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Ivy Rasmussen
Period 3A
October 18, 2015
The Unfair System of Grading
A Response to Alfie Kohns From Degrading to De-grading

Imagine a school without a grading system. No teachers giving outrageous assignments with the
impossible expectation that it will be A grade worthy, no stress about what score you will receive on
your most recent math test, and no debating which student is smarter based off of their English essay.
Would this school increase your desire to learn or would it decrease your motivation to attend school
because there is no reward in the form of a grade?
In From Degrading to De-grading, originally published in High School Magazine in 1999, Alfie
Kohn attempts to convince educators that the grading system is not an accurate way to measure a
students intelligence and understanding of a particular subject. Kohn begins by introducing the three
main effects of grading: grades tend to reduce students interest in learning, preference for challenging
tasks, and quality of students thinking. Within these three main effects, Kohn makes an effort to show
the disadvantages of grades and also makes hasty generalizations about graded students, such as their
ability to think creatively, retain information, and how they may receive the top grades. Following the
three main effects of grading, Kohn gives more reasons to just say no to grades. Kohn begins to use
logos and ethos to support his personal opinions as he gives multiple reasons to say no to grades, such
as: grades are not valid, grades distort the curriculum, grades waste valuable learning time, grades
encourage cheating, and grades spoil relationships among teachers and students. Although I disagree
with Kohns hasty generalizations about the creativity, retention abilities, and how the top grades are
received by students, I agree that grades are not valid, reliable, or objective and that grades spoil
relationships among teachers and students.

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In his essay, Kohn makes the argument that grades tend to reduce the quality of students
thinking and, given that students may lose interest in learning, it is logical to believe that they are also
apt to think less deeply (28). One particular series of studies found that students given numerical grades
were significantly less creative than those who received qualitative feedback. The students in this study,
knowing they would receive a numerical score based on their performance, were unable to think
creatively and perform well. The highest achievement occurred only when comments were given (28). In
another experiment, students who were graded on a social studies lesson had more trouble
understanding the main point of the text than those who were not graded. It was also found that the
graded group of students had difficulty retaining the material a week later. Personally, I do not believe
that receiving a grade has ever affected my ability to think creatively or retain material. As a dancer, I
am required to think creatively and generate new ideas constantly. When choreographing a dance piece
for a grade, I am not restricted in any way. I am still able to generate creative ideas and movement. The
grade does affect the way I work and perform. When it comes to retaining dance material for a grade, I
am, once again, not affected. Knowing I will be graded on how well I retain material for the dance
concerts does not cause me to perform poorly. I remember the material I learned in previous classs,
whether I learned it days or months before, and am able to demonstrate it exactly how it was taught.
Since these studies support Kohns claim that grades reduce the quality of students thinking, Kohn is
able to draw general conclusions. However, this is incorrect and I have to disagree with Kohn. Kohn
cannot draw a general conclusion about all students based off of the results of a small student
population. Other variables need to be taken into account, such as: the environment in which the
students were tested, the material taught, the material they were graded on, who taught the material to
the students, and who the graded student is. All of these variables contribute to the ending results.
Kohn also hastily generalizes how students may receive the top grades. Kohn makes the
argument that grades tend to reduce students preference for challenging tasks. He states, Students of

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all ages who have been led to concentrate on getting a good grade are likely to pick the easiest possible
assignment if given a choice, (27). He believes that the more pressure to get an A, the less inclination
to truly challenge oneself and thus, the students who cut corners may not be lazy so much as rational.
Being a student myself, I strongly disagree with Kohns arguments for a few reasons. Firstly, Kohn makes
the mistake of stating that students of all ages take the easier route. He clumps students of all ages into
one simple category. However, one cannot simply compare the challenging tasks of a first grader to
those of a senior in high school. These students are on opposite sides of the spectrum and cannot be
compared to each other. Secondly, I have experienced first-hand how difficult it is to receive the highest
marks and grades. It is a difficult task to please teachers and to learn a large amount of material for
different subjects all at once. However, I do not complete the easiest tasks just to receive a good grade. I
pride myself on completing challenging tasks, no matter what grade I may receive. I know not all
students take the same course of action as I do but I also know that not all students take the easier
route. Kohns hasty generalizations spiked a disinterest for me as a reader and decreased his validity as
a writer. He may be correct, depending on the situation, but his arguments cannot be used as fact in all
cases.
Despite Kohns hasty generalizations, his essay contains valid arguments on how grades
negatively affect a students desire to learn. First, Kohn states that grades are not valid, reliable, or
objective. For his first supporting argument, Kohn argues that the score received on a test is largely a
reflection of how the test was written. The grade received is as subjective as it is uninformative (28). The
grade is based on who, at what time, and what skills were assessed. The grade does not demonstrate
what the student truly knows, and is therefore, not a true evaluation. I can recount numerous times
when I have been taking an exam and ask myself, Did I learn this? In classrooms, we are taught
information that the teachers find useful. However, many times we are not tested on what we were
taught. We are tested on information the teacher assumes we already knew or should know. This is

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wrong. Exams do not test what a student knows. I am a firm believer that exams test students on the
information they memorized for a class than what they actual know. Kohns second argument is that any
given assignment may be given two different grades by two equally qualified teachers or even be given
two different grades by a single teacher who reads it at two different times. Grades are merely
subjective ratings acting as objective evaluations (29).I strongly agree with Kohns second argument. I
have often wondered if a teacher would have given me a different evaluation or grade if it was due a
week later, if they had been having a better day, or if they did not know whose paper or test they were
grading. I do believe a majority of teachers are biased, whether they try to be or not, and that they
grade subjectively. I wish this were not the case. I wish teachers would grade everyone evenly, despite
who they are or what kind of day they are having.
Along with grades being invalid, unreliable, and subjective, grades spoil students relationships
with one another. Kohn states, The quality of students thinking has been shown to depend partly on
the extent to which they are permitted to learn cooperatively. Thus, the ill feelings, suspicion, and
resentment, generated by grades arent just disagreeable in their own right; they interfere with
learning, (29). Students are unable to learn cooperatively and work effectively together because of the
large amount of pressure there is to receive a good grade. Although this is true, Kohns focus of his
argument is the destructive results of grading on a curve. Grading on a curve artificially limits the
number of top grades that can be received. The statement the curve presents is no matter how well all
the students do, not all of them can get an A and its practical effect is to teach students that others are
potential obstacles of their own success (29). Grades have turned schooling into a quest for triumph and
ruptures relationships among students. This effect is witnessed schoolwide when kids are ranked against
each other, sending a message that the point isnt to learn but to defeat others. I have witnessed and
experienced personally Kohns arguments. I strive to be the best student I can be and when compared to
others, I am not motivated to continue learning. Instead, it motivates me to improve my class ranking

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and push ahead of those already in front of me. I am no longer participating in learning but am taking
part in competing with my fellow peers for the top spot. The pressure to score higher than a peer on the
ACT or even a simple science quiz takes the enjoyment out of learning. It causes unnecessary stress and
tension between students. I long for the day to come when I desire to go to school because I want to
learn, not because I know I need to receive a grade or because missing a day puts me behind my
classmates.
Kohns purpose is to convince the reader that the grading system is not an accurate way to
measure a students intelligence and understanding of a particular subject. He argues that different
kinds of assessment will more accurately demonstrate a students progress while heightening their
interest in learning. Kohn is direct and only includes important information in his essay. Kohn writes in
an informative and persuasive voice and tone to appeal to his intended audience of educators. Although
his audience has an advanced vocabulary, Kohn uses intermediate vocabulary to appeal to any reader.
Although Alfie Kohns essay was written in 1999, it is applicable to society today. The grading
system exists in schools today and in fact, the pressure to receive good grades has only increased since
the publication of this essay. Kohn is extremely persuasive and encourages educators and administrative
officials to change the grading system and stray away from a strictly fact- and skilled-based approach of
learning. In society today, we should encourage students to enjoy learning and qualitative feedback and
ignore numerical scores, for grades truly say nothing about what a person knows. The motivation and
desire to learn should guide a student, not a grade.