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ABSTRACT
The following study explores the landscape of grading systems utilised in higher education, focusing on the frequency of different types of assessment scales (including Straight Letter, Plus/Minus, and other alternative policies). Although numerous studies have explored the relationship between university grading system and student behaviour, motivation, and overall perception of education experience, little research has been done to quantitatively analyse the number of colleges and universities that employ a specific grading policy. The present study addresses this gap in scholarship, using a sample of 620 schools from 12 states (and the District of Columbia) in the Northeast region of the USA. Results of the study find significant patterns of difference in the grading procedures across universities.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes on contributors
Steven B. Kleinman is assistant Professor, in the Department of Communications Media, Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Mary Beth Leidman (EdD, Vanderbilt University) is Professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Andrew J. Longcore is a graduate student in the Department of Communications Media at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Notes
1. It is important to note that while grading systems in US institutions have standardised in terms of following letter grades there is no mandate requiring it. Some colleges do not provide grades at all (e.g. Hampshire College, Antioch University), while still other colleges allow the students themselves to decide what grading system they wish to be assessed on (e.g. Brown University).
2. For a review of empirical research, see Bressette (Citation2002) and McClure and Spector (Citation2005).