Companies that do business with the D.C. government might soon find themselves literally toiling for a good grade. The D.C. Council is considering legislation that would establish a marking system for all firms contracting with the District, including the local, small and disadvantaged enterprises. The bill spells it out: Just like high school students at the end of a semester, every contractor would receive a grade from A to F once the work is done, based on an evaluation process to be developed by the mayor.

The better the grade, the more likely a company is to win other jobs, according to the legislation. And firms that do poor work would get weeded out, allowing the District to make better use of the $2 billion it spends annually on contracting and procurement.