The typical letter grades awarded for participation in a course are (from highest to lowest) A, B, C, D and F. Variations on the traditional five-grade system allow for awarding A+, A, A−, B+, B, B−, C+, C, C−, D+, D, D−, and F. In primary and secondary schools, a D is usually the lowest passing grade.
[13] Schools in the United States have been accused of using academic grades to penalize students for being bored, uncooperative or for talking out of turn.
[15] However, the standard is typically set at a level that is substantially higher than the previous achievement, so that a relatively high percentage of students fail at least some part of the standards in the first year, including an especially high percentage non-college-bound students.
The tests are targeted to items and skills not currently in the curriculum[citation needed] to promote the adoption of methods such as constructivist mathematics, inquiry-based science, and problem-solving.
Grading on a curve is any system wherein the group performance is used to moderate evaluation; it need not be strictly or purely rank-based.
[18] A-plusses, if given, are usually assigned a value of 4.0 (equivalent to an A) due to the common assumption that a 4.00 is the best possible grade-point average, although 4.33 is awarded at some institutions.
For example, two common conversion systems used in honors and Advanced Placement courses are: Denver Public Schools uses a different system in honors and AP courses to get weighted GPA values; the scale is as follows: Another policy commonly used by 4.0-scale schools is to mimic the eleven-point weighted scale (see below) by adding a .33 (one-third of a letter grade) to honors or advanced placement class.
At least one boarding school in the United States uses the six-point system, Phillips Academy at Andover.
[20] Phillips Exeter Academy and a few other high schools in the United States use an eleven-point system.
In this version, E stands for "exemplary" and P proficient, with AE and AP for work that approaches the E and P levels.
Alternatives to letter-grading assessments have been tried in some schools, but still remain a marginal approach due to the heavy emphasis and history of letter grading.
[25] Alternatives to standard letter grading are able to evaluate the students skills and understanding of the course material.
[26] The flaws in the standard letter grading system are major and require a lot of attention.
These issues include ways for students to achieve high grades without actually understanding the course material.
Kyle Spencer discusses an issue a high school teacher discovered during his time teaching.
[27] The issue was on test his students were able to achieve high grades yet when presented with a complex question they couldn't get it correct.
The FN grade will be assigned by the faculty member at any time following the final withdrawal date for the course.
Some schools indicate whether the student was passing or failing the course at the time of withdrawal by placing WP or WF grades on the transcript; policies vary as to whether a WF counts as an unsatisfactory grade when determining if a student is in good standing.
Standards for Academic Progress in Florida, for example, require a student to maintain a grade point average of 2.00 on the 4.00 scale.
The student must also successfully complete 67% of the courses attempted, which includes previous failures, re-takes, and withdrawals.
The student must also finish 67% of the courses attempted, which includes previous failures, re-takes, and withdrawals.