ERIC Number: EJ1434301
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 34
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1557-3060
EISSN: EISSN-1557-3079
Available Date: N/A
Making the (Letter) Grade: The Incentive Effects of Mandatory Pass/Fail Courses
Kristin Butcher; Patrick J. McEwan; Akila Weerapana
Education Finance and Policy, v19 n3 p385-408 2024
In fall 2014, Wellesley College began mandating pass/fail grading for courses taken by first year, first-semester students, although instructors continued to record letter grades. We identify the causal effect of the policy on course choice and performance, using a regression discontinuity-in-time design. Students shifted to lower-grading science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses in the first semester, but did not increase their engagement with STEM in later semesters. Letter grades of first-semester students declined by 0.13 grade points, or 23 percent of a standard deviation. We evaluate causal channels of the grade effect -- including sorting into lower-grading STEM courses and declining instructional quality -- and conclude that the effect is consistent with declining student effort.
Descriptors: Pass Fail Grading, College Freshmen, Courses, Grades (Scholastic), Academic Records, Course Selection (Students), Influences, Academic Achievement, STEM Education, Learner Engagement, Achievement Gains, Teacher Effectiveness, Incentives
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Massachusetts
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A