Aspects that Affect the U.S. Grading System

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As a mother of three students and me being a student, it is evident that our current grading system is no longer efficient. The grading system that once might have worked is no longer an effective means of measure in the 21st Century. For us to overlook the thoughts of a new improved way of grading or evaluating students, only restrains our ability to put into place something more current and something more efficient. Something that could perhaps empower our students to perform at greater levels, or something that could perhaps embolden our students to want to learn. Relying on the traditional way of grading, can actually be more harmful than helpful when it comes to empowering our students and calculating or measuring their growth.
Let’s start by first examining the letter system currently used for evaluating or grading students. Letter grades, A through F, are assigned based on a combination of associated and non-associated assessments of skills. “A” being excellent or good, “B” meaning better than average, and F meaning poor. These letter grades take into account many non-academic elements such as behavior, participation, extra credit, and even attendance. A teacher can put anything they wish into a students’ grade. We are taught, at a very early age, both by educators and by parents, that if we are an “A” student or we get “good grades” we are “good people” or if we earn “bad grades”, we are “bad” or inferior to others. Thinking back to my childhood, going to school each and every day, not because I wanted to or because I enjoyed it, but because I had to. I can remember just trying to get through with anything better than an “F”. Anything better than an “F” meant I was doing okay and was going to go to the next grade, eventua...

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...eb. 6 March 2014.
Kohn, Alfie. “From Degrading to De-Grading.” High School Magazine. March 1999. n. pag. Alfiekohn.org. Web. 4 Mar. 2014.
Neuman, Janice. “Making the New Grade.” The New Physician. 58.8 (2009): n. pag. American Medical Student Association. Web. 6 Mar. 2014.
Ollman, Bertell. “Why So Many Exams? A Marxist Response.” The Informed Argument. 8th ed. Ed. Robert P. Yagelski and Robert K. Miller. Belmont, MA: Wadsworth. 2012. 486-91. Print.
Palmer, Barbara. “Pressure for Good Grades Often Lead to high stress, cheating, professors say.” Stanford News. 23 Feb. 2005. n. pag. Web. 4 March 2014.
Patterson, William. "Breaking Out of Our Boxes." Phi Delta Kappan. April 2003: 569-574. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 04 Mar. 2014.
Sieff, Kevin. "Report Cards Won't Be As Easy As A, B, C Now." Washington Post. 24 Sep. 2011: A.1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 04 Mar. 2014.

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