grading on a curve
Comparative test assessment
Grading on a curve means adjusting scores relative to how the class performed rather than against a fixed standard.
If the highest score is 85%, that might become an A, with other grades scaled accordingly.
The practice can help when a test is unexpectedly difficult but frustrates high performers when it lowers their advantage: She aced the exam but the curve barely helped her.
- meanAverage, or spiteful
- assessmentFormal evaluation of worth
- fairnessJust and equal treatment
- standard deviationSpread around the mean
- z-scoreStandardized deviation measure
rubric · equity · percentile rank · median · classroom dynamics · normal distribution · academic standards · mode · peer comparison · bias · class rank · honor roll · meritocracy · academic integrity · college admissions · pass/fail · extra credit · accountability