Grades are not a perfect system of measurement. I can get an "A" and put forth very little effort and basically learn nothing. On the flip side, I can get an "F" in a course but still master the material and be able to display the course competencies. So why do we have grades if they are not a perfect system? For the most part, we have grades because they are best thing that we have at the moment. People may lament the flaws of grading, but until someone comes up with a better system, they are what we have. Here are a few reasons why grades do matter for students, teachers, and society in general.

WHAT IS THE GOAL OF EDUCATION?

Ideally, the goal of education is learning. Unfortunately, "learning" is a fairly broad word and we must at some point make a connection between the philosophical and the pragmatic. We can talk in broad terms about the ideal learning outcomes, and we can debate endlessly how to focus our philosophical constructs into real educational systems. The challenge is taking our visions and turning them into curriculum and pedagogy that are replicable in a variety of settings. In other words, we have to make it understandable enough for another educator to apply it in their classroom.

IS EVERYTHING NUMERICAL?

Education can certainly be of a qualitative nature, with emphasis on narrative, oral rendering, and practical application. However, in western society we are also very linear, so we need something that has a quantitative or numerical value. Grading provides us with a way to connect intended competencies with educational outputs. Granted, this may not be as rich as qualitative measures, but we must continue to remember that we need something that can be universally translated. Some educational theorists today are stressing the individual education plan that takes into accounts the goals and gifts of the particular student. While that is a wonderful concept, there is often not the people power, funding, or facilities to accomodate that style of learning. Also, we again run into the problem of applying that sort of system in a variety of settings.

Grading is certainly not perfect but it is what we have at the moment. What is typically more important is designing curriculum in such a way that competencies and learning outcomes are connected with assignments and activities. If the curriculum is properly mapped, the grading scale is less important. When educators get into trouble is when they assume that the grading scale will guarantee learning all on its own.

Learn more about this author, Todd Pheifer.
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