The grading system was first introduced in the education sector in 1785 at Yale where students were graded based on their academic performance. Previous learning institutions like Harvard awarded medals to top performers instead of grades. However, with the introduction of the grading system by Yale, many schools abandoned their unique system of evaluating students' academic performance, and they embarked on a grading system. The current A-F grading system that is implemented by many schools and colleges started officially in 1884 at Harvard before it was embraced by other schools (Schinske & Tanner, 2014). The A-F grading system became a norm in many schools, and it is a culture that is actively embraced in the education sector. However, currently, there is a controversial debate on the effectiveness of the A-F grading system, even though it is still the most popular system used in schools. Critics of the grading system argue that it has some psychological harm on learners while others maintain that it does not create creativity among students. Many schools, therefore, have realized the ineffectiveness and the potential harm of the A-F grading system and they are abandoning it to other systems. Interestingly, even Yale that introduced the concept of A-F grading system is gradually moving away from it and embracing other better alternatives, which is evidence that grades no longer matter. Besides, more than 40 schools in New York moving away from the traditional grading system (Spencer, 2017). Grades do not matter in the modern world, and the A-F grading system should be replaced by the standards-based grading and self and peer evaluation that have proved to be beneficial to both learners and teachers.
Research has consistently shown that students who are graded have high chances of losing interest in learning and they are afraid of doing challenging tasks, which is an indication that grading hampers creativity and innovation. Schools such as Rowland Hall have also experienced the negative impact of A-F grading system on learners, as students who expect to get higher grades gets emotionally broken when they get lower grades (Anderson, 2017). Consequently, many schools are now moving away from the A-F grading scales to the standards-based grading system, which is better and more effective in achieving the learning goals and objectives of learning institutions and the society at large. Thus, the best solution to the ineffective A-F grading system is the standards-based grading, which has been proved to be working in many schools.
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The standards-based grading, which some scholars refer to as formative assessment is a new innovative way of evaluating students, and it is rapidly gaining popularity in the education sector, especially in developed countries. In the standards-based grading system, learners are assessed according to their proficiency in achieving the set course objectives (Long, 2015). It is different from the A-F grading system where points are allocated to a given assignment or exam in that the standards-based grading focuses on the broader outcome. Standards-based grading is concerned more of the cohesive body of knowledge that students acquire throughout the course and not the completion of individual assignments (Anderson, 2017). Schools that have adopted the standards-based grading system focus of the overall final result, which is based on the students’ participation during the course.
Evidence from Kentucky, which first implemented the standards-based grading in 2013, shows that the new system is better than awarding grades to students. Kentucky found that the standards-based grading helps in providing better feedback by accurately assessing how students meet the set course milestone as well as the objectives (Long, 2015). As a result, Kentucky was able to give its students the opportunity to prove that they have mastered the concept taught through the course and they are ready to move to the next level (Long, 2015). Apart from Kentucky, Fairfax Country Public School adopted the standards-based grading in 2013 to determine its effectiveness in evaluating the performance of elementary school students (Long, 2015). Although introducing the new grading system was initially confusing to learners, teachers, and parents, it turned out that it is better than the A-F grades because it gave the school the opportunity to track the progress of every student. It also encouraged students to be interested in learning. As a result, because of the positive outcome, Fairfax decided to embrace the standards-based grading system fully.
Also, the standard-based grading is better than awarding letter grades to students because it gives room for students to be rewarded based on their participation and effort, which is likely to increase the interest in learning. It is not beneficial to grade learners using a single assignment or examination while ignoring their participation during the course (Schinske & Tanner, 2014). The A-F grading system is insensitive to the fact that students have different learning styles and capability. It does not factor in the diversity of students in the classroom (Spencer, 2017). On the contrary, the standard-based grading system accommodates students with different learning styles while it sets attainable goals. At the same time, the standard-based grading system is beneficial to teachers because it gives them the opportunity to meet the specific goals of learners. Therefore, schools that have tried the standards-based grading have realized that letter or numerical grades do not matter in the current learning environments. Learners should be subjected to holistic evaluation and awarding specific grades should be ignored to enhance learners’ interest in learning and acquiring knowledge (Schinske & Tanner, 2014). Standard-based grading is one of the best solutions to the letter or numerical grading scales that have proved to be ineffective in achieving the goals and objectives of education.
One of the main reasons why grades do no matter is because the grading process is solely left in the hands of teachers and tutor and the input of learners is ignored. As a result, this may be a challenge because of the possibility of implicit bias and some errors made by teachers during the grading process. Thus, it is possible that a grade does not reflect the true academic performance of a student. There is a high possibility that a student is over-graded or under-graded. However, the problem can be solved when schools embrace self and peer evaluation. Currently, the teaching techniques are moving away from the instructor-centered to collaborative strategies that can meet the specific learning needs of the 21st-century learners (Schinske & Tanner, 2014). Teachers and learners now collaborate during the learning process. The same trend should be adopted during the grading process where learners work together with teachers to determine the best grade for every student. Self-evaluation techniques like self-reflection should be used when grading learners. At the same time, peer evaluation should be used to grade learners. For instance, schools should use peer review techniques to assess the performance of learners in the classroom. Self and peer evaluation are essential because they help in generating relevant feedback (Schinske & Tanner, 2014). Moreover, they can help students to gain metacognitive skills and be able to learn from their mistakes.
However, schools should recognize the fact that moving from letter or numerical grading to standard-based and reporting, including self and peer evaluation is not an easy task. First, people are always resistant to changes and schools must be ready to face any resistance to change, especially from parents and learners. For instance, Fairfax faced some opposition from parents when it decided to adopt a standards-based grading system in 2013 (Long, 2015). As a result, all relevant stakeholders should be involved during the change process to reduce resistance. Secondly, the new grading system that is adopted by schools should be able to meet the specific needs of learners. Only the grading system that is appropriate should be used to replace the traditional grades. For examples, in case a school wants to adopt the standards-based grading, the system must establish a clear link between curriculum and assessment.
In conclusion, it is clear that the grades no longer matter and many schools and institutions of higher learning have realized that and are gradually changing to standards-based grading and self and peer evaluation. The traditional numerical and letter grades do not accurately reflect the academic achievement of learners while the same time they are linked to the negative psychological and emotional impact on students. Grades also make some students to lose interest in learning. Thus, standards-based grading and self and peer evaluation can help in overcoming some of the problems that are associated with the traditional grading system. The grading system should encourage creativity and critical thinking among learners.
References
Anderson, J. (2017, August 17). The cases of eliminating letter grades. Quartz . Retrieved from https://qz.com/1038258/one-schools-strategy-to-raise-empathetic-and-self-motivated- citizens-ditch-grades/
Long, C. (2015, August 19). Are letter grades failing our students? NeaToday , Retrieved from http://neatoday.org/2015/08/19/are-letter-grades-failing-our-students/
Schinske, J., & Tanner, K. (2014). Teaching more by grading less (or differently). CBE—Life Sciences Education , 13 (2), 159-166.
Spencer, K. (2017, August 11). A New Kind of Classroom: No Grades, No Failing, No Hurry. The New York Times . Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/11/nyregion/mastery-based-learning-no-grades.html
