Could Standard Grading Practices Be Counterproductive?

By Paul Barnwell

Imagine the following scenario: Valerie gets her report card back on a day when palpable excitement and fear surge through the school as students bustle back to homeroom in the afternoon. She is relieved—straight A’s, as usual—and goes on her way. Valerie is a responsible student—some might label her a “teacher pleaser.” She completes most of her homework, despite struggling a bit on exams.

In another classroom, Jonathan gets his report card from his homeroom teacher, and his hands tremble as he unfolds the paper. A few C’s, a few D’s, and one F—and this despite the fact that he scored high on his tests in all subjects. Jonathan usually did not turn in homework, and was lazy at times in class. Yet he demonstrated mastery of the content.

With these scenes in mind, please consider the following: What do grades mean? More important, what should they mean? Should they be emphasized in our schools as much as they are?