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Grading
Standards
Below
is one history professor’s explanation of grading standards.
These standards will provide you with a good sense of an
instructor's expectations when grading your papers.
Generally, your professors are grading on:
A
to B: Above Average
To
receive an A or a B, an essay must be focused around
(or attentive to) a central argument that demonstrates
logic, thought, and originality.
-
This argument should be based upon the writer’s own
analysis of the primary historical sources found
in the course reader.
-
The
argument is developed in a clear and logical manner;
it is supported with specific, relevant, and accurate
historical evidence.
-
An
A-B essay integrates information from the textbook,
the video lectures, and the course reader.
-
The
essay is clear and easy to read: it contains few
(if any) grammatical or typographical errors.
-
In
sum, the essay demonstrates excellent analytical skills
and the writer’s ability to present and relate historical
information in a meaningful manner.
-
A “C” essay contains a thoughtful central
argument, but this argument is inconsistently supported.
For example, the argument is supported with insufficient
or inaccurate historical evidence, or with unclear or
illogical organization.
-
The
essay overly relies on information from the textbook,
rather than on the writer’s own analysis of the primary
sources in the course reader.
-
The
essay’s message is weakened by occasional lapses
in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
-
In
sum, the essay meets the basic requirements of the
assignment, but the level of analysis and originality
is not as high as in the A-B essay.
-
A “D-F” essay lacks a focused argument, or the
argument demonstrates little original thought and analysis.
-
Development
and support of the argument is weak, lacking concrete
or relevant historical evidence.
-
The
essay does not critically engage the primary sources in
the course reader. It ignores some or all of the assignment
guidelines.
-
Its
message is obscured by typographical and grammatical errors.
-
In
sum, the essay does not meet college-level standards
of historical analysis.
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