Good Grade Research Paper

Words: 675
Pages: 3

For many kids growing up in America's schools it's easy to get the message that good grades are everything. Straight A's, along with freely high SAT scores, are seen as the key to gaining entry into elite colleges and prestigious careers, but does a 4.0 ensure success later in life? The U.S.grading system was created more than a century ago, as a measure of academic achievement, but in recent years, grades have become an overwhelming source of anxiety. A 2002 University of Michigan study revealed 80% of students based their self-worth on their grades. The lower their grades, the lower their self-esteem, and self-esteem isn't the only thing that suffers. Research shows that chasing after perfect grades discourages creativity and reduces academic …show more content…
Many of the valedictorians admitted they weren't the smartest students. Instead, they described themselves the hardest workers who gave the teachers what they wanted, rather than exploring the material on a deeper level and taking risks. If grades don't correlate with long-term success, and they take a toll on well being, is there a better approach? In a worldwide study of student assessment, Finland constantly ranks at or near the top and academic achievement, far ahead of the U.S.. In Finland, tests and grades play a much smaller role and Finland is still credited as one of the best systems in the world. 93% of students graduate from academic or vocational secondary schools. For the first six years of school in Finland, there's no measure of a student's academic abilities. The only standardized test given is a final exam at the end of senior year in high school, yet Finland students rank top 10 in the world for academic performance. Year over year, a growing number of educators in the US are calling for new ways to teach kids instead of simply memorizing