Discusses a recent survey on grading practices in legal education, with particular emphasis on clinical instruction. The author believes that pass/fail grading is not adequate for clinical experiences and suggests ways in whichh to implement more precise evaluating methods. (PG)

The article describes a recent survey by a committee of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), which attempted to determine the current attitudes of various private schools toward pass/fail grading. While there have been no concrete results as yet, the committee will continue to gather information. (Author/JB)

A large number of medical schools have discontinued the use of letter and number grades and have adopted pass-fail or honors-pass-fail grading systems. The relationship of academic performance with the selection of first-year residents for a university-based program in internal medicine is examined. (MLW)

Data from two standard-setting exercises were analyzed using the logistic regression model that assumes no variation in severity of raters, and results were compared with those obtained by logistic regression that allowed for severity variation. Results illustrate the importance of taking between-rater differences into account. (SLD)

Two procedures for classifying examinees into categories, one based on the sequential probability ratio test (SPRT) and the other on sequential Bayes methodology, were compared to determine which required fewer items for classification. Results showed that the SPRT procedure requires fewer items to achieve the same accuracy level. (SLD)

Standard setting on licensure and certification tests is difficult both to execute and to defend. There may, however, be certain minimum standards for standard setting on which most will be able to agree. One such standard is logical consistency. M. T. Kane (1984, 1986) has suggested an approach to evaluating the logical consistency of one widely…

Presents a study to determine what trends were common and what differences could be identified in percentage of degrees granted with honors. Concludes that institutions must either move into a pass-fail approach with no honors, or return to a more dedicated approach to student evaluation. (Author/PG)

The contract system where the student makes his own decision about the grade he desires and then works toward the achievement of that goal is examined. Five pass/fail assignments for a U.S. history course are suggested as possible student tasks. (DE)

The present studies were designed to gather data on student preferences for p-f grading and to determine some of the characteristics of students whoprefer one system over another. (Author)

Research supported by a National Science Foundation Institutional Grant.

The validity of traditional grading practices is currently under study at Grossmont College. This report was undertaken as a working base for a committee to study the grading policy. Arguments both for and against traditional grading methods are presented in outline form. The arguments are taken from pertinent journal articles or books that are…

Grades and other record evaluations should serve at least three functions: (1) they should communicate to the student how well and in what ways expected academic competencies and skills are being developed; (2) they are to be used within the college for advisory purposes, for granting admission to certain courses and programs, and for decisions on…

Pass-fail grading is discussed from the standpoints of its ineffectiveness as well as its potential. It is believed that pass-fail students are experiencing the same things that they do in their graded courses, and that pass-fail experiments must be based on a model that constitutes a departure from traditional learning and teaching. A programmed…