This is a question probably mostly for any teachers we have out there but I would like anyone to comment. I got a call from my girlfriend today after class and she asked me if this seemed right that a teacher changed the letter grade that a percentage is based on. If that didn't make any sense let me explain. Basically he told her that he is changing the system that in order to have a C letter grade you needed say a 77, a B would be 85, and an A would be 93. I hope that is enough explanation. My thinking is this shouldn't be a setting based on what the teacher feels, I thought it was a standard that no matter what school you look at it would always match up. Keep in mind I live in PA. I doubt that would have anything to do with it but I am just upset for her, as is she. Please provide you 2 singles and let me know how you figure upon it. Thanks for the input peeps. I am new too the site also... Hello everyone!

 

She is creating her own curve. Her class was too easy--so far too many people got over 90%. For normal distribution on tests for example, x number of people get A's, x get B's, x, get C's and so on. In her class too many people received the highest grade so she has to skew her curve to make sure that it is "normal".

Quite a few professors do this. Probably 1/3 of professors in my experience.

 

It's no curve. Some high schools use that as their grading scale. Thankfully, I had the 90+=A, 80+=B, 70+=C scale, which is so much better and less confusing. In college, some teachers use the 90/80/70 scale, others use the 93/85/77 scale. >_<

 

school is overrated. I never understood the whole business of 'curving'

 

Sounds like he is making a change to a pre-existing system, such as the typical scale. It is exactly a curve, every grading scale is a curve of some kind. In college most professors who are proficient in statistics will curve given their students performance.

 

I thought the grade scale changed to 90, 80, and 70 anyway? It changed a few years ago.

 

yeah that's happened to me, now my school has new rules only 908070 CHEA! but ive had 95,88,80 < that was CRAZY!!