By Madison McManus
89%. Those two digits strike fear into the hearts of thousands of students in schools across America. Yet, there is a remedy: extra credit. An additional worksheet, after school tutoring session, or test correction assignment can magically transform an “above average” grade into an “excellent” one, salvage a GPA and make that “reach school” attainable. However, many students are calling foul play by questioning whether or not it is ethical to provide extra assignments to select students. They fear extra credit could potentially demonstrate favoritism. So, is that “last-week-of-the-quarter” lifeline utilized by scholars everywhere a denotation of merit, or a completely reasonable means of grade recovery?
We've all been there, whether we'd like to admit it or not: it's the last day of the quarter and all of your grades, except for one, are A's. To make matters worse, that one B is 1% away from becoming a "perfect score." At the end of class, you make your way up to your teacher's desk where you plead for the opportunity to stay after school or ad lib your next essay. It's not uncommon; rather, it's a situation that many students find themselves in and the majority of students that have taken advantage of extra credit would testify that it's beneficial. Moreover, some teachers say that extra credit gives students the opportunity to go above and beyond in the classroom, providing them with additional knowledge and support that enhances their learning experience. According to AboutEducation, assignments that involve creating a model, performing additional research, and gathering sources are effective and meaningful ways to boost a student's grade without allowing him or her to slack off or replace crucial assignments with less studious ones. Therefore, many say when given the proper assignment, students offered extra credit are participating in an additional academic experience, rather than simply performing meaningless busywork.
Yet some students say that many teachers aren't providing students with positive and relevant assignments in exchange for a grade boost. In fact, many say that professors are offering their pupils basic remedial work that has little to do with the course topic. According to Small Pond Science, extra credit may be considered unfair because it provides certain students with opportunities to complete irrelevant tasks to improve their grade without ever notifying the other students in the course. However, many of these "credit critics" agree that extra assignments completed in order to change a student's grade from a D or F to a passing grade are ethical because they provide necessary remediation that really makes a difference.
Despite these minor exceptions, it is not surprising that many students and parents across the nation are asking whether or not the grades published at the end of the semester are true representations of the knowledge of the students in their classes. The question to ponder is whether our education system simply provides extra opportunities to gain knowledge or if there something more sinister beneath the surface?
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