Grade Inflation

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Grade Inflation a Problem for Education
What problems do grade inflation cause? What is the point of assigning grades if grade inflation exist? These are some common questions that schools have to contemplate every day since the rise of grade inflation in the early 1960s. Many do not know what grade inflation is, “it compress all grades at the top, making it difficult to discriminate the best from the very good, the very good from the good, and the good from the mediocre” (Mansfield 2). According to Catherine Rampell, Grade inflation has increased rapidly by 43 percent since the 1960s and that Bs and As were becoming the norm for grades assigned. In addition, with the rise of grade inflation, many problems start to arise and it becomes hard …show more content…

As has been stated by professor Mansfield, grading standards have decreased tremendously because teachers have dropped their grading standards (1). Mansfield said, “I could not ignore the pressure to meet student expectations that other faculty members have created and maintained” (3). The problem does not start with the student’s expecting higher grades, it starts with the teachers allowing this grading tradition to transpire. Therefore, students are not going to be prepared for college because teachers in high school gave them grades that they did not deserve. It negatively impacts the students but it establishes a positive effect on schools that have a good reputation because the students there have higher grades (Caruth). An additional aspect of a student’s success in college also has to do with universities credibility because they start to care more about the reputation of the school than the student’s actually learning. According to Caruth since universities inflate grades it has a negative effect on the universities credibility. Donald Caruth also stated that 90 percent of students receive an A or B in todays schools . Moreover, because teachers have “fear of student evaluations, below teaching skills, and job security” (Caruth). With these features coming into place it make sense that teachers would shift students grades up. When …show more content…

“The average student in 1961 spent 40 hours a week engaged in their studies and today nearly 27 hours weekly” (Johnson 1). Student’s are participating less in their studies and homework because they know that they do not have to do much to get an A in today's schools. When student’s lack motivation according to Johnson, they are not going to be as “successful in the real world and in higher education institutions” (2). When teachers expectations drop it contributes to students motivation in school because students know how easy it is for a teacher to give out As. When students work ethic in school starts to lack they start to view and treat school in a different way because education is not valued enough as it should be

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