Grading Standards

Here are the percentage cutoffs that I use for determining letter grades.
Average Grade
93-100 A
90-93 A-
87-90 B+
83-87 B
80-83 B-
77-80 C+
73-77 C
70-73 C-
60-70 D
below 60F

Percentage grades are rounded off to the nearest whole number, and if you are just on the edge, you will receive the higher letter grade.

Curving

Sometimes everyone in a class deserves an A. Sometimes no one does. The classic curve requires me to give as many Fs as As, as many Ds as Bs, and the bulk of the grades will be Cs. Furthermore, the philosophy of curving says that there is no absolute standard of performance, but that as long as you do better than your classmates, you deserve a good grade, even if you have not mastered the material. Instead, I believe that a grade of A should mean excellent performance and complete mastery of the material. Consequently, I don't curve.

Mistakes

I try hard to be consistent and fair, but I am not infallible. If you think that I (or the teaching assistant) have made a mistake in grading a homework, program, test, or whatever, come and discuss it with me. You must logically argue that it is a mistake or is inconsistent, and not just plead for extra points.

Such discussions must be done in private in my office. I don't discuss individual grades during class, even if we are going over a test or anything else I have just handed back.

Graded Work

You should keep all your graded work until after the semester is over and you have received your final grade. It sometimes happens that I mis-record one of a student's grades, and if you have kept your graded work, such clerical errors can be fixed.

Interim Performance

Students often ask how they are doing during the semester. In a way, this question puzzles me: you know what the grading standard is, you know the grades you've gotten so far, so you can calculate your current grade yourself. If you don't know how to calculate your grade, read this.

Since the Fall of 1998, I have been using an online database for recording your grades. This database has a web interface, so you can check your grades over the web. Since you can check your grades at any time, I expect you to keep track of how you're doing. Be sure to read the directions.

Extra Credit

Students who are doing badly often ask me for an extra credit assignment, but that's not fair to other students in the class. The way to improve your grade is to study hard and do better on the upcoming tests and assignments. I'm happy to help you do that.


Scott D. Anderson
Last modified: Sunday, January 28, 2001 at 21:29 EST