<p>I serve as a TA for the math department at my university and I was helping administer a test for the only instructor teaching a face-to-face class this last month. It was a calculus test, a class I've already taken and excelled at. I had to administer a test for this one girl who I know personally and know she's just REALLY not good at math for any reason. When she turned in her test, I looked over it to see what questions she'd gotten right since she'd failed every test prior and knew there was no way she'd pass. It was a 10 question test with multiple parts to each question. She'd only answered maybe two parts of two separate questions correctly that were only worth 5 points each. The instructor does give partial credit, but what happened the next day was ridiculous.</p>
<p>Well the day the instructor came to claim the test was the same day he was administering the final exam (the next day). I think he was in such a hurry that he just gave her a 70 because he didn't have time to grade her exam.</p>
<p>I KNOW she didn't deserve a 70 for ANY reason on this exam. I can see this happening in high school, but COLLEGE? Really? I hang out with this girl every now and then but I REALLY don't think she should pass. With this test grade of 70 and dropping of the lowest test grade, she's actually going to pass the class! It's none of my business to say that the instructor isn't grading properly, but how do I bring this problem up since I'll be taking a class with this instructor this coming semester? It wasn't really any of my business to be looking at her test to begin with, so I'm kind of stuck... The instructor is supposed to turn in final grades either today or tomorrow.</p>
<p>I think the instructor might be offended not only that you questioned his grading, but also that you looked over the girl’s test. I think you should really just keep it to yourself, to be honest. Especially if you’re going to be dealing with this instructor this next semester. It would might make things awkward for you, and it wasn’t even your grade to begin with. And you also said you hang out with this girl sometimes. If she were to find out that you were the reason that she failed, I don’t think she’d be so quick to hang out with you. Overall, it really is none of your business what grade the instructor chooses to give. If you have serious moral objections to it, then say something to the professor. I really just don’t see it going well for you.</p>
<p>“And you also said you hang out with this girl sometimes. If she were to find out that you were the reason that she failed, I don’t think she’d be so quick to hang out with you.”</p>
<p>The TA wouldn’t be “the reason why she failed”, she did that on her own. The TA’s story sound like a serious problem. Is there a way to report this anonymously? Even if there isn’t you should find a way to report it somewhere, go to the media if you have to. This case represents almost everything wrong with higher education.</p>
<p>Let this go and don’t ever mention it again.</p>
<p>If you feel comfortable asking the professor how he graded the test, then feel free to ask. Try not to sound accusatory, and just ask how it was graded.</p>
<p>If you weren’t the TA for this particular class and/or you weren’t responsible for grading the tests, then you really have no business looking at the test or questioning the grading policy. You don’t know how he graded the test, or if other things (like a curve or extra credit) were incorporated into the grade. For one class I TA-ed, there were students who I never dreamed would pass a class, but because of extra credit, discussion section points, and curves, they actually passed. Crazier things have happened. If you think the professor’s grading policy is too lenient, talk to him about it.</p>
<p>If you’re really concerned, ask him how he graded the tests, just because you are confused about it. But if you weren’t responsible for grading the tests, you really shouldn’t have been looking through it. It’s someone else’s exam, and even if you do know her, she may not have appreciated you looking through it.</p>
<p>You had NO business looking at any test without explicit permission from the instructor.</p>
<p>If you’re not grading, you don’t really get a say in it… besides, you don’t know what the rubric was, if effort/participation/curve played into it, etc. And it’s not really any of your business what students get on their exams. Especially in the case where a student might’ve gotten more points than they deserved, I would just keep quiet about it.</p>
<p>I agree with romani - this is not ANY of your business.</p>