Grades and Grading Practices: Obstacles to Improving Education and to Helping At-Risk Students

This second edition of Grades and Grading Practices not only contains updated and refreshed material on the problems caused by our current grading system, it also provides two additional chapters dealing with the present issues on assessment, standards, and social promotion. Designed to assist teachers, instructors, curriculum persons, and administrators who desire to implement cooperative thinking and problem-solving skills into the existing grading practices, this book calls attention to the obstacles that have been created. While poor grades may nudge some students to better performance, there are other students-low achievers-who are demoralized by poor grades, bringing about a variety of behavioral difficulties that have a negative effect on future incentive to learn. Good grades are motivating, but the only students who are motivated are those already getting good grades. Success is fundamental to achievement. Lack of success means lack of achievement. The failing grades are indicative of our failure to provide success for most students who receive them. This book explores the problems caused by grades and offers suggestions to improve the quality of American education.