Effort is an essential quality often valued or recognized more than the result. The phrase “A for effort” is commonly used to assure someone that the effort they put in was enough and that, regardless of the outcome, their contribution was valued. While effort is very important, the older a person gets, the more important success becomes. Effort should be seen as complementary to success, especially since a person's effort can be changed but not always their performance.
Receiving a grade based on your mastery of a class's standards or expectations is essential for student development. Being able to judge a student based on how well they perform allows the highest achievers to reach impactful positions in society. The Pareto Principle suggests that 20 percent of the workforce is responsible for 80 percent of the work. This means that a minority of highly qualified individuals are merely assisted by effort but mostly driven by talent or performance. In medicine, doctors must be as competent as possible, whether it be in terms of surgery or just prescribing doses of medication. Would you rather have a surgeon operate on you who put in a lot of effort but didn't pass a test or one who scored highly? Most people would want the latter. When a student receives a grade that reflects their performance and not the effort they put in, it can serve as both a motivator and important feedback.
On the other hand, work ethic and hard work are also important. In recent surveys, two-thirds of college students feel that “trying hard” and the amount of effort they put in should be important contributors to the grade they get. Different people have different gifts and talents, but without hard work and dedication, they will not be able to fully develop them. Hard work will take a person further than talent alone. Even though a person who puts in less effort in a class and gets the same grade as a hardworking student might have more potential, they cannot fully realize it. They must reach a point where they can take steps to learn how to work hard and have good habits. On the other hand, the person who works hard will continue to grow in the long run — fulfilling their potential.
A study published in the New York Times showed that contrary to popular assumptions, too much grit can be ineffective. In a 2024 study, people were first tested for their grit level with a survey, then were shown puzzles that had no solution. The people who received higher grit scores spent way more time on secretly impossible puzzles. Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist, explained that instead of people developing effective strategies to approach difficult problems, they can be pushed to persist with ineffective ones. What Grant is saying is crucial: effort is not enough and if misdirected can even lead to regression over progression. This means that while effort is undoubtedly important and should be valued and celebrated, it is ultimately a means to success. It is important to note that success may not be immediate; if effort is not contributing to success in the moment, it should still be valued as a trait that can have an impact and utility that leads to future success.
As mentioned above, different jobs require varying combinations of performance and effort, and evaluating effort as a separate evaluation grade would be an effective solution. Certain schools already do this with what is known as habits of scholarship. In a habits of scholarship system, students are “taught and assessed” on “character learning targets” throughout the school year. These habits of scholarship are evaluated separately from conventional grades.
Altogether, while effort in itself does not merit good grades, it should still be valued as a means to current or future success. Ideally, the surgeons we trust our lives with would both excel at their work and spend hours studying — being recognized for both their effort and performance.