There has been a great deal of controversy about the value of grades and much of it has been negative. Yet grades perform several valuable functions. They provide the student with a sense of how good his general performance has been and can help him decide whether or not to continue in certain subject areas or, in the larger context, whether to…

This report is the result of a study in the fall of 1971 of equivalency testing in English for entering freshmen in California state colleges. The author argues that equivalency testing must satisfy two conditions: (1) the tests should be college level ones, valid for their stated purposes and properly normed, and (2) the tests should be…

Compares four different scoring systems in a study of 103 subjects answering a 20 item multiple choice test. Three of the four systems uses a weighted response technique, giving credit for partial knowledge. This seemed to have a significant effect on final grades and gave a more accurate grade representation. (MA)

Describes a certain procedure, devised by the instructor, to speed up his grading of homework assignments for a general physics course. (GA)

Describes the combined efforts of a writing specialist and a professor of sociology to develop criteria for grading papers in an introductory sociology class. The endeavor was an attempt to find a less time-consuming and less subjective method of grading papers. (Author/AV)

The effect of grade inflation on the reliability of undergraduate grade point averages at a university was examined. It was shown that there has been some decline in reliability, but this is ameliorated by the use of plus and minus attachments to grades. (JKS)

The parent/teacher conference contributes to a better understanding for both of a student's performance at school. (MM)

Investigates empirically, for a sample of university examinations in engineering, the influence of examination length on reliability and discrimination. (Author)

A search of recent literature appears to suggest that students required to take remedial-type work in college, such as reading and study skills, may be more highly motivated and perform better academically if they are working for a traditional letter grade rather than for a pass-fail type of mark. (Author)

Low-level content and cheating are two problems that are serious threats to the personalized system of instruction (PSI). The use of behavioral objectives can reduce book-boundness and consequently raise the level of course content. To prevent cheating in PSI courses, rigorous checks on proctor grading must be built into courses. (RM)

A procedure derived from classical test theory analyzes course grades and report results to assess third-year clerkships at a midwestern medical school. The procedure is sensitive to a large range of characteristics of the courses and is a promising supplement to student course evaluations in studying curriculum change. (SLD)

Explains that peer evaluation in news writing courses is an effective way to increase the amount of information provided to student writers without adding to an instructor's grading load. Suggests several feedback structures, including source questionnaires, grading grids, and directed peer evaluation guides. (MM)

The A to F grading pattern is a highly subjective practice that demands great expertise and assumes a high degree of test validity. This article discusses the merits of extra credit assignments, homework, and "pop" quizzes; outlines defensible grading procedures; and discusses common grading problems, such as using grades as weapons. (MLH)

A method for statistically removing interrater grading inconsistency as a source of bias is presented and a study using this technique is described. Assumptions, techniques, and practical considerations are also discussed. (Author/MSE)

Working parties established by the Secondary Examinations Council are devising grade-related criteria for use with the new General Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (GCSE). The aim is to produce in each subject a set of performance criteria covering GCSE grades A-G. The work of the physics group is discussed. (JN)