You Can't Argue With An A+ ... Or Can You?

My eldest daughter completed 4th grade and one of the subjects she had some trouble with is science. So when she brought home her final science test from the last week of school with an A+ I was more than impressed. She is proud that she got 98% and so am I. An A+! I remember that pinnacle grade being for perfect scores or the best in the class, so I asked "Did anyone else get an A+?". My daughter named off a couple of kids including one who "got 105%". Okay, a little under a quarter of the class got A+ ... I am used to the idea of extra credit problems and self esteem boosters and grade inflation. So I asked "Did everyone get good grades?". "Well, not everyone" was her reply. Apparently there were B's and C's and so-and-so "got an F". I repeated "She got an F" with a bit of an inquisitive tone. My daughter's reply was "She got an F, but she said she tried her best". There was that handy delusional excuse for failure again. I knew that if so-and-so indeed tried her best and failed it would be proof she needed remedial classes. But I left it with "If she really did her best and studied would she have gotten an F?". My daughters thoughtful reply was "Well ... um ... no". And no, you can't argue with an A+ ... even with grade dilution, it is the best.

I got an A+ in a college course. I got every point on every assignment and test. I aced the class with a perfect score and was pleasantly surprised when the professor reported my grade as an A+. Unfortunately those were the days when an A+ counted the same as an A (4.0 GPA) and my final transcript showed it as an A. But I remember. An A+ is its own reward!