Making Sense of College Grades

An insightful look at a major fault in higher education

Making Sense of College Grades: Why the Grading System Does Not Work and What Can be Done About It explores the phenomenon of grading in U.S. higher education, and exposes the systemic faults and cultural baggage that ultimately work against education. From the nation's first recorded grade point average through current practices and policies, this detailed exploration of grades as both motivators and measures of success offers unique insight into today's higher education standards.

Foreword ix

Preface xiii

The Authors xxi

1. Grades and Grading: A Tradition of Inconstant Standards 1

2. Contexts for Understanding the Meanings of Grades 24

3. Current Attitudes About Grades: The National Survey 52

4. What Employers and Faculty Members Think About Grades 80

5. Students' and Parents' Attitudes Towards Grades 96

6. Learning for Grades Versus Learning For Its Own Sake 124

7. What Grade-and Learning-Oriented Students Think About and Do in College Classes 150

8. Different Students View the Same Grade Differently 176

9. What to Do About Grading Practices 201

Appendix A 227

Appendix B 239

Appendix C 266

Appendix D 267

References 271

Index 281

Ohmer Milton and Howard R. Pollio are the authors of Making Sense of College Grades: Why the Grading System Does Not Work and What Can be Done About It, published by Wiley.