The Indiana University Expanded Grade Context Record system generates a student record that includes the elements of a traditional transcript plus additional information that places grades in a broader context, including class grade distribution data and the percentage of majors in the class. The system was developed in response to concerns about…

A rationale, goals, and the procedure for instituting a quality point system to assess high school students' academic achievement in Gainesville (Georgia) High School are outlined. Hypothetical examples of converting grade point averages to quality point averages in low, average, and high difficulty courses are provided to show the impact of the…

The number of seniors eligible for admission to an interdisciplinary honor society from various academic disciplines varied substantially when three methods of selection were compared using grade point average as the criterion. This is the finding from a study of grade inflation and grading standards on student academic award selection. (JN)

A faculty committee was commissioned at Ohio State University's College of Social Work to study that College's grading practices. In fulfilling this charge a survey of the faculty was conducted and the results presented along with a review of useful literature on grading and recommendations for change. The survey of faculty used a questionnaire…

Grade inflation is defined and the interplay between grading and evaluation are discussed. A solution to the problem of grade inflation is proposed: persuade the faculty members at a number of leading institutions to regard C+/B- as the appropriate median grade. (MLW)

Although the United States leads the world in spending for education, the quality of education is under attack from all quarters. On college campuses, the perceived necessity to maintain enrollment levels, and a post-60's reluctance to be selective in admissions contributed to waning academic standards. Economic interests have become the dominant…

Inflated college grades reflect an underlying problem: inappropriate content, modes of presentation, and modes of assessment. Many popular assumptions about how to address the question of standards (modifying transcripts, freeing teachers from external pressure, using grades as an indicator of quality) emphasize grades rather than standards.…

This publication is part of a series that reprints articles on a range of thematic issues published in the "Canadian Journal of Higher Education." This collection focuses on access to postsecondary education in Canada. After a preface and an introduction, the six papers are: "Studying Part-Time in Canada's Universities: A Social…

Higher education relies on student ratings to evaluate faculty teaching, partly because the alternatives (expert peer appraisals or objective performance criteria) are costly or unavailable. Because student ratings are crucial not only to improving instruction, but also in making or breaking faculty careers, it is important to assure that they…

The annual report on the state of education notes that after the shock of September 11, came a renewed sense of patriotism among young people. Charts and graphs display test results of the civic knowledge of U.S. 9th graders, scores from 4th-grade reading tests, 4th-, 8th-, and 12th grade math tests, and SAT scores Other items include…

Asserts that students see grades as an indicator of effort unconnected to the content of the course while teachers regard grades as a measure of achievement within a discipline. Discusses some of the current controversies and approaches concerning grades and how they relate to school reform. (MJP)

This report presents a taxonomy of precisely what is studied, where, and by whom, in universities, community colleges, and postsecondary trade schools in the United States. It is based on data from the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS-72) and the High School and Beyond/Sophomores (HSB/So) survey of high school…