Princeton’s Report Grapples with Grading Policy Issues
Princeton University took on a grading policy in 2004 which was meant to provide students “consistent grading standards in different departments” and “clear signals from their teachers about the difference between their good work and their very best work.” The policy suggested that each department give A-range grades for only 35% of course work.
In August 2014, a committee of Princeton faculty met to discuss the effects of the grading policy. The committee’s first recommendation? To do away with the “35% A-range” grading policy entirely.
As other articles discussed, the committee gave several reasons for its recommendation. First, standardizing grading across all the departments did not reveal much information on how well the students were actually doing. The grading policy also had a negative effect on majors like engineering, which usually had introductory classes with large enrollment.
The committee’s report also discussed student anxiety and comments from surveys about the policy:
“I have experience[d] multiple negative effects from the grading policy. Because of grade deflation it has been extremely hard to find any kind of collaborative environment in any department and class I have taken at Princeton. Often even good friends of mine would refuse to explain simple concepts that I might have not understood in class for fear that I would do better than them.”
On the other hand, the report noted that the grading policy had little effect on job placement or graduate school admissions.