Is "C" the new "F"?

Does anyone remember when a “C” was average?  And that was okay?  When I first learned about grades in Elementary and Middle School that was the common narrative.  A’s were exceptional.  B’s were good.  C’s were okay.  D’s were passing.  But then something changed.   When I started high school in 1997, my parents, teachers and peers placed a lot more emphasis on grades.  There was a broad consensus: If you want to go to college, grades count. 

At the same time, high marks became the norm.  Starting in the 1990’s, teachers began to give more A’s and less C’s.  In fact, from 1990 to 2008, the number of A’s increased from 30% to 43% of the grades given while C’s decreased from 20% to 15%.  During this time the number of students between the ages of 16 and 24 enrolled in a four-year college increased from 60% to 70%.

The result has been a generation of college students – primarily white, middle class students -- who view A’s as the norm, B’s as unsatisfactory, and C’s as failure.   Myself included. 

More and more, I find that students expect A’s…regardless of the quality of their work.  Why? Because they receive A’s regardless of the quality of their work…Or, at least B’s.  I know faculty who use grading rubrics that begin at 70%.  That means as long as a student hands in an assignment, they will receive a “C”. 

I’m at fault too.  I rarely fail students who hand in assignments on time.  If a student delivers a legible, original, on topic paper, they usually receive a B.  For better or worse, emphasis falls on effort as much as execution.  

As a teacher, I spend a lot of time thinking about grades.  Every semester, I ask the same questions: What is the best way to evaluate my students?  How do we define success in the classroom? How can I help students strive for success? And every semester I find myself confronting the same dilemma: how do I balance evaluation with student expectations?  And with my own expectations. 

After all, my own success is measured by how well the students do.  In an ideal world, every student will meet the course objectives and receive an A…right? 

I’ve adjusted my grading criteria to de-emphasize grades and highlight learning objectives.  I’ve increased the number of low-stakes assignments where students receive credit for completion rather than content.  I’ve replaced letter grades with a point system – 6/10, 7/10, 8/10, etc.  I’ve increased the number of graded assignments to reduce the pressure of any single assignment.  And I give my students every possible opportunity to make-up work or pursue extra-credit to increase their grades.

As a result, I give more A’s.  I also contribute to grade inflation.  I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.  But given the skewed bell-curve, it seems like a good time for colleges and universities to reevaluate the value of letter grades. 

Do you remember when you first started worrying about grades?  Comment below and share your experience.