<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2BikBs_0wEAKDWq00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2BikBs_0wEAKDWq00" width="900" height="600" ></figure>OXFORD, Miss. (WJTV) – A University of Mississippi professor argued in his new book that America’s obsession with grades is failing students and jeopardizing the future of education.Josh Eyler, director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Ole Miss, recently released “Failing Our Future: How Grades Harm Students, and What We Can Do About It.” In this new book, Eyler argues that the traditional grading system hurts students’ mental health, learning and even relationships between children and parents.Suicide is the third-leading cause of death in people aged 14-18. Additionally, over 70% of American high school students report anxiety and depression as being a “major” concern for their peers. The student mental health crisis may have been magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic, but its roots go much deeper.For Emily Pitts Donahoe, the center’s associate director of instructional support, this work speaks to the struggles of education before college.“We think a lot about ways to help students deal with academic stress, but we don’t always think about how to get to the root of those problems and actually mitigate some of the practices that are causing that stress,” Donahoe said.Students whose schools have received more funding often have more tutoring, teachers and student resources. They often receive higher grades, are more prepared for college and are selected for more opportunities. The book asserts that grades most often reflect the opportunities a student has been given, not how intelligent or capable they are.“States and local governments have historically diverted more funding to wealthy white communities and less funding to communities that historically marginalized groups have lived in,” Eyler said.Besides being a source of anxiety and inequity among students, Eyler posits that the current grading system is set up to reduce students’ innate desire and curiosity for learning.“Intrinsic motivation is what is necessary for deep learning to happen,” Eyler said. “People need to want to learn for their own sake. They need to be interested, curious about all those things in order to learn in a meaningful way.”Despite present obstacles, Eyler’s book emphasizes change happening close to home. Donahoe also believes that a broad adoption and willingness to change is the only way the current education system will improve overall.“I have a lot of freedom, especially in the higher ed space, to experiment,” Donahoe said. “But systemic change, it requires the cooperation of parents, administrators, K-12 teachers, higher ed teachers, even employers and graduate schools. It requires a lot of people.”Thanks for signing up!Watch for us in your inbox.Subscribe Now<h2>Daily News</h2>Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV. </div></body>

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Ole Miss professor gives F to America’s grading system

OXFORD, Miss. (WJTV) – A University of Mississippi professor argued in his new book that America’s obsession with grades is failing students and jeopardizing the future of education. Josh Eyler, director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Ole Miss, recently released “Failing Our Future:...