Honestly, it should be like

A = 80-100%
B = 60-79%
C = 40-59%
D = 20-39%
F = 0-19%

That way, things are equally distributed and thus more fair. And I'd pass a lot more classes that way (along with an increase in my GPA). Don't YOU think life would be a lot easier that way?

I’ve seen something like this - the instructor graded on a curve. The exams were extremely hard so that only 1-3 people could get an A and most got somewhere around 50-60%.

It would have been nice to have the scale without the difficulty

[unaluna]

You just gave every catholic grade school kid from the 1960's on here a heart attack! And the nuns that taught them!

[ReptileInYourHead]

So even if you got a C, you could still fail?
Do you really require further letter grades below the failing line? What’s the point, you failed, wether it’s with a c minus or a d or an f, rather redundant don’t you think?

If you are saying that those who get 20% should be able to pass and get a D, I think that is ridiculous. I would not want a doctor who passed their degree by getting 20% of the things they learned correctly.

I'll put it this way. School should be easy so we could have a life. It's impossible to do the fun stuff when you're studying all the time just for a mediocre grade.

Originally Posted by ruby2011

I'll put it this way. School should be easy so we could have a life. It's impossible to do the fun stuff when you're studying all the time just for a mediocre grade.

School honestly isn't too bad, if you attend lectures, study and do your assignments. If someone is not able to pass, then they honestly are not qualified enough to receive the degree they are going for. It may sound harsh, but it's just the truth. Would you really want a doctor, nurse, or therapist who only knew 20% of the necessary material?

Make school super easy for people, and we will get unqualified people in all jobs.

[ReptileInYourHead]

What level of schooling are you in ruby?

[divine1966]

If C is average, are you saying it’s ok to know only 40% of the material? You can’t be serious.

In what way should school be easy? So doctors should get an easy education? Would you be ok with doctors who know 50% of the material operating on you? Or engineer knowing 50% and having fun in school designing your car?

I am not sure what you mean by these suggestions

I have heard of some countries doing away with grades and homework because they believe kids should be kids and have a life, and not feel badly or favored. They are instead graded on comprehension. Pass / fail.

[unaluna]

Read the short story by Kurt Vonnegut or watch the movie based on it: "Harrison Bergeron". We wouldnt want anybody to feel bad if somebody else gets a better grade.

Originally Posted by unaluna

Read the short story by Kurt Vonnegut or watch the movie based on it: "Harrison Bergeron". We wouldnt want anybody to feel bad if somebody else gets a better grade.

That sounds interesting and creepy, lol.

I still like the idea of pass / fail though (and no homework! lol). It doesn't seem dystopian to me. At the same time, I don't know enough about it in terms of implementing it. If the reasoning behind not wanting to change is that kids should have a thicker skin, suck it up and deal, I think that's kind of a ridiculous reason.

[unaluna]

Originally Posted by starrysky

That sounds interesting and creepy, lol.

I still like the idea of pass / fail though (and no homework! lol). It doesn't seem dystopian to me. At the same time, I don't know enough about it in terms of implementing it. If the reasoning behind not wanting to change is that kids should have a thicker skin, suck it up and deal, I think that's kind of a ridiculous reason.

I read something recently in the new yorker magazine that the goal of parenthood should be to bring out a child's capabilities. At one of my school reunions, i was talking to a boy who never did well in school, but was now a successful company owner. He was like, those nuns always made me feel so bad, but look at me now! Another boy had an amazing singing voice, but because he was "bad", we never knew. Whereas, the two top boys in class? both got into legal trouble.

Hopefully the internet will change things. Altho, if we always depend on machines to do stuff and KNOW stuff for us, do we put ourselves at risk?

[eskielover]

I sure wouldn't want an MD who just squeeked by on a pass/fail system. At college level one should put in the same smount if work on school as they would a job. If it is NOT leading to a career then why waste the time or money?

These people who judt want to get by in life so thry can focus on fun have a serious priority problem & when the REAL working world hits & a project deadline requires an 80 hour work week ...what then? I designed & programmed a fly-by-wire data link that military planes used to fly. If I had the attitude that I just wanted to get by & have fun rather than work long hard hours, the plane using my program would have crashed into the ocean.

School should be done to the best of your ability. If your ability doesn't cut it then maybe one should look for a different path to getting work skills.

My husband had this attitude in college that he wasn't going to do work in classes where HE KNEW HE WAS SMARTER than the instructor. He graduated with a GPA unded 2.5 then was angry that the computer department at the bank he worked for during college wouldn't hire him because of his LOW GPA. He said his GPA didn't reflect what he was capable of doing BUT it did reflect his crappy attitude of not doing work he felt was beneath him & companies want people who will do the work they are given & expected to do for the success of the company which in turn keeps the job position.

We should put our best into everything we do in life whether it takes lots of hard wo.rk or not

[divine1966]

Is this thread about elementary age children or about college bound seniors or college students? It would determine where this conversation is going.

Originally Posted by eskielover

I sure wouldn't want an MD who just squeeked by on a pass/fail system.

Makes sense, lol.

We should put our best into everything we do in life whether it takes lots of hard wo.rk or not

I agree.

80% for an A??? What world is this?

In my day...

A < 89%
B < 80%
C+ < 67%
C = conditional pass
D = fail
E = failure to complete

Originally Posted by divine1966

Is this thread about elementary age children or about college bound seniors or college students? It would determine where this conversation is going.

The answer is also dependent on the grading system in question; for example a fail on a 'percentile' system could be as high as 75 percentile, where as a bell curve could take into account a difficult course with a very low average score and adjust the grades accordingly.

[eskielover]

If the very difficult course is your major & you want a career in it you better excell. I sure don't want an engineer making decisions in building a bridge I drive on having had their grades adjusted for the difficult course. If you can't cut it maybe find an easier major

[divine1966]

Originally Posted by justafriend306

The answer is also dependent on the grading system in question; for example a fail on a 'percentile' system could be as high as 75 percentile, where as a bell curve could take into account a difficult course with a very low average score and adjust the grades accordingly.

I wouldn’t like my doctors’ scores adjusted on a bell curve when he was in medical school. I want my doctor to have all As.

That’s why I asked what educational level are we discussing? I wouldn’t want my college grades adjusted or taking in account difficulty of the course. If I had C in calculus and math is my major (for example, hypothetically) adjusting it to A or B would serve no purpose at all.

Not everyone can do well. That’s a reality of life