LETTING GO OF THE ZERO: MINIMUM GRADING STRATEGIES TO REDUCE EQUITY GAPS

In a traditional 100-point grading scale, students have a 60% chance of failing, unlike any other letter grade. While faculty may create smaller, 10-20-point assignments, typically teaching faculty use the 100-point scale (or more) for major assignments, such as exams and projects. Scores can vary significantly from teacher to teacher, especially when material is subjective in nature (Starch and Elliott, 1913).

When a zero is assigned because no work is submitted, it may be mathematically impossible for a student to academically recover. Instead, assigning 50% for assignments as a minimum grade still delivers a failing grade, but one that still has an opportunity for student success.

Minimum grading is an effective strategy for two significant populations. First, it targets poor performances early in the grading process. Prior research demonstrates increased motivation for students who were not “doomed to fail” after a catastrophic start to a course. Next, minimum grading provides protections for students who may have disruptive but intermittent catastrophic performances during a semester. Students mostly likely to have these disruptions include students from low-income families, victims of violence, personal tragedy, temporary homelessness, immigrant students, and those with weaker personal safety nets. Previous work on a large K-12 system indicated a minimum grading policy did not lead to widespread social promotion or grade inflation.

At Monroe Community College, a two-year comprehensive community college in Rochester, NY, minimum grades were awarded over four semesters in online Physical Geology lecture and lab courses. Previously published student outcome data (Colosimo et al., 2022) indicated significant racial equity gaps in “C or better” rates, which impact transfer to four-year institutions as well as diversity in the geosciences overall. Student success data will be presented before and after minimum grading was applied, including data related to student demographics and self-reported motivation levels.