Grade Anxiety/Grading Philosophy

What does a grade mean?

All AP teachers are familiar with grade anxiety. Our students tend to be highly concerned with their grades, and will sometimes badger a teacher over a percentage point or two. They will worry when their grade is 92% because that is too close to the edge for them to feel safe from the dreaded "B."

Of course, I understand this. For many of you, your goal is the highest GPA possible so that you are a competitive candidate in October 2011, when you are filling out your college applications. Test scores matter; grades matter; extra-curricular activities matter. All of the UCs will be looking at a mountain of applicants with 4.0 or better, varsity sports, club memberships and community service.

My daughter, Madeline Fletcher, was the class valedictorian at Mayfair in 2006. She had Mr. Nguyen, Mrs. Garvin, Mrs. Swieck, Mr. Baptista, Mr. Falk...and me. I know exactly what you kids are doing, what you face every day, and what you are up against.

I say this only as a prelude to what I really need to say, and that is, it is MORE important to LEARN something about the subject you are studying than to WORRY about how to get a grade from a particular teacher. Sometimes, kids are more interested in how I grade than in what I have to say about their writing. They are more interested in the score on their essay than they are in learning what it is they've done right, and where they have missed the boat.

The summer homework is important, and it is your ticket into the class. If the class ends up being too large for two sections, I will have to make cuts based on performance of summer homework. I will not admit anyone who turns in incomplete or incomprehensible work.

But the summer homework is just a blip on the big screen.

Let's do a worst case scenario. Let's say you write terrible essays — they are disorganized, inane, and difficult to follow -- and you get a D on that part of the assignment. Well, OK; your blog work, your Postman work, your vocab, your webography -- all that can help take the sting out of those lousy essays, and maybe with the extra credit for the early blog work, you can pull a C or even a B- out of the bag. That's mathematically possible.

So you start the class with a C or a B. OK. Hundreds of people have survived this fate and have gone on to live happy and successful lives. Try to keep some perspective. I know it's hard because you're young, but honestly, you will go on to do amazing, remarkable things, even with a C or a B on your summer homework.

You won't get a grade that actually shows up on your transcript or impacts your GPA until January 27, 2011 -- the end of first semester. You will have many, many assignments and opportunities between now and then to bring your overall grade up to a B or even an A. It's what you do September to January that will matter the most.

So instead of worrying about one grade, focus instead about responding to the prompts in the most intelligent, organized and insightful way you can. Show me what you know how to do. That's what I want to see. If I look at it, and it's terrible, I will know more about you, and exactly how I can help you get your skills in shape for May 2011.

Also, you need to know this about me: I think a B is a good grade. It's an A in a regular classroom. A "B" is a 4.0 in an AP class.

The A is reserved for the truly remarkable performance. There are always a few excellent thinkers who manage to communicate their thoughts in a way that is cogent and strong. These writers are surprising, and they make my scalp tingle a little bit. I get excited when I read what they have to say. But those writers are FEW -- a handful out of a class of 65.

When you receive a B, that means I think you are BETTER THAN AVERAGE, and a GOOD writer. It's a good grade.

When you get a C, that means I think you are right in there with most of your peers. You think and write like an average high school student. And the D is reserved for those who don't try, turn in sloppy last minute work, or who really can't put together 4-5 sentences in a row to create a paragraph that discusses one particular something.

The A has to mean something, and that is especially true in an AP class.

My message here is try not to lose sleep about the grade. Do the best that you can, and then accept my assessment of your work. I don't mean that this acceptance is blind. Learn (I will teach you) how I judge your work; if you think I've got it wrong based on the criteria, you can talk to me, always. Nothing is ever set in stone, and I am a human being (translation: fallible). But once the grade is settled, accept it, and figure out what you need to do next to improve.

Finally, I do not consider myself a slave to the math. Converting English prose into a number is tricky and I keep that in mind. A very hard worker with 89% may get an A on their report card; a slacker who gives me grief with a 90% may see a B+. Everything you do matters. It ALL matters.

Best advice: give it your best, and then release the outcome. You have done what you can do, and you need to feel proud of that.