Grade Inflation

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College students never seem to be fully content with their grades due to different reasons. Some do not put forth effort when it comes to school work, while others prioritize school and their future and of course there are students who just get by. How are grades supposed to separate the great from the good or the hard working from the smart? Grade inflation is the awarding of higher grades than students deserve either to maintain school’s academic reputation or as a result of diminished teacher expectations. Professors boost grades either to make themselves look better or to help the student out in hopes of that student finding a future job. But what about the others? Grade inflation has made it hard to separate students from their actual …show more content…

The purpose of a grading system is so that one can have something to base their efforts off of and to use it as a lead when furthering their education or starting a career. Grades and grade point averages (GPA), have and always will be a competition. You are capable to compete if the grades you are earning are an efficient reflection of the criteria the class is based off of. A question that college students are commonly asked by another colleague is “was that class an easy A” or even “did you have an easy professor.” With the correct grading system, that shouldn’t be an issue however grade inflation has made receiving an “A” a challenge in today’s …show more content…

OU does not believe in the plus/minus grading system which is used by other colleges and universities because the best and the very good would be separated by a simple sign. Those students who work hard and study religiously are the ones who deserve an A instead of an A+ or an A-. A plus/minus grading system is not only difficult for students but also for teachers and professors because who determines what really separates a B+ from a B-? Having a regular grading system makes it clear for students on which category they fall into. In a faculty debate, over a plus/minus grading system, Michael Bemben states that “you don't get rewarded at the top end but you can get penalized at the bottom end” (Tyree, James). Unlike Ellenburg, I do not believe that both systems have the same discriminatory power because in my opinion an A- is still classified as a student who deserves to have the “best”

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