Have grades become participation trophies?

As the new school year begins, thoughts of parents turn to the hopes and dreams of our children. Teachers plan the ways they will teach this new group of students so that they will master content and skills, both academic and social. And the measure of the success in achieving these dreams and accomplishments are the grades the students will earn. The operative words in this are “achieving” and “earn.” Those measures are keys as to whether the students and the school(s) have been successful.

Having a Ph.D. in and having taught educational measurement and evaluation, it could be argued I have some knowledge and understanding of the grading process. Earlier this summer I attended a Texas high school graduation of more than 700 students. Because it was in a university town, academic performance might be expected to be a bit higher than average, but just a bit. Diplomas were given out by academic rank: 94 students (20 percent of the class) graduated summa cum laude (highest praise), 4.0 GPA or above; 90 (19 percent) graduated magna cum laude (high praise), 3.8 or above; 62 (13 percent) graduated cum laude (praise), 3.5 or above. As a group, 244 (52 percent) graduated with an A average or above, with a grade average of outstanding, not just good, not just average. Five hundred then came forward with grades averaging at least a C and received their diplomas.

Grades seem to have gone the way of “participation trophies.” Young people are being honored with the highest grades for just being there, for being “cheery” or pleasant, for participating in various school activities. Surely, those things are important, but “summa,” “magna” and “cum laude” are terms used to recognize academic performance by students who have achieved degrees of content mastery — not for being “swell.”

What does this “superior award” say to all of the kids not graduating with honors? It’s got to be ego deflating for C students, and at the same time ego inflating for students who someday will have to face the real world where bonuses and raises are not being given out for just being there.

This “grade inflation” is not unique to this school but pervasive throughout the nation. We see students from other countries like India, Japan, Korea, etc., academically surpassing students from the U.S., especially in math and science. How could this be if we have so many getting outstanding, superior grades?

Parents and teachers must understand that grades are not rewards. Grades are intended to help the student recognize what more is needed and have a plan to move ahead, improve and grow.

Parents need to be aware of these things when they simply look at report cards and “believe” what they see, pat their sons and daughters on the back with a “job well done” compliment, then go about their business thinking there is nothing else for them to do to ensure their child’s academic preparedness.

PAT LAURY

Bella Vista