The Grade Inflation Epidemic

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The Grade Inflation Epidemic

It's June, and another graduating class is hoping, among other things, to achieve high grades. Of course, "high" is a subjective target. Originally a "C" meant average; today however, the expectations and pressures to give and receive "A's" and "B's" takes its toll on teachers and students alike. This nullifies the value of the traditional grading scale and creates a host of entirely new problems. The widespread occurrence of grade inflation seriously affects the credibility of secondary and post-secondary education in America.

The definition of an acceptable grade has changed significantly over the years. Grade inflation seemed to begin in earnest in the late 1960s after the bombing of Cambodia. Male college students who failed their classes would lose their deferments for the draft. Some professors gave higher grades so their students wouldn't have to go to war. The cause of the problem wasn't the compassionate professors, but the national policy of linking the deferments to academic success (Hambert).

Unfortunately, along with the astounding cost of college education, comes a pressure for students to compete for scholarship dollars. Faced with losing the means of paying for their schooling, students will go to just about any length to assure good grades. Often clear ethics and morals take a back seat when it comes to doing whatever it takes to pass a course with a good grade. Any teacher with a heart would reconsider a poor grade that would cost a student the funding to complete their education. While some students might earn terrible grades in History, they may make terrific doctors someday. It seems absurd for a grade to have the power to sabot...

... middle of paper ...

...set up to serve - the student.

Works Cited

Dwyer, Victor. "Are We Cheating Our Kids?" Mc'Clean's Magazine 14 Mar. 1994: 44-54

Franey, Lynn. "Inflation Pumping Up Students GPA's." Spokesman Review

20 May 2001: A4+.

Hambert, Craid. "Desperately Seeking Summa." Harvard Magazine May 1993: 36-40

Mattern, Elizabeth. "Officials Debate Grade Inflation." Daily Camera 25 May 2001 http://www.thedailycamera.com/buffzone/news/131grad.html

Moore, Patrick. "Grade Inflation at Public Universities: Who Profits, Who Pays?" UALR

I. May 2001. http://www.ualr.edu/~epmoore/inflation.html

II.

Pitsch, Mark. "States Seek Goals 2000 Aid for Existing Efforts." Education Week

Vol. XIV (1994): 17+.

Srinivasan, Kalpana. "Forum to Address Grade Inflation." Yale 25May 2001

http://www.yale.edu/ydn/paper/3.27/3.27.95storyno.FE.html

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