The difference between 89.9% and 90% can be decided by an extra credit assignment. Whether it’s a last-ditch effort for an impossible AP or some extra peace of mind for a throwaway class, extra credit points are highly sought after but should be used with caution.
With the increased use of ChatGPT, it is easy for an extra credit assignment to be done within minutes with a quick search. Regardless of what students may think, teachers have gone so far as to change their extra credit assignments to prevent cheating.
“I used to have a mathematician’s essay on my list. I took it off this year, mostly because of the easy availability of ChatGPT. I am uninterested in reading what ChatGPT has to say about a mathematician,” Math teacher Rachel Andres said.
If extra credit assignments are done in line with M-A’s Academic Integrity Policy, the payoff can be great. “It can have a big impact on their grade depending on how much homework they do. There can be a change of 2-3% overall,” Andres said.
She has implemented extra credit assignments since 2007 or 2008, there is a list of tasks all relating to Geometry. From circle tasks to worksheets to watching videos, a student can choose to do some or all of them depending on how much of the grade boost they feel is necessary.
Some teachers don’t see extra credit as necessary or helpful. “I have a very liberal grading policy with late assignments. Most students don’t realize that if they just completed their assignment, their grades would increase vastly compared to extra credit. However, they feel it is the easier, quicker solution,” English teacher Anton Gerth said.
Extra credit assignments can be much more work than their small percentage boost as seen with classes such as Spanish 4. Extra credit points are given when a student seeks out an activity that will require them to use their Spanish-speaking skills outside of a classroom (ranging from 5-10 points). A student can earn up to 50 points per semester, resulting in a 1% grade boost total. A proposal must be completed 48 hours before the event, and a reflection with pictures and videos at the event must be submitted afterward. Students often do the extra credit because the class does not round, even with a heartbreaking 89.9%.
Extra credit is given in Laurel Simons’ AS Algebra 2 through packets at the end of each semester. With her other Algebra 1 and 2 classes, she decides to pick some assignments that are worth extra credit, but she doesn’t see it as necessary.
“It doesn’t boost a student’s grade too much, and that’s how it should be,” Simons said.
“I don’t see extra credit as a very equitable practice because, generally, the students who have the time and ability to work on extra credit are only a small number of kids in the class. If I offer extra credit, I want to make sure that it’s available to everyone and that everyone can access it,” Simons continued.
Regardless of the extra credit a student needs, it doesn’t have ‘extra’ in it for no reason. Extra time and resources are spent on the subject, so if a student keeps up with their assignments, the option might not be necessary. However, there is always the anxiety that the final can go disastrously wrong. In that case, study hard!
