Question： My ninth-grade art teacher doesnt give any grade above 94% because， she says， heresalways room for improvement." In previous years， I earned a 99% and a 100%. The 941 received this termdoes not reflect the hard work that I put into this course. Because of her "improvement" theory， I got alower grade than I deserve. Is her grading philosophy ethical ？
Answer： Your teachers grading system may be unwise， but it is not unethical. A teacher deserveswide latitude in selecting the method of grading that best promotes learning in her classroom； that is， afterall， the prime function of grades. It is she who has the training and experience to make this decision.Assuming that your teacher is neither biased nor corrupt and that her system conforms to school rules， youcant fault her ethics.
You can criticize her methodology. A 100 need not imply that there is no possibility of improvement，only that a student successfully completed the course work. A ninth grader could get a well-earned 100in English class but still have a way to go before she writes as well as Jane Austen. Whats more， gradesare not only an educational device but are also part of a screening system to help assign kids to their nextclass or program. By capping her grades at 94 while most other teachers grade on a scale that tops out at100， your teacher could jeopardize a students chance of getting a scholarship or getting into a top college.
What it is wrong to condemn her for is overlooking your hard work. Your diligence is worthy ofencouragement， but effort does not equal accomplishment. If scholars suddenly discovered that Rembrandthad dashed off "The Night Watch" in an afternoon， it would still be "The Night Watch".
I could spend months sweating over my own "paintings"， but Id produce something you wouldntwant to hang in your living room. Or your garage.
展开
