Research studies show that students' grades are more predictive than test scores of their future academic success, including high school and post-secondary outcomes. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) recognizes the importance of grades through its longstanding "Bs or Better" campaign. Yet within CPS, boys' grades are consistently lower than…

Description of a process for solving human performance problems focuses on the analysis phase, which examines information to determine causes and develops recommendations for solving the problems. Techniques used for gathering data are described, criteria for evaluating ideas are listed, and weighted scores for performance improvement ideas are…

The traditional system of letter grades discourages college-bound students from taking difficult courses. Many colleges look closely at an applicant's grade point average (GPA). When a student's GPA is computed, a grade from an easy course carries as much weight as a grade from a difficult course. Since a student can achieve a higher grade with…