The scale for each quiz or exam below is created after the quiz or exam is graded. These are the cutoffs that will inserted into the announced grading formulas to determine the "raw score" cutoffs for final grades.The cutoffs given below are the bottom for the "flat" grade, not the minus grade. (For example, if the cutoff listed for a B is 50 points, then 50 is a B and 49 is a B-). The A- cutoff is 1/3 of the way down from the A cutoff to the B cutoff, the B+ cutoff is 1/3 of the way up from the B cutoff to the A cutoff, the B- cutoff is 1/3 of the way down from the B cutoff to the C cutoff, etc. (except that I do not give D-'s; anything lower than the D cutoff is an E).
A cutoff like "17.5" in a grade-scale does not mean that any half-points were given to any student on the corresponding assignment or exam; it simply means that I thought 18 was too high for the cutoff and 17 was too low.
Each average below, except for quiz totals, was computed from the scores of only those students who took that quiz. The average for total quiz points was computed just from currently-registered students, but averages-in zeroes for missed quizzes.
Quizzes
Scores (and cutoffs) for the different quizzes are simply added together at the end of the semester. Example: if there are only two quizzes, worth 25 points and 30 points respectively, and the "A" cutoffs are 22 and 26 respectively, then the "A" cutoff for the quiz/homework component of the final grade is 48 out of a possible 55. A student earning 24 points on each of the two quizzes would have the same homework grade as a student earning 18 points on the first assignment and 30 points on the second.
A B C D class average Quiz 1 (20 points) 18
(90%)16
(80%)14
(70%)12
(60%)17.8
(89%)Quiz 2 (20 points) 18
(90%)15
(75%)13
(65%)10
(50%)16.7
(83%)Quiz 3 (20 points) 18
(90%)15
(75%)12
(60%)9
(45%)15.8
(79%)Quiz 4 (20 points) 18
(90%)15
(75%)12
(60%)10
(50%)16.8
(84%)Quiz 5 (20 points) 17
(85%)15
(75%)12
(60%)10
(50%)16.0
(80%)Quiz 6 (20 points) 18
(90%)15
(75%)12
(60%)10
(50%)12.7
(64%)Quiz 7 (20 points) 17
(85%)14
(75%)12
(60%)9
(50%)15.5
(80%)Quiz 8 (20 points) 18
(85%)16
(75%)14
(60%)12
(50%)15.4
(80%)Quiz totals (160 points) ) 142
(89%)121
(76%)102
(64%)82
(51%)127
(80%)
Midterm Exams
A B C D class median class average Exam 1 (114 points) 94.5
(83%)80.5
(71%)57
(50%)39.5
(35%)70
(61%)61.4
(54%)list of scores Exam 2 (125 points) 108
(86%)92
(74%)67.5
(54%)49.5
(40%)73
(58%)71.2
(57%)list of scores
Final Exam (207 "regular" points plus 12 Extra Credit points)
A B C D class median class average Final Exam (207) points) 177
(86%)149
(72%)104.5
(50%)74
(36%)121
(58%)123
(59%)list of scores
Raw-score cutoffs for each grade
See Canvas "Assignment" and syllabus for explanation.
max possible A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D 1000 861 818 775 731 670 610 549 502 456 409
Distribution of final grades for course
A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D E Number of students receiving grade 3 0 2 1 2 2 0 0 2 1 4 In a class as small as ours was, underperformance of a small number of students on the final exam can have an outsized effect on the distribution of final grades. In our case, one student who'd been getting straight A's all semester didn't show up for the final. (Fortunately, he had already amassed enough raw-score points for a C-or-better grade for the course, even with a zero on the final.) Another student who'd been running an A/A- performed uncharacteristically poorly on the final. Had these students performed on the final in line with even their worst performance on the midterms, there would have been two more A/A- grades.
At the lower end of the scale, of the four students who received E's, three did not show up for the final exam. In fairness, even had these students taken the final, they probably would not have raised their course-grades to a C, but at least they would not have guaranteed themselves an E, the only failing grade. (As mentioned in the syllabus: an unfortunate number of students, faculty, and even advisors, have come to refer to every grade less than C as "failing". This is not the correct meaning of "failing grade", nor has it ever been; see this catalog page.)
If you have a question about your grade or would like to look at your graded exam, please come to my office hours after January 13 (check my home webpage after Jan. 12 for my schedule). I will not send or discuss grades by email.