G.C. Sloan: Physics 2305, April Grade Report

Physics 2305: April Grade Report

There are two purposes to the grade report. First, so that you can check our records for errors. Second, to give you some feedback on where you stand in the course.

If you are missing a problem set score, please bring the graded problem set to me and I'll correct the error in the spreadsheet. If you think you turned it in but don't have it, I may or may not be able to correct the error. You should see me about it and we'll see what we can do.

Now that we have two exams under our belt, the letter grades contained in your April grade report can be a little more precise. So they include "+" and "-" grades. But a few comments are in order:

(1) I haven't shifted the boundaries into gaps, and I haven't rounded up or down. A bit more thought will go into where the cut-offs are located when I determine final grades.
(2) You can see exactly how close you are to a cut-off by consulting the table below.
(3) Your grade now is no guarantee of any grade in the future, since no one knows how you will do, or how the class as a whole will perform, for the rest of the semester.
(4) There is no such thing as an "F+". I'm using this to indicate to failing students whether or not they're close to a "D-".
(5) The current mean corresponds to a straight C. It's quite possible that by the end of the semester, the mean will correspond to a high C. It's remotely possible that it will rise as high as the C/C+ boundary.
(6) Your scores don't include any lab grades. I won't see these until the end of the semester. You could be in for a nasty surprise if you have missed one or more labs, since each missing lab reduces your grade one step (e.g. from "C-" to "D+"). I estimate that 10 more students will fail the course because of this than the tables below reflect.

The grades are based on:

36%	Total weight
12%	Exam 1
15%	Exam 2
6%	Problem sets
3%	Quizzes

Some facts:

My last rolls still included 257 students, although I know that at least 3 of these have since dropped.
254 students took Exam 1; 244 have grades for Exam 2.
For the sample of 247 students who I believe are still attempting the course:
- Mean course average = 63.94 (corresponds to a straight C)
- Median course average = 65.65
- Average problem set score = 7.70
- Average quiz score = 5.86

The breakdown:

Grade:	A	B	C	D	F
Number:	25	65	96	44	27
Percent:	10	25	37	17	11

Grade	Grade cut-off	Rank cut-off	Number of students
A	88	10	10
A-	84	25	15
B+	80	42	17
B	74	68	26
B-	70	90	22
C+	67	114	24
C	60	155	41
C-	52	186	31
D+	48	204	18
D	43	219	15
D-	40	230	11
F+	36	237	7
F	25	247	10
F (MIA)	0	257	10

(MIA means Missing In Action. These people aren't sitting for exams.)

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