Grade Inflation Essay

2129 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Grade Inflation Gone Wild

In 1960 to 2014 the average GPA of students raised from a 2.4 to 3.0. This change is known as grade inflation, the idea that grades continue to rise from where they have been in the past without evidence of increased intelligence. Inflation is a word that is typically followed by a negative statement. With these two words together we can see how this could be viewed negatively. However, most of today’s society is oblivious to how relevant grade inflation is in our society. Students have become accustom to the idea that a B is an average grade. Yet, in the past this was considered a good grade while a C was considered average. This inflation has led to students becoming dissatisfied with receiving a B or C in a course, which has only furthered the development of grade inflation. These high expectations of students eventually spread to the professors and university causing a very negative impact. Grade inflation will eventually destroy the value of a higher education degree without some adjustments and is a serious concern to universities, students, and professors. (Rojstaczer)
There are many aspects to grade inflation that need to be fully addressed and understood before a solution can be put forth. For example the comparison between today’s education and the education past generations have received. This current education has shown a rise in GPA, yet lack of evidence to show an increase in inelegance. Seeing as GPA has increased, either the professor or student must be having an impact, and their connection to inflation must also be put into consideration. If both the student and professor has been analyzed, then the institution as a whole should be looked at closely and their possible motives behind grade inflation.
Most educato...

... middle of paper ...

...ating students. (Lawler 134)
In contrast to the belief of many, Computer science professor at Yale, Dana Augluin, suggest that grade inflation is actually a good thing. She states “The desire for approval is a primary and crucial motivation for children. By the time they reach higher education, most students have developed an extraordinary sensitivity to grades and evaluation, and are situated well towards an anxiety end of the spectrum. But their task here is to grow away from that regime, towards intrinsic motivation, critically examined values and real thought”. (Jost 8) Within this quote she presents the idea that grades should not be the main focus. Grades are little more than something to reward the students for their work. In her opinion the University’s job is to prepare the students for life and teach them valuable life lessons that they can use to succeed.

Show More
Related

  • The Case Against Grades' By Alfie Kohn

    340 Words  | 1 Pages

    In her article, “The Case Against GRADES”, Alfie Kohn discusses the grading system and its faults. She opens her argument with information from an older psychological study that proves the negative impact of the current grading system, and she reinforces this with the proof that “no” research has contradicted this statement. Also, she gives many key reasons including: “Motivation”, “Achievement”, “Quantification”, and “Curriculum”. Kohn supports these topics with other reasearch for why the system is failing the students. She asserts that, “… the absence of grading is a necessary condition for promoting deep thinking and a desire to engage in it.” As support, she offers other solutions and then debunks them by proving that they would not solve

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Brent Staples 'Why Colleges Shower Their Students With A's'

    1035 Words  | 3 Pages

    In his essay, "Why Colleges Shower Their Students With A’s,” Staples claims that student grades are increasing for the wrong reasons, causing college degrees to become meaningless. Staples provides evidence that average grades have increased significantly over the last several decades, but claims that it is not because students are working harder. The real explanation for grade inflation, he argues, is the effect of grades on both students and their professors. Teachers give more A’s to receive better evaluations and increase job security. Students give more importance to their grades as a result of the rapidly increasing cost of a college education. Staples argues that modern

    Read More

  • Grade Inflation By Stuart Rojstaczer Summary

    747 Words  | 2 Pages

    “About 15 percent of Harvard Students got a B-plus or better in 1950. In 2007, more than half of all Harvard grades were in the A range.” One of the questions being proposed by him is could the grade inflation be due simply to the fact that students are getting better? Primack simply refutes this argument by stating, “Privately, many faculty members and administrators say colleges are unwilling to challenge and possibly offend students and their hovering tuition paying parents with some tough grade love.” The writer claims that “grade inflation hides laziness on the part of the students, and as long as it exists, even faculty who want to do a good job grading don’t feel they can.”

    Read More

  • Grade Inflation Gone Wild Summary

    657 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the op-ed, “Grade Inflation Gone Wild,” Stuart Rojstaczer addresses the concern of grade inflation and its effects on students. Rojstaczer uses several different methods to prove his point of view to the reader. Rojstaczer links grade inflation to the sinking quality of education, as well as the rise of college alcoholics. While this op-ed does a satisfactory job appealing to the reader on a person-person basis, many of Rojstaczer’s main claims do not hold any scholarly evidence. This analysis over “Grade Inflation Gone Wild” will discuss whether Rojstaczer has written this editorial solely to convince readers of his opinion, or does Rojstaczer present a credible claim in higher education’s grade inflation.

    Read More

  • A Response to Steven Vogel’s “Grades and Money”

    831 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “Grades and Money,” Steven Vogel makes it clear that he is disappointed and frustrated with what grades have become. He believes that grades have become commoditized and that students’ grades suffer because of their relation with money. Vogel also believes that students no longer take any risk with their education. I agree with Vogel that grades are being equated to money by students, that students’ work suffers because of grades, and that students no longer take risks in their educational process.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Hunter Rawlings's College Is Not A Commodity

    707 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the article “College is Not a Commodity. Stop treating it like one,” Hunter Rawlings explains how people today believe that college is a commodity, but he argues that it’s the student’s efforts; which gives value to their education. Rawlings states that in recent years college has been looked at in economic terms, lowering its worth to something people must have instead of earn. As a professor Rawlings has learned that the quality of education has nothing to do with the school or the curriculum, but rather the student’s efforts and work ethic. Rawlings explains the idea that the student is in charge of the success of his or her own education, and the professor or school isn’t the main reason why a student performs poorly in a class. Rawlings

    Read More

  • College Pressures By William Zinsser

    1735 Words  | 4 Pages

    From the beginning of high school, students strap on their seatbelts and prepare for one of the most vigorous races of their lives – becoming successful. With the rare occurrence of a break, kids are expected to keep on driving as fast and as powerfully as they can in order to get into a “great” college, which would be followed by graduate school and then an actual job that would make a lot of money. In American society, common values include working hard, determination, and being so productive that free time is not even a question. However, this philosophy is taking a major toll on American college and high school students. For at least 40 years, America’s future has been steadily growing unmotivated, tired, and hopeless due to the overemphasis on performing well in school. This phenomenon is appropriately expounded in William Zinsser’s “College Pressures”, which takes a look at the top four sources of tension that cause these feelings of dejection and agitation. After reading this article, I came up with a few solutions to this national problem. It is time to switch the harsh, over-encouraging green light of education to a comfortable yellow one. In order to make this ideal transition, directors of education across the country need to primarily reduce the amount of out-of-class assignments, lighten the grading system, and incorporate days in the school year that allow students to express their thoughts about school and provide useful feedback.

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Weighted Gpa

    627 Words  | 2 Pages

    On the topic of weighted GPAs, people often suggest two main outcomes: a strong academic society and a weak academic society (Abbott). Seeing that weighted GPAs are rewarding to students

    Read More

  • Analysis Of 'Why Colleges Shower Their Students With A's'

    1168 Words  | 3 Pages

    Staples wrote, “Professors at every level inflate to escape negative evaluations by students, whose opinions now figure in tenure and promotion decisions”. (935) to tell the truth, I disagree with Staples opinion. I ponder on if it really the students or is it the professor. If a couple of students leave a bad review that will not make the professor look bad if they are giving them the grades they deserve. Why are the students in charge of the professor’s job? That is a question no one can answer. There are several aspect to consider whether or not the professor could be doing the job for the money or have too much pride in letting others see them do bad. Those aspects should be taking into consideration when speaking about grade inflation. I feel as if Staples is putting more blame on the students and parents than the teachers and administrators. Even if colleges use Staples’ proposal colleges are still faced competition among online universities. Students who attend a college campus generally end up in debt causing more people to steer toward receiving their diplomas online. Therefore, grade inflation will continue to rise because of the fear among

    Read More

  • From Degrading To Grading, By Alfie Kohn

    507 Words  | 2 Pages

    I have always valued school and enlarging my intelligence; I receive a sense of pride from earning a decent grade on a paper or on a particular assignment. Alfie Kohn wrote an essay titled “From Degrading to De-grading”; in it he suggests a different view on the current education system. Even though students expect marks and even seem dependent on them, grading should spur on a love of studying not deter it. Grades tend to reduce a student’s inclination for stimulating tasks, and lessen students’ interest in erudition.

    Read More

  • Book Review: Grade Inflation Gone Wild By Stuart Rojstaczer

    717 Words  | 2 Pages

    Former professor of geophysics, Stuart Rojstaczer, in his informative op-ed piece, “Grade Inflation Gone Wild,” featured in “Christian Science Monitior(2009),” investigates grade inflation among universities today. Rojstaczer’s purpose is to inform and educate universities on the inflation of grades, and how an A has become the average grade among those schools. He adopts a dismissive tone when generalizing and addressing the students on their behaviors and actions. Rojstaczer found over 80 universities with data on they’re grades, using this he was able to better understand the inflation and also analyze possible solutions. His logos based writing portrays a negative connotation on todays students and their ability to achieve within the classroom. There is no hiding that the standard for grades has been on the rise sense the 1960’s, and is now at an average GPA of a 3.0, but rojstaczer may have lost his audience with his arrogant approach.

    Read More

  • What Really Going on With the Grading System

    1242 Words  | 3 Pages

    In today’s society we feel the need to be graded in order to learn. The topic of the grading system has sparked three essays, by three different authors, about the pros and cons of the grading system. First, Jerry Farber, professor at University of California at San Diego, wrote A Young Person’s Guide to the Grading System (333). Next is Steven Vogel, professor at Denison University, who wrote Grades and Money (337). The last two authors in this compilation are Stephen Goode and Timothy W. Maier. They both are journalists for Insight on the News. While each of these authors have their own point of view on the grading system, all three essays talk about how being graded affects learning.

    Read More

  • Who Are You and What Are You Doing Here? Rhetorical Analysis

    1159 Words  | 3 Pages

    Studying a university degree is one of the biggest achievements of many individuals around the world. But, according to Mark Edmunson, a diploma in America does not mean necessarily studying and working hard. Getting a diploma in the United States implies managing with external factors that go in the opposite direction with the real purpose of education. The welcome speech that most of us listen to when we started college, is the initial prank used by the author to state the American education system is not converging in a well-shaped society. Relating events in a sarcastic way is the tone that the author uses to explain many of his arguments. Mark Edmunson uses emotional appeals to deliver an essay to the people that have attended College any time in their life or those who have been involved with the American education system.

    Read More

  • The Differentiated Classroom

    2494 Words  | 5 Pages

    Seeing this, the ability of grades to influence and create positive and negative roles to students remains to be the responsibility of the educator. Given that grades help manifest a standard for students to adhere to, teachers must try to create an environment where they can facilitate and motivate students to do better (Tomlinson, 2001). By using grades as an instrument for development, it can create a positive perception for students to improve and seek connections with instruction and course content.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On The Grading System

    1064 Words  | 3 Pages

    By nature, most students are brought up in an academic environment motivated to get A’s and B’s on their report cards. Those grades sometimes don’t thoroughly report how much a student has learned or gained knowledge in each topic. Some instructors throw in factors totally unrelated to learning, when the main objective of academic institutions is to learn. In order to clearly demonstrate how much a student has learned in the classroom, schools should change their current grading system and teach students how to learn.

    Read More

More about Grade Inflation Essay

Open Document