In another essay on the subject, Warner also describes his dismay over the recognition that numerical grading systems caused “much of [his] evaluation time [to be] spent justifying that number. In analyzing [his] own comments, nearly 80% of [his] words were spent explaining what was ‘wrong’ with the student’s work. Even when [he] would consciously try to focus on ‘process’ and provide forward-looking comments, [he] just ended up writing more and longer commentary that seemed even less useful to students who are thoroughly conditioned to only care about that number anyway.”
These are two recent pieces on contract grading, but the system has been around for a long time, and have been studied extensively by scholars of composition and rhetoric, including Peter Elbow, a luminary in the field.
Assignments will earn the following grades:
As your professor for the course, I will give feedback and support to aid you in your writing assignments toward successful completion of the course.
Here’s how you can get a B/B+ as your final grade:
To get an A- or A, you will need to do everything required for a B, plus something more, such as:
In order to receive an A or an A+ for your final grade in this class, you’ll need to receive an Excellent on your final portfolio at the end of the semester.
If you’ve never seen a system of evaluation such as this, don’t fret. I think you’ll find that it rewards learning and that you’ll do fine. This system will allow you to focus on the rest of the course, on learning, on finding out about yourself, rather than on worrying about your grade. You do have work to do, but you’ll feel a certain freedom as well, knowing that if you do your best and stretch just a little, you can be confident of a good grade in the course. You will be more in control of your learning this way. You will learn to be a risk taker, and those risks will help you learn better. Our class will be a real supportive community of learners instead of a bunch of people competing for the best grades. If you are ever concerned about any of this, just let me know.
| Letter Grade | Explanation |
|---|---|
| C | Meets the assignment, reasonably well-organized and developed, and shows some grasp of audience. However, the information delivered is thin and commonplace. Reader is not instructed. Paper is often too vague and general–general in that the confused reader asks, “In every case?” “Why?” “Exactly how many?” Opening is uninteresting to reader. The conclusion is not engaging but is pedantic. Transitions between paragraphs lack smoothness. Sentences are choppy and show little variety. Word choice is acceptable but not always precise containing tedious repetitions. Often contains errors that impede readability. Reader is not tempted to read the paper again. |
| B | Paper is more than merely competent. Idea stated clearly but with little original thought. Few errors have escaped the writer’s attention. Reader feels instructed. Organizing principle stated clearly, and all points are unified around central idea. Opening draws reader in, and closing relates thematically to opening. Transitions are smoother than the C paper. Sentence structure is varied even though the prose may be a bit flabby and wordy. Diction is more concise and precise. Little is included to distract or disturb the reading process. Reading is a pleasure. |
| A | Shows unusual polish and style. Surpasses the ordinary paper and is free of serious errors. The subject is very well developed with original and fresh ideas and depth of thought always with an eye to the reader. Reader feels delighted or instructed at every stage of the reading process. The title is engaging. The opening entices the reader to read on. The transitions are artful; the phrasing is tight; descriptions are telling and not general. The reader feels–for the entire length of his reading journey–that the writer is a careful, trustworthy, craftsperson. The reader feels bright, fresh, satisfied, and ready to reread the paper. |
| D | Treatment and development of subject is only in the beginning stages. Organization is present but is neither clear nor effective. Sentences are awkward, ambiguous, and contain serious errors. Little or no evidence of careful proofreading exists. Reader feels writing was done in haste. Does not adequately respond to the assignment prompt. |
| F | Treatment of the subject is superficial. Theme lacks organization. Prose is garbled. Mechanical errors abound. Ideas, organization, and style are well below acceptable college writing. |
| % | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 93.00-100 | A |
| 90.00-92.99 | A- |
| 86.00-89.99 | B+ |
| 83.00-85.99 | B |
| 80.00-82.99 | B- |
| 76.00-79.99 | C+ |
| 73.00-75.99 | C |
| 70.00-72.99 | C- |
| 66.00-69.99 | D+ |
| 60.00-65.99 | D |
| 0-59.99 | F |
Here is the official Emory University grading system for semester grades.
| Grade/Scale | Description |
|---|---|
| A 4.0, A- 3.7 | Extremely high quality work, effort, and performance beyond minimum requirements. Excellent attendance and substantial contributions to discussions. |
| B+ 3.3, B 3.0, B- 2.7 | Well-written work that continues to improve. A level of effort and performance beyond minimum requirements. Good attendance and contributions to discussions. |
| C+ 2.3, C 2.0, C-1.7 | Generally competent work and a level of effort that meets course requirements. Regular attendance and contributions to discussions. |
| D+ 1.3, D 1.0 | Work that is uneven in quality or suggests incompetence. Irregular attendance and minimal contributions to discussions. |
| F 0.0 | Incomplete or unacceptable work. No real effort to participate in class discussions. Four or more absences. |