Accuracy, Fairness, and Respect: The Case for Simple A,B,C,D,F Grading

By Douglas Reeves*

June 28, 2021

Introduction:  The traditional 4-point scale, with A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, and F=0, has been used throughout the almost 400-year history of public education in the United States.   This article establishes the rationale that the traditional system, not the “new” system of the 100-point scale established in the early 1900’s, is the most accurate, fair, and respectful way to grade students

Accuracy:  In order for a grade to be accurate, it must reflect student achievement based on state academic standards.  Accuracy is based on performance, not points.  The principle of accuracy rejects the common practice that, with a few extra points on the 100-point scale, a student can move from a B to an A with extra credit points rather than demonstrating the performance required for an A grade. The principle of accuracy is also responsive to the demand for “real world” grades for students entering college, or the work force.  No student makes the Dean’s List and no employee is promoted based on meaningless extra credit points.  It’s performance, not points, that matters. For example, consider the student practices throughout the track season, working hard, making mistakes, getting feedback from the coach, and then, after respecting and applying that feedback, wins the track championship.  The officials at the state finals do not take away that student’s medal because she made mistakes in practice, but rather award the gold medal at the time the race was run. The same example is true for computer programmers, musicians, writers, and every other field.  It’s how we finish the race that counts, not the mistakes made in practice.

Fairness:  In order for a system to be fair, it must be consistent.  Imagine a high school basketball season in which at every away game, the shape of the ball, the dimensions of the court, the numbers of players on the field, and every other rule was changing.  What would the players do?  They would say that the game is unfair and very likely stop playing this unfair game. This is precisely what happens when the same students with the same homework, quizzes, class participation, and tests would achieve widely different grades.  In studies involving more than 10,000 teachers and administrators, the same student with the same homework, quizzes, and tests, could have grades ranging from A to F[1].This the reason that., when asked how they achieved a grade, the most common student responses are “I don’t know” or “She didn’t like me.”   Those responses are not reflective a fair and accurate grading system. 

Respect:  Teachers deserve respect. There are two sorts of conversations that happen at the end of every grading period. The disrespectful conversation sounds like this. “Gee, Ms. Jackson, how many points do I need to get to move from a B+ to and A-?  I’ll do anything, or my Mom and Dad will kill me!”  Thus begins the point game, in which negotiation, rather than proficiency, becomes the basis for grades.  A more respectful conversation sounds like this: “How can I move from a B to an A?” The teacher responds, “You submitted a fine essay that showed a claim, arguments, evidence, and conclusions.  That was strong B-level work.  But if you want to earn an A, you need to have a claim and counter-claim, evidence, and opposing evidence, and then conclude your essay with an evaluation of the two sides of the argument with an evaluation of the credibility of the alternative evidence.”  The student may respond with greater work and insight, or the student way say, “But earning an A is a lot of work!” and thus settle for a B.  In this scenario, an A really means something, and students who think that playing the point game is more important than actual performance are able to learn that it is performance, not points, that matters most. 

*Dr. Reeves is the author of more than 40 books and 100 articles, several of which are focused on grading.He has worked in 50 states and more than 40 countries.He can be reached at CreativeLeadership.net, @DouglasReeves, or 781.710.9633

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[1] Reeves, D.B. (2017) Elements of Grading (2nd Edition), Bloomington: Solution Tree Press.