[MATHEDCC] Pass-Fail grades

Brad Thurmond (bthurmon@IVY.TEC.IN.US)
Tue, 09 Feb 1999 10:46:56 -0500

We've done the same thing here at Ivy Tech-Kokomo. Students with a D in
MAT 050 - Basic Algebra - have very little chance in MAT 111 - Intermediate
Algebra. For years we informed students in MAT 050 at the begining of the
course that they needed a C to go on to MAT 111. Many slipped by.
Recently we changed the grading scale to A B C F, no D's allowed. That
seems to have helped some.

Brad

At 03:42 PM 2/8/99 -0500, you wrote:
>I would like to reiterate Geoff's remarks that grades seem to be more
>motivating to students and help them know better where they are in
>preparation for the next course. However, I would like to suggest that only
>A-C grades be given as passing. We've been doing that at our institution
>for a while after we discovered that students who received D's would still
>try to take the next course and not have a prayer of passing. This did
>increase our attrition from the developmental courses but it seemed to help
>things at the college algebra level.
>
>Sandy Spears
>Jefferson Community College
>Louisville, KY 40202
>sspears@pop.jcc.uky.edu
>502-584-0181, ext. 2269

Bradley H. Thurmond
Program Chair, Mathematics, Life and Physical Science
Ivy Tech State College - Region 5
1815 E. Morgan St.
Kokomo, IN 46901
(765) 459-0561, Ext. 378
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