Not in anyway giving anyone permission to plagiarize or copy this and also not verifying the authenticity of any of the information. Also note that there are probably no sources listed and I am not one myself, so don't quote me. This is just some of my homework; thought it might be interesting to someone:
Read case study 17 Jane Vincent and react.
Do you think the grading system is fair? Should she change the grade? What issues are raised?
I think that for math, which is an entirely objective subject, the system is fair. I doubt that it is the most motivating system for students like Willie Lawrence, but if the students knew from the beginning of the term that there would be no exceptions to the grading system, they really should not be surprised if they get a B for an 89.3. If Ms. Vincent is having trouble sticking to the system and feels that there should be some room to bend grades for deserving students, she should discuss changing the policy with the other teachers; however, I do think it is important that she decide to agree with one standard or the other. She cannot fairly, as a grading policy, only round Willie’s grade up.
I do not think that Ms. Vincent should change the grade that she has already given out. It would undermine both her authority as a teacher and the authority of her department. If she were to change Willie’s grade and other students with different teachers found out, it would be easy for students to make a case that teachers were showing favoritism or that the policy was not being upheld. I honestly believe that she should go about changing the policy the fair and official way if she would like to be able to curve grades in the future, but for the present, she should consider this a lesson learned. Whether she changes the grade or not, Willie did technically earn the B, and is not being treated unfairly if other students are being held to the same standard.
The main issue raised is the impact of letter grades versus the methods used to determine them. While I do believe that a strict point system is fair, I think it is sensible to leave some room for subjective evaluation. If a student understands the concepts and will be successful in continuing past “above-average algebra II,” then I would consider it appropriate for them to earn an A for an 89.3. But, for a student like Willie, who consistently earns borderline grades, it might be misleading to consistently award him an A for consistently B work. The B that Ms. Vincent gives him may make him realize that he is a borderline student, and does need to put in an extra .2% effort. The issue of fairness is also raised, which ultimately led me to determine that Willie’s current grade cannot be changed. When a department creates rules such as a grading system, it would not be appropriate to change it on a limb for one student. The only way that Ms. Vincent can fairly change this grade is if the whole department changes the policy and reconsiders all borderline students’ grades before releasing them.
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