In a world in which a person is not compensated for his work, he would no longer work as diligently. Often times, a person will work in order to receive a reward. This reward then helps him to gain more rewards in the future. This can be seen in a game of rummy when a player must play each hand carefully in order to benefit himself in later hands. This is precisely what occurs when students receive GPAs that have been weighted; so, as a result of the extensive amount of work required to receive the same grade in an Advanced Placement (AP) course as in a base level course, the students of Saint Bernard deserve to benefit from a more accurate representation of and award for their work: weighted GPAs.
On the topic of weighted GPAs, people often suggest two main outcomes: a strong academic society and a weak academic society (Abbott). Seeing that weighted GPAs are rewarding to students
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who take more challenging classes, it is important to note that weighted GPAs have positive effects on more than just the students. In a nationwide study including over 300 school systems, it was found that schools in which weighted GPAs were used gained a larger number of AP courses (Cognard 9-10). “The practice of weighting grades reinforces the prestige associated with higher-level courses,” (Abbott) and the institution with them (Cognard 11). This provides a strong academic society the ability to improve by adding more higher-level courses. Although weighting GPAs has clear advantages for the institution that weights them, the advantages which the students receive are profound.
For one thing, weighting grades gives students and colleges the ability to examine a more accurate comparison of students from various schools with varying course schedule difficulties (Clinedinst). The thing is, these benefits mainly aid the gifted, college bound students in that it makes them stand out. This brings the opposition of weighted GPAs to argue that the actual weighting does not provide an equal playing field. J. Bravin argues in his book, The Executive Educator, that “The traditional reporting method, assigning grades of A, B, C, D, and F to student work, discourages college-bound students from electing to take classes that require rigorous effort… and leads to an inconsistent standard” (40). Since weighted GPAs lead to inequalities, educators around the country have protested traditional reporting methods, saying things similar to, “The only ones being penalized by not having weighted grades are our students” (Cognard
12). It is beyond just standing out for colleges though, it is about being able to demonstrate the level of excellency which the student has worked hard to obtain. “College entrance requirements are becoming more demanding. As our world ‘shrinks’ and we compete with others, it is increasingly more important that our high school students be allowed to attempt these differentiated courses without hurting their GPAs and thus their options for college choice” (Cognard 13). It is important to realize that, although weighting grades benefits gifted students, it is not discriminatory. Weighting grades is equivalent to getting paid more for a job in which a person does more specialized work. Is it cruel or demeaning to the person that is not able to fulfil the requirements that job demands? To bring it all together, weighting GPAs can be seen by some to create inequalities, but Bravin points out that weighting actually removes inequalities. Weighting GPAs is beneficial to students that are performing at top level and to the academic societies to which these students belong. To provide these students with proper representation of their work and to provide students with a more accurate comparison of their level of performance, GPAs should be weighted. Why would anyone want to be paid the same for doing more?
In his essay, "Why Colleges Shower Their Students With A’s,” Staples claims that student grades are increasing for the wrong reasons, causing college degrees to become meaningless. Staples provides evidence that average grades have increased significantly over the last several decades, but claims that it is not because students are working harder. The real explanation for grade inflation, he argues, is the effect of grades on both students and their professors. Teachers give more A’s to receive better evaluations and increase job security. Students give more importance to their grades as a result of the rapidly increasing cost of a college education. Staples argues that modern
The author states that when he was a kid, he was very pleased to get a B grade and now students see those grades as mediocre to say the least. When he attended Tufts in late 1960s, a “B” in certain courses was something that he could dream about. Primack states that GPA’s across the nation have risen since the 1960’s. He believes that this issue could be due to teachers not wanting to give out bad grades in fear that students will not want to take their classes. He uses Harvard University as a prime example of a college guilty of grade inflation.
“Making the Grade” by Kurt Wiesenfeld Newsweek magazine, June 27 1996 brings to light an issue that has been glazed over by society for some time, grade inflation. It’s highly disturbing that “we lament that schoolchildren get “kicked upstairs” until they graduate from high school despite being illiterate and mathematically inept, but we seem unconcerned with college graduates whose less blatant deficiencies are far more harmful, if their accreditation exceeds their qualifications”. The issue of grade inflation is not simply an issue of students feeling entitled to higher grades than they have earned, it is a problem that directly impacts our society in a multitude of negative ways. Perhaps the “gold star” mentality started out with the good intentions of creating children with positive self-esteem, however, a direct result is lazy adults with a sense of entitlement for no reason, who lack qualifications to adequately and safely perform their jobs.
The courses Math and Science were examples Staples used regarding the change in the grade point average weight. For some people math and science are hard course to take while in high school or college. However, math is very easy for me but I know it requires various steps to be done to receive one answer. On the other hand, I struggle in science learning parts of the body, different species, and etc. Staples proposal can be beneficial to all universities, online universities, and myself as well. I am challenged everyday by teachers to prove to them I deserve every grade I receive. I have to do the all my work to receive the good grades; however, failure to do my work results into zeros; thus, causing myself to have a low grade in the course or failing the course. I feel as if students should not have the opportunity to appeal their grades if they have a B and want an A. I know it requires a lot of paperwork and bring confirmation among the teachers and their
However, the grade scale convey to students that grades have consequences, open doors to opportunity, and alleviates perturbation. As a result, colleges’ academic progress will promote a higher graduation status. Overall, students are able to receive and apply for a variety of scholarships by their multiple levels of achievement. Only grade scale can produce success.
Intelligence has begun to define individuals globally, but the goal of the minimum grading system is fairness and equality. Fair share grading is when all students in the class take an intended exam, but the class average score of the test is given to every student. Each student will receive the same grade even if one did better or worse than the average score. That being said it could reduce dropout rates, test anxiety, and competition between students. On the other hand, students could be affected negatively because it could lead to false self-value and unfairness to those students who study harder in order to earn higher grades. The debate continues about whether students should be separated by intelligence or be given equal grades in order
This monetary reward is quite the motivation for students to study and work hard on their AP exams. Expert Rebecca Ruiz said, “Today Mr. Nystrom teaches AP statistics to eight times as many students as he used to, and this year 70 percent of them scored high enough to qualify for college credit, compared with 50 percent before” (Ruiz 1). This increase in AP test scores shows that the rewards offered are in fact motivating these students to work harder preparing for these exams. Any programs that offer rewards to students for excelling on their AP exams will see an increase in the scores on the
Former professor of geophysics, Stuart Rojstaczer, in his informative op-ed piece, “Grade Inflation Gone Wild,” featured in “Christian Science Monitior(2009),” investigates grade inflation among universities today. Rojstaczer’s purpose is to inform and educate universities on the inflation of grades, and how an A has become the average grade among those schools. He adopts a dismissive tone when generalizing and addressing the students on their behaviors and actions. Rojstaczer found over 80 universities with data on they’re grades, using this he was able to better understand the inflation and also analyze possible solutions. His logos based writing portrays a negative connotation on todays students and their ability to achieve within the classroom. There is no hiding that the standard for grades has been on the rise sense the 1960’s, and is now at an average GPA of a 3.0, but rojstaczer may have lost his audience with his arrogant approach.
In today’s society we feel the need to be graded in order to learn. The topic of the grading system has sparked three essays, by three different authors, about the pros and cons of the grading system. First, Jerry Farber, professor at University of California at San Diego, wrote A Young Person’s Guide to the Grading System (333). Next is Steven Vogel, professor at Denison University, who wrote Grades and Money (337). The last two authors in this compilation are Stephen Goode and Timothy W. Maier. They both are journalists for Insight on the News. While each of these authors have their own point of view on the grading system, all three essays talk about how being graded affects learning.
Standardized testing scores proficiencies in most generally accepted curricular areas. The margin of error is too great to call this method effective. “High test scores are generally related to things other than the actual quality of education students are receiving” (Kohn 7). “Only recently have test scores been published in the news-paper and used as the primary criteria for judging children, teachers, and schools.”(2) Standardized testing is a great travesty imposed upon the American Public School system.
By nature, most students are brought up in an academic environment motivated to get A’s and B’s on their report cards. Those grades sometimes don’t thoroughly report how much a student has learned or gained knowledge in each topic. Some instructors throw in factors totally unrelated to learning, when the main objective of academic institutions is to learn. In order to clearly demonstrate how much a student has learned in the classroom, schools should change their current grading system and teach students how to learn.
The public high schools began a grading system as a way of telling an individual how they were performing. There was no interest by the public in reporting the school’s progress at teaching. Teachers, in an effort to recognize outstanding performers, looked for a way of rewarding hard-working students for their efforts The grading structure changed from superior and excellent to A’s and B’s. This placed much of the burden of recognizing academic talent on the high schools.
I had a 4.01 GPA entering my senior year of high school. I was proud of this and determined to keep, if not raise, it. AP classes in our school were weighted on the GPA scale; an A was worth 5 instead of 4. With hard work, I could apply this system to my benefit. That is, until Maureen Grady, my AP Calculus teacher, obstructed my goal of graduating with a perfect GPA.
I’ve always been taught that no matter the task ahead, if you put your mind to reaching your goal then you shall succeed. The question whether the grading scale should be more rigorous or stay the same as it is now, is quite a difficult question. I personally believe that only some of the grading system should be changed, this reason being because of immense pressure put on college students in attempt to complete all their assignments. College is not a large social party, it’s a place that you come and learn. Making friends in college is great but that’s not what it’s entirely about. You cannot expect to go into a job setting and get accoladed for performing poorly; your boss will not tolerate this behavior and most likely you would eventually
The American Education system desires excellence more today, than thirty years ago. In this requirement for excellence from higher education and social achievements, issues of inflated grades have been implemented through educational policies. Which has left some wondering if giving grades based on merit is fair to the success of the student, educational system, or even the instructors. The fact is grade inflation is what gives college students a greater grade point average, and truth is an A today is nothing more than a C. For today’s student, grade inflation leaves students are going to find themselves unprepared when they enter the job market, faced with failure, and distressed instructors over evaluations from students. “Grades are broken.