What do grades mean? Variation in grading criteria in American college and university courses

ABSTRACT

This study examined differences in the criteria used by college and university instructors in the United States to assign course grades. Two hundred and fifty course syllabi (159 from universities and 91 from four-year colleges) developed by randomly selected instructors from five academic disciplines (education, maths, science, psychology, and English) were examined to determine the extent to which instructors employed different criteria in assigning course grades in introductory-level courses. Sources of variation in grade assignment included the use of product versus process criteria, the prevalence of using performance exams, and the framing criteria for grades. Differences between institution types and among academic disciplines were also investigated. Results revealed significant differences among the five academic disciplines in grading criteria and the use of examinations, with instructors in education and English relying more heavily on process criteria.. A significant interaction between institution type and academic discipline in grading criteria was also identified. Theoretical, practical, and policy implications are discussed along with avenues for further research.

KEYWORDS:

• Grading
• product
• process
• syllabi
• criteria

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. The data upon which the findings of this study are based are available on request from the corresponding author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Anastasiya A. Lipnevich

Anastasiya A. Lipnevich,Ph.D., is Professor of Educational Psychology at Queens College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York. Her research interests include instructional feedback, formative assessment, attitudes towards mathematics, alternative ways of cognitive and non-cognitive assessment, and the role of psychosocial characteristics in individuals’ academic and life achievement.

Thomas R. Guskey

Thomas R. Guskey, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus in the College of Education, University of Kentucky. His research focuses on professional learning, education reform, teacher change, assessment and grading. His most recent books include: Get Set, Go! Creating Successful Grading and Reporting Systems (2020, Solution Tree) and What We Know About Grading: What Works, What Doesn’t, and What’s Next? (with S. Brookhart, 2019, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development).

Dana M. Murano

Dana M. Murano, Ph.D., is a Research Scientist in ACT’s Learning Division. She completed her PhD in Educational Psychology with a specialisation in Learning, Development, and Instruction at the City University of New York. Her research focuses primarily on the development and assessment of social and emotional skills in students.

Jeffrey K. Smith

Jeffrey K. Smith, Ph.D., is Professor and Dean of the College of Education at the University of Otago in New Zealand. From 1976 to 2005, he was a Professor at Rutgers University. He has also served as Head of the Office of Research and Evaluation at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. He received his A.B. degree from Princeton University and his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.