Holistic Grading:  An Explanation in two parts

First a story:

Pretend you are going on a trip to New York City.  When you arrive you go to a travel agent and book a trip to see the Statue of Liberty. The bus arrives and you start your tour.  You see lots of sights in the city and they are all interesting, but all you want to see is the Statue of Liberty.  That's what you paid for.  You wait and you look and you wait.  Suddenly the tour guide tells you to look quickly between the next two buildings and you'll "see" the Statue of Liberty.  You have your camera ready, but all you see is the top of the crown and then she's gone.

The next day you try another travel agent and book a tour to see the Statue of Liberty.  This time a bus takes you straight to the harbor and out to the island.  The boat circles around and the loud speaker plays a short recording about the Statue of Liberty.  Finally you dock and the tour guide tells everyone to hurry and take a picture of the Statue and run to the gift shop.  The boat can only dock for a few minutes.  You buy a post card and take a picture and a quick look and then get back on the boat.

The third day you try again to book a trip to the Statue of Liberty.  This time you check the schedule and make sure that you have enough time to really see the statue.  The boat moves quickly into the harbor and docks and you are told that it will leave again in 2 hours.  You get in line to climb the steps, you read most of the plaques along the way, you listen to a short talk on one of the landings, and you finally look out through the windows in the crown.  It's a long walk up and a long walk down, but you enjoy the trip.

The next day you want to go back.  You want to do more than just see the statue; you want to really experience everything about her.  You purchase a tour package that includes a historian.  He talks to the group on the way to the island and sets the stage for your 1/2 day adventure.  When you arrive, you study maps and drawings and learn about the construction of the statue.  He takes you inside and you see the beams and the supports and talk about all of the people who have climbed the steps to the top.  You make the climb and he tells you more about the 100 year history of the statue.  At the top you identify all of the landmarks on the shore.  On the way down you learn more. When you finally get back on the boat, you know you will never forget this day and the Lady in the Harbor.  She now "belongs" to you.

Think of these travel agents as grades and the quality/plan of their trips as student papers.  The partial glimpse of the statue earns a D.  The quick trip to the gift shop and a photo, a C.  The climb and the plaques and the extra time, a B.  The extensive, informative trip is a first class experience and an A.  (If you book a trip for the Statue of Liberty and end up in Connecticut, it's an F.)

Plan your trip carefully.  You can only book this trip once.

The End 

A Holistic Grade Story by Benie Colvin, Clayton State University, Morrow, Georgia

Part 2  Holistic Grading:  What the letters represent

A (90-100) An “A” indicates work that is not only free from major error, but is exceptional in all respects.  An “A” goes beyond the expectations of the assignment.  “A” papers are superior in both form and content.  “A” papers do not contain mechanical errors; they present an original idea and possess a logical structure. “A’s” demonstrate sophisticated, college-level thinking.  They take original and provocative ideas and expand them in an intelligent fashion using a coherent and sophisticated structure.   

B (80-89) The grade of “B” is used to represent work of high quality that is much better than average. Very good work, a “B” meets all expectations and exceeds many of them.  “Bs” often have a central idea that is slightly less original than an “A” paper or have an original idea that is developed in a slightly weaker form.  Few, if any, mechanical errors are present. 

C (70-79)  The “C” grade has gotten a bad reputation; sometimes students who receive a “C” on an assignment wonder “what’s wrong?” with their work.  Often, however, “C” work doesn’t have any glaring aspect in need of attention, nor does it have any particular aspect that is praiseworthy.  Perhaps as the most frequently earned grade, “Cs” represent satisfactory work and indicate a basic understanding of the course material.  A “C” meets all the expectations and goals, but does so in a decidedly unspectacular manner.  Main idea might be commonplace, trite, or underdeveloped.  Often, “C” papers are simply under-revised versions of “B” or “A” papers.
 
D (60-69) Less than satisfactory work that meets some of the assignment’s goals while missing others.  D-level work often contains multiple mechanical errors.  Main idea is present, but it is often sketchy, under-developed, and/or unoriginal.  Structure is often unrecognizable or baffling.

F (below 60) Work that fails to meet any of the assignment’s goals--often a bad or trite idea hastily and sloppily executed.    

Adapted 2007 from the grading scale of Dr. Mark King, Gordon College, Barnesville, GA