Access to pass/fail grading was liberalized for courses designed to be delivered in-person but moved online due to social distancing caused by the COVID-19 pandemic at many universities in the spring 2020 semester. There was little research to inform liberalizing access to pass/fail grading as a tool to support student performance and persistence…

This paper explores the attitudes of undergraduate language learners and their lecturers towards the introduction of an attendance policy in an Irish Higher Education Institution. It also analyses the relationship between the introduction of this policy and student performance (average grade) and progression (pass rates). The policy was introduced…

Institutions of higher education commonly employ a conjunctive standard setting strategy, which requires students to resit failed examinations until they pass all tests. An alternative strategy allows students to compensate a failing grade with other test results. This paper uses regression discontinuity design to compare the effect of first-year…

College students' categorical perceptions of numeric and alphabetic grades were examined by assigning participants to one of four conditions: numeric grades alphabetic grades, numeric non-grades and alphabetic non-grades. They were then asked to give ratings for each possible grade or non-grade, using a 10-point scale. Factor analysis revealed…

The inclusion of college preparation programs promote and forecast academic success in postsecondary studies among individual at-risk, African American urban high school students. Past research has shown ongoing, college acceptance, performance, and graduation gaps between at-risk, African American urban high school students when compared to…

The following report of descriptive statistics addresses the matriculating class of 2001-2007 according to their Law School Admission Council (LSAC) index. Generally, this report will offer information on the first time bar and ultimate performance on the Bar Exam of TMSL students. In addition, graduating GPA according to the LSAC index will also…

This retrospective study was conducted to examine the relationship between selected variables and performance on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Data were collected from one hundred twenty graduates of a baccalaureate program; graduates completed either the traditional four-year track or an accelerated…

FROM INFORMATION OBTAINED BY QUESTIONNAIRES FROM 20 OF 25 PROVOSTS OR ACADEMIC VICE-PRESIDENTS, THIS SURVEY REPORT OUTLINES MAIN FEATURES OF THE PASS-FAIL OPTION AS OFFERED AT NINE COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES AND THE EXTENT TO WHICH SUCH AN OPTION IS BEING CONSIDERED BY OTHER SCHOOLS. WHILE CONSIDERABLE VARIATION IN SPECIFIC PASS-FAIL PROGRAMS IS…

Students utilizing their pass-fail options took more total hours and in addition, earned a higher quarterly gradepoint average than eligible students enrolled exclusively in A-F hours. (Authors)

More schools are applying a diversity of new grading innovations, with complete elimination of the failure concept as the emerging pattern. (Editor/IR)

This study investigated the validity of the assumption that pass-fail courses correlate with less academic achievement and considered other factors relevant to the basic justification for the pass-fail system. (Author/RK)

Presented in this document are 5 papers concerning nontraditional grading systems and their acceptance. Nontraditional grading practices such as the pass/fail or pass/no credit systems are being used in some fashion in many American colleges and universities today. However, most of these institutions limit considerably the amount of credit that…