What Is Grading in School?
In education, grading is the process of evaluating student performance in a subject using standard metrics. Grades can be represented in different ways as percentages, letters (A-F), or numbers out of an expected total (like commonly 0/100). These systems of evaluation vary worldwide.
History of grading system?
Back in 500 B.C., students were given tests, but at that time, no official way of evaluation existed. Harvard University, in the middle of the 1600s, began asking for exit exams to evaluate students. The evaluation at that time was not graded with letters.
In 1785, Yale University was the first known to adopt the student grading system in the US. This was discovered when some historians found the diary of the president Ezra Stiles, after examining 58 seniors. Then in 1837, Yale University converted to a different system, with 4 points, and this is supposed to be the beginning of the American GPA Scale.
Mount Holyoke College was the first to use the A-D/F system back in 1897. This method gained popularity back in the 1940s, and just 67% of American elementary and secondary schools were using it.
Importance of grading
Grades are crucial because they give a learning structure, Impact decisions for career, serve as a tool for performance evaluation, and help professors on knowing in which fields students need more assistance. Colleges and institutions use grades to assess students’ academic performance. Also, used by the parents to monitor their child’s progress. Students use the grading system to know in which state they are in a subject. They use them to evaluate their work and to know where to focus more to get better grades.
Types of grading scales
Letter Grades:
- Commonly used grades are A stands for excellent, B for good, C for average, D for poor, and F for failed.
- Grades may also include plus (+) or minus (-) variations ( A+, B, C-).
- Some systems also include letter grades like E (equivalent to F), though “E” is not common in the US.
Numerical Grades:
- Student achievement is represented by numerical grades, which are often percentages.
- A typical grading system would provide points in the range of 90–100% for an A, 80–89% for a B, and so on.
- Grade points, such as 4.0 for A, 3.0 for B, and so forth, are converted from percentage grades in some systems.
Pros and Cons of Grading Systems
Every student for his work throughout the entire course is evaluated with a grade. This grades have advantages and disadvantages. Grades can provide a clear goal for progress, showing areas that require work to improve and make comparison easier. On the other hand, they can also cause stress, may not show a person’s true effort or understanding, and can lead to unhealthy competition.
Pros :
- Shows how you are doing
- Helps find what you are good at
- Helps to find what needs work
- Makes it easy to compare
- Helps you make choices
- Encourages responsibility
- Gives helpful feedback
Cons :
- Stress and Anxiety
- Focuses on Memorizing Instead of Understanding
- Can Make You Feel Less Motivated
- Can Cause Unhealthy Competition
- Doesn’t Show Everything You Know
How to Calculate Your Final Grade
To figure out your final grade, first find out how much each part of your course weights for exams, assignments, projects. Then, multiply your score in each part by its weight. Add up all those results, and finally, divide by the total weight (usually 100% or 1) to get your overall grade. Below you will have a step-by-step calculation of the grade that also is how is calculated on the Grade Calculator.
Step-by-step calculation of the grade
We suppose that the exam weights 50% and you score is 80%, assignments 30% and your score is 90% and the projects weights 20% and your score is 70%.
Step 1: Multiply each score by its weight as a decimal
Exam: 80% x 0.50 = 40
Assignments: 90% x 0.30 = 27
Project: 70% x 0.20 = 14
Step 2: Add all these weighted scores together
Final Grade : 40 + 27 + 14 = 81 %
Trying to monitor and keeping track your grades is the key to success. Our Grade Calculator helps you to easily see how you’re doing in each course and shows your current grade. It’s a great way to understand your progress and figure out where you might need to focus more to improve.
If you need help with grading, try our free tools! They’re perfect for students, teachers, and parents and no math skills needed. We provide a variety of tools including the Grade Calculator and Final Grade Calculator, below you find 2 of them beside the ones you have seen. Also, if you need any calculator that you don’t find online please contact us so we can create it.