the best way to evaluate…
They should keep teaching cursive because when students are taught in the way we wright on tests now in only one form of writing. They get only one chance to learn and memorize the letters. By having to learn cursive as well use students get another opportunity to fully comprehend the alphabet. Learning cursive also gives students a clearer understanding of how letters are formed, which will improve the cursive print writing as well.…
Students should be allowed to be passes up to the next grade even if the student has failed because, the teachers wouldn’t have to deal with those students who do not wish to learn for long and would have more time to focus and work with those who do wish to…
Majority of non-credit classes are graded in a pass/fail system; mainly behind the idea that remedial classes should be knowledge known prior to entering college and penalizing a student GPA would be inconsiderate to the fact that not every student received the same basic education. For instance, students in High school have a standard grading scale policy so they graduate with honors. If it was pass/fail system there would be no valedictorian. I would be highly upset if my peers who are not on the same intellectual level as me and receive the same recognition. For instance, I made all A’s the entire semester, they made C’s,and we both pass. What?…
Grade inflation has been here for a long time now. Grade inflation is when teachers overestimate the work of their students and give them more than what they deserve. This started when the Vietnam war was going on, teachers used to give students a higher grade so that they don’t get forced into joining the war. Although the war is over grade inflation is still in play but now teachers are doing it for other reasons. They might do it because of the pressure from their students, peers or maybe even parents. Nowadays grade inflation is one of the most controversial topics. Some people think it’s the worst thing that could ever happen to our education system, others think that it has some benefits.…
Most importantly, adding weighted grades into honors classes will help Jordan High School, the school board, and some teachers. For example, students who take these honors classes tend to earn higher test scores. This helps the school receive a better reputation, and by giving these students weighted grades, it is rewarding them for taking these challenging and rigorous courses for receiving those excellent test scores. In addition to higher test scores, JHS may be able to expand their classes by offering more honors classes for students who are interested in them. This will give students more information about a subject due to a faster pace.…
Another commentary by Adrina Kalet, says that “both faculty and students should enthusiastically engage in an evaluation system that facilitates our fulfilling this responsibility.” She advocates for a pass/fail system, but one that provides enough feedback for a student to be able to identify his or her strengths and weaknesses. She describes that the lack of letter grades, accompanied by the lack of reliable assessment, places too much unnecessary pressure on students as well as too much emphasis on the reputation of the school. She summarizes, “I don’t care as much as many students do about whether we use pass/fail or other systems. I care that we measure what is important and act on those measures to ensure excellence in our graduates.”…
Across the nation, it has become a controversial topic whether or not students attending school should get paid for grades and test scores. Those that agree with the proposed idea say that teenagers should because it fixes problems that schools are having with high dropout rates and lower than expected attendance and graduation rates. However, those opposing to that respond with the argument that it isn’t always the case sometimes and we shouldn’t rely on bribing as a sufficient way of feeding wisdom to the future of this country. Cash for grades should be forbidden from the curriculum because it results in the expectation of rewards from students, which leads to the reduction of challenging courses and tests taken to obtain said reward, which will ultimately…
In " A Proposal to Abolish Grading" by Paul Goodman, Goodman suggests that grading should stop and that schools should use only testing as their form of instruction. He reasons that "grading hinders teaching and creates a bad spirit, going as far as cheating and plagiarizing" (Goodman 259). However, I believe that grading is a necessary process for a student's success. To abolish grading and rely solely on testing would place students at risk for failing by placing them in a pressured atmosphere, breaking the link of understanding between student and teacher, and reducing the student's options to cheating.…
What do you think when you hear the word grades? Did you think of A,B,C,D, and F; well that's not the only type of grading system. There is a different type of grading called Standards-based grading. Standards-based grading uses 1,2,3, and 4. Now you might be thinking, but students get motivated for the regular grading system. Which is true, but they don’t always retain what they learn. People only remember 10-20% of what they learned in school, unless it is part of their job (Khon). Standards-based grading decreases the level of cheating/taking the easy way out. When in combination with the normal grading system standards-based grading does not interfere with college. Standards-based grading allows teachers meet with students and parents more…
The pass or fail system is a better way to grade than the standard A-F grading system. First reason why I like the pass or fail system is because students worry less about each assignment grade. For example, having to see a D or an F on a report makes me feel like a failure. I am sure nobody likes to feel like they failed in anything, especially in an easy class. Next, the pass or fail grading system is better because it makes it easier for teachers and students. Teachers already have to do enough by grading assignments. Having to afterward go into the grading system and actually put in grades makes it even more work for them. As for students, they could simply check their grades quickly and see whether they passed the class or not just by…