When you ask educators what one of the worst parts of their jobs is, they will usually respond with “grading.” While it doesn’t have to be the worst part of our jobs, it certainly can be. And for those of us in professions-focused departments, schools, and colleges, grading doesn’t seem to reflect the professional expectations of our students.

Enter contract grading.

What is it?: Most simply, contract grading is when you assign a letter grade based on the amount of work a student submits. Contract grading removes the subjectivity of traditional grading practices.

Some have questioned if this grading method causes students to produce lower-quality work. But it doesn’t if done correctly. Contract grading is best utilized if there are quality expectations and quantity needs.

Here’s an example:

For a student to receive an “A” at the end of Journalism Ethics, he/she/they must accomplish the following:

• Meet all assignment deadlines
• Submit a final paper, paper outline, annotated bibliography, and topic proposal
• Submit a case study analysis
• Perform the role of discussion leader for two classes
• Active participation in each class

For a student to receive a “B” at the end of Journalism Ethics, he/she/they must accomplish the following:

• Meet 95% of assignment deadlines
• Submit a final paper and two of the three additional assignments: paper outline, annotated bibliography, and topic proposal
• Submit a case study analysis
• Perform the role of discussion leader for two classes
• Active participation in each class

For a student to receive a “C” at the end of Journalism Ethics, he/she/they must accomplish the following:

• Meet 90% of assignment deadlines
• Submit a final paper and one of the three additional assignments: paper outline, annotated bibliography, and topic proposal
• Submit a case study analysis
• Perform the role of discussion leader for one class
• Participate in most classes

Each assignment will have a coordinating assignment sheet that outlines the work’s quality expected for submission. If a student doesn’t meet the minimum qualifications for the assignment, the assignment will not be considered part of a final grade.

You will notice that there are consistent items in each part of the contract grade. For example, students must submit a final paper and case study analysis in all three cases. But you will also notice subtle shifts in requirements, such as the percentage of deadlines being made, the amount of assignments one submits, and the role of participation and discussion.

The idea of grades being contracted in this way tends to more effectively represent professional life. I also find that contract grading offers me an opportunity to spend more time on feedback without restrictions–especially as more and more students argue for their grades.

When I use contract grading, I still use rubrics but not for the purpose of subjectivity. Rather, I use them as a way to engage in grading conversations. The skills areas I am looking at are neatly outline in my rubric and they become jumping-off points for my feedback. For example, maybe a student is really struggling with the use of quotes in their journalistic story. I may mark that on the rubric as needing improvement and then offer more critical feedback on the story to help them see what I feel that way and how they actually can improve. That “Needs Improvement” isn’t a grade though; it is a way for a student to see how they can grow in their job (as a student and their future profession).

Even though I still use rubrics when I take this approach, many others do not. I firmly see this as a matter of preference and approach. It may help more inexperienced instructors to use a rubric to guide their assessment. Or, if students are more contentious, a rubric gives that structure to help support your argument.

It is important that you communicate your desire to do this to curriculum teams or department leaders. While academic freedom is incredibly important, it is also critical that this is something that will not disrupt the learning sequence of students. However, you may not have that academic barrier.