We all get grades and some may have certain feelings about how we get graded, but why is the system the way it is now, and how did we get here?

As we notice the positives and negatives of the grading system, we start to analyze its impact on the students it affects. Some positives are that you can no longer get below a 50, but even given a 50, your grade will drop. Some schools have already put in place no-zero grading policies, which set the lowest possible grade a student can receive at 50.

A reporter from Chalkbeat Indiana, Aleksandra Appleton, talks about some of her opinions on the history of the grading system. 

“There are a few critiques of traditional A-F grades — one of the main ones is that it’s tough for students to catch up if they’ve had a bad few weeks,” Appleton said. “If there are four assignments for example, and a student receives a 100, 100, 0, and 100, their average for the class is a C.”

 Another critique Appleton points out is that  “letter grades are much more subjective than they seem. Determining what is A, B, or C level work is often up to a teacher and can vary from school to school” Appleton said. “If the grade includes things like attendance and participation, then it’s less about whether the student knows the information.”

In a way, the grading system proves to students that they have a chance to succeed even though they may or may not be failing.

Indiana’s grading system for schools dates back to 1999. The Indiana Department of Education shows that grades were determined for high schools by establishing a preliminary E/LA score and a preliminary Math score based on the percentage of students who passed the mandatory statewide annual assessment. 

The classroom grading system generally started in 1785 by Yale University when they divided grades into four groups. A tutor by the name of William Farish was the first to implement the grading system in 1792. William Farish was a chemistry professor at Cambridge University.

Studies have talked about how students are mostly focused on their class rank and that is why we get report cards and monthly reports. 

Before grades happened, Yale would use the four ranks as a grading system until the 19th century. The four ranks were 1 Optimi, 2 Second Optimi, 3 Inferiores, and 4 Pejores.

Yale would keep student’s information in what was called the Book of Averages. In 1897 Mount Holyoke College was the first to use modern letter grades. At the beginning of the 20th century, American elementary and high school education also began using standardized grading systems. The push was to standardize grades so that colleges would not only value class rank but have the same universal scoring. The grading system in the U.S. is fairly standard.