Why Girls Tend to Get Better Grades Than Boys DoENRICO GNAULATI
The Atlantic
SEP 18 2014, 10:58 AM
These days, the whole school experience seems to play right into most girls’ strengths—and most boys’ weaknesses. Gone are the days when you could blow off a series of homework assignments throughout the semester but pull through with a respectable grade by cramming for and acing that all-important mid-term exam. Getting good grades today is far more about keeping up with and producing quality homework—not to mention handing it in on time.
This trend helps girls on average relative to boys, although there are conscientious boys and less-conscientious girls. It may also result in gifted students not getting grades that indicate their potential. In addition to overall letter grades it may be a good idea to show grades based on tests in each subject. Maybe overall grades should be a nonlinear function of homework and test grades. If you can solve every algebra problem your teacher throws at you on a test, arguably you should get an A for the class, even if you did not do many homework assignments.
