Are Letter Grades Failing Our Students?
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According to a recent study, letter grades are failing our students. Results from the study found that students perform no better on tests when they receive letter grades instead of numeric grades.
The study, conducted by the Consortium for Policy Research in Education, sampled students from grades 3 to 8 in three states. Researchers found that students in the grades who got letter grades did not perform better on state-mandated tests than students who received numeric grades.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Sandra Stotsky, said that the findings suggest that “systems that give letter grades in place of numeric grades are not doing the students any favors.” She added that “instead of providing a simple indication of how well a student has performed on a test, letter grades can be confusing and frustrating.”
Stotsky’s findings echo those of a Harvard study published in 2009. That study, conducted by researchers at Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania, found that students performed no better on math tests when they got letter grades instead of numeric grades.
Supporters of the use of letter grades argue that they provide a more accurate picture of a student’s progress than numeric grades. Letter grades, they say, are more specific and give a better indication of a student’s ability to learn.
Others argue that letter grades are ineffective and can actually harm a student’s academic career. They say that students who get letter grades often feel like they are not doing as well as their classmates who receive numeric grades, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy and lower confidence.
Which side of the debate do you think is right? Is the use of letter grades failing our students, or are they providing a more accurate picture of their academic progress?