The author believes grades should be awarded for achievement of stated goals -- not for attendance, effort, self-concept improvement, or conflict avoidance. In a companion article, Neil Postman offers a different view. (Editor)

The speaker describes the El Paso approach to grade reports. The district has several different methods of reporting student progress. They include report cards every six weeks, an interim progress report for students who are doing unsatisfactory work or work that is not as good as could be expected, and parent conferences. (IRT)

Why do grades have to be given at all? (JH)

Describes a computer program called GRADER that aids the instructor of large or multi sections in recording student test scores, combining them with lab grades or other ratings and weighing each appropriately. (MLH)

A method of grading essay examinations that measures the credibility, quality, and volume of a student's answers is explained. Responses are marked either correct or incorrect and assigned a point value, using the system which is described. (Author/RAO)

Traditional grading practices are a source of anxiety and ambivalence for teachers from the elementary grades through college. The ambivalence stems from a conflict between the assumptions of traditional practice and modern educational purpose; however, criterion referenced evaluation has its own dangers. (Author/JC)

Demonstrates how to develop an examination on which each student contracts for his or her grade on each question. (DD)

A study compared different approaches for teaching proofreading to high school students. The 205 participants were from 12 classrooms in 9 high schools in Kentucky. Results revealed that students who receive proofreading instruction and are given a proofreading grade perform significantly better than those who do not receive a separate grade. (JOW)

Documents the process by which grades are assigned in a centrally-controlled, multiple-section course. Results of participant observation indicate that grades are determined by organizational processes instead of abilities or performance of either students or instructors. Concludes that knowledge of the rating process is essential to understanding…

This article provides two short microcomputer gradebook programs. The programs, written in BASIC for the IBM-PC and Apple II, provide statistical information about class performance and calculate grades either on a normal distribution or based on teacher-defined break points. (JDH)