ASP has received many questions regarding the bell-curve, normalization, and how the process works. In an effort to give you the most accurate information possible, ASP has recruited Assistant Registrar Ivan Noe to set the record straight:
Normalization
is the process of standardizing grades. Depending on the format of a course, an
instructor must maintain a distribution, a mean (or median), or both. If an
instructor submits grades that are not normalized, they are “kicked back” by
the Registrar’s Office with an explanation of what changes need to be made.The
following information will assist you in understanding exactly how final grades
are determined at Whittier Law School.
Distribution
|
Grade Range
|
First Year
Courses
|
Upper Level
Courses
(21 or more
students)
|
|
3.6 – 4.0 (A)
|
0-10%
|
15-30%
|
|
3.0 – 3.5 (B)
|
15-25%
|
30-50%
|
|
3.0 – 4.0
(A-B)
|
15-30%
|
50-70%
|
|
2.3 – 2.9 (C)
|
35-65%
|
20-40%
|
|
1.8 – 2.2 (D)
|
20-35%
|
5-20%
|
|
1.7 (F)
|
0-10%
|
0-10%
|
|
2.3 – 1.7
(D-F)
|
20-35%
|
5-20%
|
The
table above illustrates what the distribution for both first year and upper
level (with 21 or more students) courses entails.
According
to the distribution rules, for any given first year course a professor
may assign a grade of 3.6 or higher to no more than 10% of the class. For
example, if a Torts class consists of 100 students no more than 10 students
will receive an A as their final grade. Keep in mind that with the distribution
rules for first year courses, a professor does not have to assign any A’s at
all (the interval is 0-10%). An upper level course of 100 students,
however, will reward at least 15 (but no more than 30) students a grade of 3.6
or higher (assuming the course has more than 21 students). It is very important
to understand that the number of students in a class will affect the
distribution. Also please be aware that within the distribution exist two
additional distributions (highlighted above in the illustration). A
professor can only assign a certain number of A and B grades (as well as D and
F grades): no less than 15 but no more than 30% of a first year course and no
less than 50 but no more than 70% of an upper level course (with 21 or more
students). Because of this additional distribution, a professor of a first year
course cannot assign 10 A’s and 25 B’s; although they fall within their
individual ranges, they do not meet the additional distribution.
Course
Mean (and Median)
The
mean for a first year course must fall between 2.50 and 2.75 points (although
instructors may raise the mean to 2.85 if necessary for his/her course).
For an upper level course that is not a seminar and has more than ten
students the mean must fall within the range of 3.10 to 3.30 points. This mean
also applies to Lawyering Process Courses (including Legal Writing). Seminars
and classes with ten or fewer students are not required to maintain a
standardized mean. Instead, Instructors are required to maintain a median
between 3.20 and 3.50 points.
|
Course Format
|
Normalization Rules
|
|
First Year Course
|
Distribution, Mean of
2.50-2.75 points (or 2.85 if necessary)
|
|
Upper Division Course
(10 or fewer Students)
|
Median of 3.20 – 3.50
points
|
|
Upper Division Course
(11-21 Students)
|
Mean of 3.10 – 3.30
points
|
|
Upper Division Course
(21 or more Students)
|
Distribution, Mean of
3.10 – 3.30 points
|
|
Lawyering Process
|
Mean of 3.10 – 3.30
points
|
|
Seminars
|
Median of 3.20 – 3.50
points
|
Ivan
Noe
Assistant Registrar
(714) 444-4141 ext. 206
Assistant Registrar
(714) 444-4141 ext. 206
With that in mind, ASP Graduate Teaching Fellow Heather Seigler created this "very official" chart as a visual aid:
 |
| "Very Official" Normalization Chart |
If you have any questions please come to our Spring Office Hours (listed in the previous post)!
