Contract grading? What is it and what does it consist of? Well, contrary to the initial mental image that the name may evoke, it does not involve any lawyers or potentially signing your life away. Instead, it’s the idea that students can pick exactly what grade they either want or think they deserve. Sounds almost too good to be true, right? While, like all things, it comes with a price. In this case, in exchange for one’s chosen grade, their teacher assigns them a set amount of work to do. For lower grades, there is less work, and to earn a higher grade, there is more.
On campus, some faculty members are working to implement this new method of grading. English Teacher and Scroll Advisor Justin Romick is currently implementing grading contracts in his senior English elective, Off The Shelf: A Tutorial. Students in the course elect for a grading range and agree to satisfy the requirements; for instance, the 95-100 range outlines four seven-page essays and reading a minimum of seven books. At the end of the term, students receive a grade within their range, as long as they uphold the requirements of their contract.
Without the pressure of an unknown grade at the end of the course, some students feel that it has accelerated their capacity to learn and actively enjoy time in the classroom. “It’s more enjoyable because you’re not worrying about what grade you’re going to get, or how many times you need to speak in class in order to get a good grade,” said Farouk Mukhtar ’24, a student in Off the Shelf. “Contract grading has really unleashed my true potential when it comes to engagement.”
Some students feel this academic freedom is not accessible in conventional grading systems. Xavier Armas ’24 is not currently in a contract-graded class, but enjoys the idea of someday being in one. “Regular grading really ties us down,” he said. “Our abilities are limited as people to fully develop and be well rounded when there is the pressure of traditional grad-
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Dean of Academic Affairs Anne Bruder stated the academic vitality found in contract grading is the objective of the model. “The idea of contract grading is that it puts the focus on the learning, not on any ideal object at the end,” she said.
However, there is uncertainty about whether or not contract grading will spread across campus. “There is not [an institutional prerogative] at this time,” Dr. Bruder said. “However, the implementation of non-traditional grading methods is a great way to ask, ‘What is learning?’” Only time will tell if classes with contract grading will repeatedly succeed and cement themselves as a structural component of Deerfield’s educational systems.