From owner-cse191-sp08-list@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU  Sun Mar  9 11:39:42 2008
Date:         Sun, 9 Mar 2008 11:39:30 -0400
From: "William J. Rapaport" <rapaport@cse.Buffalo.EDU>
Subject: 191: Mid Semester Grade Estimates
To: CSE191-SP08-LIST@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU

For each of you, I have computed a midsemester grade estimate
by averaging your midterm exam letter grade with a midsemester
recitation-section letter grade that your TA gave me.

The algorithm for comuting the midsemester recitation-section
letter grade was:

1.  Take the set of all HW (and any quiz) grades.
2.  Drop the lowest letter grade from this set.
3.  Compute the average of the remaining letter grades
4.  Call this the "HW" average
5.  Of the 6 recitation meetings so far,
      if student attended all 6, then give them A
      elsif they attended 3-5, then give them C
      elsif they attended <3, then give them F
6.  Call this the "ATT" grade.
7.  Let Recit letter grade = (HW + ATT)/2

Neither of these procedures for estimating a grade is necessarily
the one that will be used for the final grade, but they do give a
reasonable **estimate** of where you stand **currently**.

I am not allowed to post these grades, because of privacy issues.
However, if you email me or come see me during office hours after
the break, I will tell you your midsemester grade estimate.

For the recitation-section grade, the class average was C+.
Averaging this with the midterm exam grade yields a midsemester
class average of C+.  Both UB and I define "C" as "average"
(see:
http://undergrad-catalog.buffalo.edu/policies/grading/explanation.shtml
)

Thus, I would consider the overall work so far to be slightly **above**
average.