Do better, try harder and be the best. Students this year are feeling overwhelmed by their workload, with expectations to achieve high grades, attend a good college and excel in sports and activities. This pressure is taking a toll on mental health, and many students and teachers are calling for a change.
An article from Marco Learning explained that before the current A-F scale became common, most teachers used a 100-point scale to grade students. They eventually switched to a five-point scale (A, B, C, D, F) most commonly used today. However, many believe this grading system is heavily flawed, with insufficient focus on actual learning.
The article explained the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is when a person’s desire to learn is their highest priority. Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, relies on external incentives, such as praise and grades, to drive learning. The current grading system relies heavily on extrinsic motivation. This is one reason many are asking for a grade change.
Social Studies teacher Brady Hannigan shared his thoughts on the grading system, “I would have it incorporate more… life skills, like… hard due dates,”
“I would… rather see it zero for formative and 100% [for] summative,” math teacher John Serene said.
Parents also contribute to students’ stress over grades. A 2014 survey found that 80% of students believe their parents care more about their achievements and grades than their happiness.
Sophomore Sam Tracy explained his experience with his parents. He said his parents are not focused on his grades. “But I do know of a few people… [who have] parents who care a lot about their grades.”
Hannigan believes students and parents today are more aware of grades than in the past. When he was in school, grades were the responsibility of students. Now, parents have access to students’ grades 24/7, increasing pressure.
The elimination of weighted grades is also causing stress as students are worried about their GPA. Beginning next year, weighted grades and GPAs will no longer be in use, as colleges focus on them far less than before.
Due to weighted grades going away, Tracy believes that fewer “people will want to take AP or CE classes now.”
The school pushes students to take college-level classes like PSEO, AP or CE. Some students may be ready for a challenge, but the push is also causing stress over college and the future. Hannigan has noticed that some students enroll in PSEO to get out of school, even though college courses are available on campus.
“I think PSEO is a great option for students when we’re unable to provide them with that opportunity here at Stillwater,” Hannigan said. “I think students are taking advantage of opportunities to take easier online courses for their core classes.”
Sports and extracurricular activities may also contribute to stress. With after-school activities consuming students’ time, additional pressure follows.
As head coach of the boy’s basketball teams, Hannigan has noticed the opposite, “I haven’t seen a correlation with stressing out about grades and sports… [I have noticed that] kids who play sports tend to challenge themselves more… and they will tend to be more competitive and competing towards those things,” Hannigan said.
Serene has had a similar experience with student-athletes, “I think that sometimes they are under more time constraints, and that adds to their stress,” Serene said.
It’s time for the grading system to change. The overreliance on letter grades harms students’ mental health, stressing them out. It also promotes extrinsic motivation rather than genuine learning.
“When you walk into our school, it says we learn not for school but for life,” Hannigan said.
