The effect of ninth-grade general mathematics students signing contracts for achievement grades on their mathematics achievement and on their attitudes toward mathematics was investigated. Four classes were used in the study; each of two teachers taught one experimental and one control class. The Test of Mathematical Skills and Concepts and The…

This study investigates the pass/fail (P/F) grading system. A sample of 154 Indiana University students was interviewed. Half of the group, 77 students, had not taken any P/F courses. Of the remaining 77 students, 42% had taken only one P/F course and most of the rest from two to five courses. Results of the student interview questionnaire…

The purpose of this study was to compare office procedures, second-year shorthand, and second-year typewriting courses which were reimbursed by provisions of the Vocational Education Act of 1963 and the Vocational Education Amendments of 1968, with nonreimbursed courses. Program components selected for the comparison were: (1) student enrollment,…

Results support the application of adaptation level theory to college grading standards, for it was found that at the institution student fields with lower ability students as compared with those with higher ability students employed less stringent grading criteria. (Author/RC)

One hundred and sixty-three undergraduate seniors rated various aspects of their first experience with a criterion referenced grading system in an educational psychology course. Chi square analyses were used to identify different attitudes between groups across semesters, sex of students, and classes of varying size. (Author/NQ)

Reports on ERIC references pertinent to the assessment of prior learning and experiential learning and the measurement of student progress in cooperative education programs. (Author/JDS)

One law teacher uses writing assignments in a domestic relations course to teach the law, teach students how to think, and teach how to begin a legal task when it is not clear where to start. Students draft a petition for a dissolution and a letter to a client advising of the likely property settlement. (MSE)

Marking strategies used in the Danish school system from the compulsory Folkeskole level through higher education are described, with emphasis on "the 13-Scale." Problems, impacts, recent developments, and trends in marking strategies and the communication of their meaning are discussed. (BS)

Grades should be a way for teachers and students to communicate about student performance. Using grades to rank and sort is detrimental to learning and to the development of a stimulating and supportive academic climate. (Author)

Asserts that Black education in South Africa is inferior in every way, the result of apartheid. In a 1983-84 study of the reasons for poor academic performance in Blacks' schools, students blame the situation on the following: (1) teachers; (2) themselves; (3) the facilities and equipment; (4) unfair marking; (5) poor home conditions; and (6)…

Examines the history, magnitude, causes, consequences, and remedies of grade inflation. Predicts the erosion of professional autonomy and academic freedom if schools abandon the task of conscientiously assessing what students have learned and external agencies take on the task. (DMM)

Discusses process of continuous assessment that involves many tutors grading papers at Great Britain's Open University and the problem of grade unreliability within such a system. A longitudinal experiment involving grading of papers in one course by all tutors and comparing their grades to determine grading reliability is described. (MBR)

Student promotion or retention is determined by various criteria: grades, student performance, competency tests, attendance records, and conduct. Representative court decisions bearing on each of the criteria are discussed, and guidelines for the development of promotion and retention policy are outlined. (MD)

Recent changes in the objectives and techniques of testing India's university students are examined, including trends toward continuous rather than biennial or annual evaluation; internal (institutional) rather than external, standardized examinations; replacement of essay exams with more objective methods; and a letter grading system. (MSE)

In the 18 years since the founding of the University of California, Santa Cruz, America's youth have turned from long hair to pin-striped careerism. UCSC made the transition with the help of an image overhaul emphasizing its mix of idealistic educational philosophy and rigorous undergraduate courses. (MLW)