Mid-Term Grades

I know that administrations feel that by giving a student a mid-term grade, that student will understand where s/he is on the learning curve of the course and adjust his/her efforts accordingly.  What administrations don't understand is that often we professors do not structure courses so that half of the material has been completed or properly evaluated.  What's worse, is that often mid-term grades are a quick run through of skill assignments or quizzes that, in the end, account for only 20-30% of the final grade.  This is hardly indicative of a student's standing, nor is it very helpful.

As a matter of face, mid-term grades can either discourage a student who thinks that the grade is one that can't be raised sufficiently prior to the semester's end or can give a student a false sense of accomplishment that s/he will do as well on the harder independent assignments that are to follow.

For adjuncts, compiling mid-term grades is an unnecessary drain on resources.  Hours are spent in a rush to provide the most accurate picture for the student, even when we know it's not that accurate.  I'd rather have a student come up to me and ask, "how am I doing, and what can I change to do better?" because this will allow me to better guide the student through the remainder of the course. 

In my opinion, mid-term grades are an outdated practice.  Administrators may have a need to track at this time, and concerned parents who have their student's permission to check on such thing, may feel that this is a good way to make sure their investment is actually performing in classes, but pedagogically, it serves little or no purpose.  Students don't take them seriously, and, frankly, neither do too many professors.