Gayle, There may be a responsible use for EC, and each teacher and institution has to decide where and under what circumstances they use it. My classes use a grading system that is comprised of usually about six main components (homework, quizzes, projects, professional development, mid-term, and final exam), each with a cluster of opportunities for a student to earn points. Giving a point in say, quizzes is no big thing. But a student who is a whole percentage point away from the next grade is not "just a point", but may represent many components - potential learning segments they did not legitimately earn. So for me, I just choose not to go down the EC road. Barry Westling