Grade inflation
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In education, grade inflation occurs when the same level of performance in a class achieves a higher grade than it would have at an earlier point in time.
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Occurrence and commonality
Claims of grade inflation have a long history. In 1894, a Harvard University report concluded "Grades A and B are sometimes given too readily...insincere students gain passable grades by sham work" ("Report of the Committee on Raising the Standard"). The issue has steadily reappeared at many universities ever since.
It is widely claimed that disproportionately high grades are being given out, at least in the United States. But even these moderate claims are difficult to substantiate, often based on the self-reporting of a self-selected segment of the population. Some more thorough investigations have shown the opposite. Clifford Adelman, a senior research analyst with the U.S. Department of Education, reviewed official transcripts and found "grades actually declined slightly in the last two decades." [1]
For instances where grades are increasing, the work they are given for must be compared against a grade-independent standard. Such comparisons are hard to come by; national decreases in average SAT are uninformative since more students now take the SAT than before. Most institutional averages (e.g. the average SAT scores of Harvard entrants over time) show an increase, a likely cause of increased grades.
One of the strongest indications that grade inflation has been taking place in the United States is the experience of American exchange students in overseas schools. If it can be shown that these students are very surprised at the low grades they receive at foreign universities, this would show that either grade inflation has been taking place in the United States or that grade deflation has been occurring in other countries. Since the pressures that produce grade inflation are much stronger than the countervailing forces, then the former scenario would seem more likely.
Concerns regarding grade inflation
If grades are going up against an unchanging standard, this is only meaningful to the extent that grades and the standard are. If one does not believe the SAT reliably measures educational talent, then the fact that grade inflation has occurred with respect to it is of no consequence. (For example, if, as a number of studies have shown, the SAT primarily measures the environment a child grew up in, then one might not be too concerned that less privileged children are doing better than before.)
Similarly, if one believes the purpose of a school is to better oneself and gain an understanding of the subjects, then he might not care too much if people are getting better grades than before. Indeed, it could be a positive development since it might lessen the effects some argue that grades have. (See, e.g. Punished By Rewards by Alfie Kohn.)
Furthermore, those who use grades in determining life-outcomes for a student must act as if grade inflation had not occurred, taking the grades at their old, pre-inflated values. (Otherwise they could simply adjust and grade inflation would not be a serious issue.) This could happen either due to neglect, or due to constraints of the grading system itself. For example, if the grading system stipulates an absolute maximum grade, then the problem of picking out the "cream of the crop", discussed below, naturally comes into play.
There are several reasons why grade inflation is undesirable:
- Grade inflation may indicate a decline in academic standards.
- Grade inflation makes it more difficult to identify the truly exceptional students, as more students come to get the highest possible grade.
- Grade inflation is not uniform between schools. Both Stanford University and Harvard University, for example, are notorious for the way their grade inflation is more extreme than their peers. This places students in more stringently graded schools and departments at an inequitable disadvantage.
- Grade inflation is not uniform among disciplines. In the United States, it is commonly asserted that grade inflation is more pronounced in the humanities than in the mathematical sciences, leading students to misestimate the areas of study for which they are most talented.
Some arguments against these points, respectively:
- Higher grades are not necessarily indicative of a slackening of standards. As standardized test scores rise and schools become increasingly more selective, it could be argued that a greater fraction of students are doing work deserving of higher grades.
- Some argue it is not a school's job to sort students and furthermore, to the degree sorting has harmful effects, this is a benefit.
- Although grade inflation doesn't evenly distribute through departments, it is arguable, due to the subjective nature of grades, that interdepartmental grading practices were not even in the first place (e.g. how is one supposed to determine the English equivalent of an A's worth of work in Physics?)
Additionally, harder grade may be overrated, as studies have only shown that stringent grading is effective at boosting short-term retention; the long-term effects have found to be negligible. (Except for minority students, where studies have found the long-term effects are negative.)
For schools that do not modify their letter grade vs. grade-point reference regarding AP classes often inflate grades by means of an "AP curve", the formula for which is <math>y = \sqrt{x} \times 10</math>, where x is the true grade and y is the curved result. The effect of this curve increases for lower grades: a grade of 100 is unchanged, while a failing grade of 36 is padded by an additional 24 points, thus making it barely passing in most jurisdictions. The AP curve is generally considered a fair retribution for the added difficulty of AP classes.-->
Causes
An oft-cited cause for this is pressure upon the teacher: Educators are pressured by parents, students, and schools to give higher grades. This is especially true since, if other schools or teachers are inflating grades, any school or teacher that takes a "hold out" stance will place its students at a disadvantage. Some educators may feel pressured to give higher grades for fear of students complaining and diminishing their reputation and face lower enrollment in their classes.
Professor Hans Oberdiek of Swarthmore College explained during an introductory course in philosophy in 2003 that grade inflation began in earnest during the draft during the Vietnam War. Students with high enough grades could be exempted from the draft and so giving a student a C could be sending him to Vietnam. Needless to say, professors gave higher grades more readily so as not to have this dire outcome hanging over their heads. Before the war, "I used to give out C's like candy," Professor Oberdiek explained.
Many schools exhibit increases in grades that may not be related to a decrease in academic standards. Alternative theories regarding the increase in student grades over the years:
- More schools offer pass/fail options.
- Students are more focused upon career-preparation today, which means they are more likely to take classes which match their talents, and will be more-focused students.
Possible solutions
Ranked grading or grading on a curve provides a constant distribution of marks over a given range, since a student is only evaluated next to their peers. However, since each student is not marked on individual merit, those receiving high marks in a poorly performing class may well be less qualified than those receiving poor marks in a highly achieving class, and thus poorly reflects on the student's outcomes.
Recent Incidences
- Princeton University
In recent years, Princeton University had earned itself a reputation for awarding some of the highest average marks among the top American universities. In an attempt to combat this grade inflation and reverse this reputation, Princeton began in the fall of 2004 to employ strict guidelines which determined the grade distributions for the different courses. Under the new system no more than 35 percent of the students in any department are given A grades. Many argue that it places students at a disadvantage when they apply for employment or graduate and professional schools because of the comparatively lower marks on students' transcripts. The student body, for the most part, opposes this system of "grade deflation," but the administration stands by it, saying that other schools will soon follow - despite outright statements from other schools that say they have no plans to implement such policies.