Grade Inflation

Grade Inflation

Grade inflation is a very serious problem today in schools that seems to go unsolved. The definition of grade inflation according to the dictionary is, “a rise in the average grade assigned to students; especially: the assigning of grades higher than previously assigned for given levels of achievement.” (Merriam-Webster, 2010) The following paragraphs will provide insight on some of the causes of grade inflation and possible remedies for this problem. This paper will also question the ethical issues raised when dealing with grade inflation and possible remedies for this problem that affects so many people.
Grade inflation has been around for many years. The following quote from a Harvard University report in 1894 shows everyone that grade inflation in universities is not a new problem, but instead an old one that has gone unsolved, “Grades A and B are sometimes given too readily … insincere students gain passable grades by sham work.” Although this quote proves that grade inflation was observed many years ago, it wasn’t until the 1960’s that rising grades became a major issue in American education. This being said you can see why so many people have different opinions about the issue of grade inflation versus students producing better work.
When most people talk about grade inflation many first think of an athletic environment. While this is true in some cases, in most it is not. Accusations of grade inflation are not only used when dealing with athletes, but with universities and schools. Statistics show that in many universities, including public and private schools, grade point averages continue to rise from year to year. Some speculate that this steady rise in grade point averages is due to brighter students, more informative teachers, or even a more educated society. Although some of these accusations can hold to be true, some ponder the idea that the steady rise in grades is due to grade inflation. While there are many...