STAR TREK

[Malthus]

For example, I once took Chinese language in university (bizzare idea I know, but I wanted a challenge). My class was filled with people who obviously knew at least some Chinese already (many of them premeds hoping for an easy mark). In terms of performance, they would easily score straight A's while I would work long hard hours to scrape even a passing grade - yet I consistently got better marks (much to their dismay): the teacher marked based on improvement, and since I started from nothing my improvement was vast compared to the others

Weird, I've never ran across that kind of grading since school. Which is a shame, would have helped my dabbles with languages...

In that context, it makes perfect sense though.

You cannot possibly grade a language class on a strictly relative scale if some of the people are starting off with a firm grasp of the language, and others have none. If the class level is appropriate for those who have none, then it is likely that those with a grasp are in the wrong class to begin with.

I dropped a Russian class for this exact reason. had about 30 people in the class (begining Russian for people with zero Russian), and it was taught by this grad student. About half or more of the class were obviously either native Russian speakers, or grew up in a home that spoke Russian, and the grad student taught at THEIR level. Lots of "Wow, you guys are really picking this up quickly! Lets move on!".

Mandatory language requirements for a bachelors of Science degree. Bull. Shit.

I dropped the class, and by the next semester they dropped the language requirements.

Heh it was kinda amusing in a sad sort of way to see a Chinese premed arguing angrily with the teacher - in Chinese - about getting a shittier mark in Chinese language than I; I could understand about one word in five of their argument. 

I think the problem was that these premeds were expected to take at least some non-med-related courses to be "well rounded". Naturally they chose stuff that they thought would be easy and devoted all their effort to their med-related courses, with the effect of pissing off the teachers of the courses they had chosen - taking Chinese when you already speak it, etc.

[Josquius]

Yeah that system sounds good. Just never encountered it.
Languages are indeed daft. I always wondered why you don't get more foreigners taking a class in their language for a easy A. Maybe they do raise the bar for them.

[Berkut]

I wanted to argue that if they could fulfill their "language requirement" by taking Russian, I should be allowed to fill mine by taking English.

[Neil]

Students who get only 50% of the points on a regular test of mine, though, get an F.  On geography tests, if they only get 80% of the points that is also an F.

If American geography classes are so difficult, how come Americans don't know where anything is?

[Ed Anger]

I like harassing my business and economics professors, back to school style.

[grumbler]

1. "I've never heard of the "Traditional US Grading Tutorial" (nor is it in google) nor have I ever (AFAICR) taken a course below college level that used anything like this scale."

2. "Kinda curious where you got it from" or

3. "This "modified" grading scale (it isn't a grading "method") is called the College Board Grading Scale and is used pretty much uniformly throughout the US."

Points 1 & 3. I made up the name, because I didn't know the formal names for them. Every public elementary school I've heard of in NJ, PA, and NY uses a combination of the 7-point scale and NS/S/E. Some of the private schools are switching to the CBGS format to try to show more As in testing.

If you regard "I've never heard of the "Traditional US Grading Tutorial" (nor is it in google) nor have I ever (AFAICR) taken a course below college level that used anything like this scale" to be incoherent, then I suggest some remedial reading courses.  if the "incoherent' part was the phrase "Traditional US Grading Tutorial" then a remedial writing course is suggested, as well.

If you regard "This "modified" grading scale (it isn't a grading "method") is called the College Board Grading Scale and is used pretty much uniformly throughout the US" as incoherent, then you need that reading comprehension course.

How, i don't have time to look at a bunch of school systems in NY, NJ, and PA, so you may be right.  Evidence, however, is against you.  Of the http://www.fairgrade.org/Facts.aspx?cat=13 44 "Top 100" high schools listed, 16 were in the states you listed as being knowledgeable about.  Four of the sixteen used non-standard grading scales.  Twleve of the sixteen used the grading scale I said was fairly universal in the US.  Zero used the grading scale you claimed that all of the schools you knew of used.  It is possible that you are just statistically unlucky in knowing only poor high schools, or it is possible that this sample (it isn't random) is not statistically significant, but it is also possible that you just made up your facts.

Point 2. My last two jobs kept me in touch with a LOT of public school teachers and principals across the country, and my grandmother teaching in PA has been griping about the format change for almost a year now.

Sorry about your grandma's discomfiture, but my job keeps me in touch with teachers, too, and most of them (and all of them in Florida, which has a state-mandated 10-point scale) disagree with your teachers.

So, I can match your anecdotes and stomp your stats.  Got anything else in your arnsenal, Mr. Reading Issues?

[garbon]

I love seeing Carrot taken to task by grumbler...it is about time.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Anybody still talking about Star Trek? I mean I find the intricacies of US grading exciting as all get out, but how about that movie?

[Malthus]

Anybody still talking about Star Trek? I mean I find the intricacies of US grading exciting as all get out, but how about that movie?

I'd rate it as B+.

Oh, wait ... 

[grumbler]

If American geography classes are so difficult, how come Americans don't know where anything is?

I only teach some 60 sophomores.  They know where things are.  I cannot answer for any of the other several millions of sophomores, nor for non-sophomores.

[Neil]

If American geography classes are so difficult, how come Americans don't know where anything is?

I only teach some 60 sophomores.  They know where things are.  I cannot answer for any of the other several millions of sophomores, nor for non-sophomores.

Perhaps you should expand your operations.

[grumbler]

I'd rate it as B+.

Oh, wait ... 

The meanings of the letter grades are not actually in dispute (and they are used widely in Europe, as well, at least in the The European Credit Transfer System).

The whole British "First Class," "Second Class," etc system is the one I find hardest to fit into it.

[grumbler]

Perhaps you should expand your operations.

What is funny is that my students universally enjoy the geography units, even the memorization, and get a great deal of satisfaction out of knowing that they don't fit the "geographics-challenged" label.

[Korea]

Anybody still talking about Star Trek? I mean I find the intricacies of US grading exciting as all get out, but how about that movie?

I know!

[Phillip V]

For example, I once took Chinese language in university (bizzare idea I know, but I wanted a challenge). My class was filled with people who obviously knew at least some Chinese already (many of them premeds hoping for an easy mark). In terms of performance, they would easily score straight A's while I would work long hard hours to scrape even a passing grade - yet I consistently got better marks (much to their dismay): the teacher marked based on improvement, and since I started from nothing my improvement was vast compared to the others.

Bullshit. That would be funny if an Army Lieutenant got promoted because he began to get less of his men killed compared to another lieutenant that always achieved the mission with no casualties.