Fractional Grading

By:
Manny Felix , Itzel Zerecero, Logan Ortiz,
Marcos Holguin
Fractional Grading

Fractional Grading has been a topic discussed by students everywhere because

it either improves your GPA or drops it

For example An A- drops your GPA to a 3.7 and an A or A+ will give you a 4.0

Our goal is to research and find how it affects students at our school and give
our opinion which is that fractional grading is not something we agree with

Our hypothesis is that fractional grading has affected many students and is
costing them a good GPA, so as a result many students will be against the
fractional grading system in our opinion
 Pros and cons
Pros:
- Shows a decline in grades when a
student doesnt turn in homework,
achieve high scores on assessments,
and/or not show up for class: in
other words, distinguishes which
students are understanding the
curriculum and those who are not
- - Educators can give extra credit
which may or may not be relevant to
the class curriculum
Cons:
-Does not give those students who put
an extra effort to strive for a greater
amount of knowledge, the credits they
have dutifully earned through the
hardships of a semester
- Regent Dulany feels as though
extracurricular activities will be
forgotten if students feel like a
minus grade will terminally affect
their grade
Summary

Fractional Grading helps students but at the same time itll affect your GPA
dramatically, the idea of fractional grading was suppose to help students but the
majority disagree with fractional grading because its decreasing their GPA.
The plus and minus system allows professors to use a more fine-grained scale and
provides equity to students stated by the university. For example two students
who have a disparate performance in class, such as one who gets an 81 and
another who gets an 89 would otherwise have the same letter grade a B.
Jackson from NMSU said an amendment to the scale approved adding the .3 points
to a 4.0 would help NMSU students compete with the University of New Mexico
students, who do get the extra fraction of a point although it does not appear
regents will take up that request.
I do not believe its fair to penalize students. With the new system a 4.0 cannot
be maintained if a student earns only one A minus, Jackson said.
Methodology

Survey of students at NMSU was collected by Itzel

30 surveys 4 questions/Itzel
Communication we used for our project in canvas/Itzel
Power Point designed by Manny
Research was found by Logan and Marcos
Results

Do you think Have you been Has fractional Do you think

fractional grading affected grading ever been fractional grading
is Good? negatively by beneficial for is an equal
fractional you? opportunity for all
grading? students?
12.5% Yes 66.6% Yes 54.16% Yes 25% Yes
83% No 33.8% NO 45.83% No 75% No
 Feedback from Survey Participants
Do you think fractional
grading is Good? If yes
explain
-It can specify your grade
being more accurate
-Provides feedback to
students doing poorly but
needs revision
-Fractional grading can bump
your GPA from a 3.0 to 3.4 or
3.7
Do you think fractional
grading is Good? If no
explain
-It can makes it more
difficult to maintain a good
GPA
-fractional grading is unfair
If you could change the
grading system, what would
you change?
-I would grade everything
homework, quizzes, tests,
notes etc.
-Not use fractional grading
period
-Go back to traditional
grading
-Change the value of the A-
since it drops your GPA
-Evaluate students
individually overall to give
them grades and provide
them with tips to improve
 Conclusion

Through our research we came to the conclusion that although fractional

grading has benefited few people more students have been affected
negatively by fractional grading.
Majority of students said they would rather use traditional grading system and
evaluate students individually overall.
Some students believe fractional grading is good because it provides feedback
and it specifies where you stand academically and it can also bump your GPA
from a 3.0 to 3.4 or 3.7
 References

Practical Solutions for Serious Problems in Standards-Based Grading. (n.d.).

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Http://www.ijalel.org/pdf/573.pdf. (2014). International Journal of Applied
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