Fair Grades

Abstract: Fair grading is modeled on two fundamental principles. The first principle is that grading should be impartial and consistent. The second prin-ciple is that a fair grade should be based on the student’s competence in the academic content of the course. I derive corollary principles of fair grading from these two basic principles and use them to evaluate common grading practices. I argue that exempting students from completing certain grade components is unfair, as is grading on attendance, class rank, deportment, tardiness, effort, institutional values, moral virtues such as cheerfulness and helpfulness, and other non-course-content criteria. What is fair grading? For example, is there a fair way to average a series of letter grades? Are such practices as “grading on the curve,” peer grading, and dropping the lowest quiz score from each student’s course average fair? Is it fair to excuse “A ” students from the final exam? Should students be graded on attendance, tardiness, or other forms of comportment? Exactly what is “extra credit ” or “make-up