I realise this is a bit of an old thread, but in answer to your question Rob yes there is a ticket on the tracker for this issue... MDL-17258.
As this problem has a negative impact on a larger project I'm working on at the moment, I've been asked by my employer to develop a patch to resolve this ticket.
I've started a new forum thread discussing the problem and asking for ideas and suggestions from the community if you or the other posters would like to contribute.
Gradebook
gradebook letter grade an item
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