American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) is developing guidance on a range of topics in support of institutions of higher education need to adjust, review and consider many of their practices in light of the impact of COVID-19 on normal operations. To help develop this guidance and the members understanding of…

The unique nature of 2020 had the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) focusing on creating more benchmarking changes in practice and policy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and less on its surveys or other projects. However, they also engaged with the American Council on Education (ACE) in a large…

This guidance focuses on how school districts in Washington state can plan and respond to the challenges of the 2020-21 school year, specific to closing equity gaps in dual credit access and success and postsecondary transitions. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the significant inequities inside of education systems that districts across the…

Grade inflation is harmful to students as well as faculty. Faculty should not have to fear that honest grading may result in job loss. Students who truly deserve A grades also are negatively impacted when they receive the same grade as students who submit good but not superior work. At the very least, it is a disincentive for students to work to…

Research was undertaken to determine whether comparable grading standards are used in evaluating student performance at two-year community colleges and four-year universities. Examination of academic records of 417 students who took college level math at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in fall 2009 compared the performance of those who…

For nearly 40 years, AACRAO has published the Self-Assessment, and this 185-page update will provide a cost effective and simple way to evaluate your office operations by stimulating thought, encouraging self-reflection, and evaluating policies and procedures. The Assessment is arranged by topical area with chapters addressing most basic registrar…

The chronic academic underperformance and student failure of most American urban high schools are actually created by the antiquated way that schools evaluate student academic performance and award (or deny) course credits. When the school leaders in a small inner-city high school in Chicago began to question the "received wisdom" of…

After retiring from teaching basic engineering in a community college, the author has spent time thinking about his experiences and reviewing what he learned. From his reflections on teaching, he has selected two considerations that he believes should be student rights. These are: (1) the student right to place evaluations on the transcript; and…

AACRAO's new publication "Current Trends in Grades and Grading Practices in Higher Education: Results of the 2004 AACRAO Survey" continues the tradition of surveying grading practices in higher education first begun in 1920. Although much has changed in the world of academia since, grades have remained a central feature. This consistent importance…

Takes a positive view of assigning scholastic grades to students. Advances several reasons why grades are beneficial. (HMV)

The diversity of grade reporting systems at the undergraduate level was studied at 24 of Canada's largest universities. The survey included English-speaking universities in all provinces. The grade reporting systems were divided into two main groups: those that report percentage equivalents of various grades (9 universities); and those that report…

Proposes a grading system that combines traditional, absolute grading with a relative, percentile rank. (MLH)

True, failures do not guarantee a poor future for students, but only Pollyanna can exclude all but virtues. (Author)

To overcome the many shortcomings in the present single grade system, a grading system is proposed that will allow separate reports with different reference points. (Author)