First-year mathematics instructors at universities across North America and the globe have been noticing a decline in the mathematics skills and preparation of their incoming students, who have been failing out of first-year mathematics courses at alarming rates. Though some universities have implemented placement or diagnostic tests to measure…

At schools with low grading standards, students receive higher school-awarded grades across multiple courses than students with the same skills receive at schools with high grading standards. A new methodology shows grading standards vary substantially, certainly enough to affect post-secondary opportunities, across high schools in Alberta.…

In the U.S., it is well documented that many students enter universities unprepared, lacking the basic academic skills necessary for optimal, or even positive, outcomes. However, less evidence has been reported on this problem in Canada, and there appears to be a public impression that Canada's universities have higher standards, on average, than…

Grade inflation is a global phenomenon that has garnered widespread condemnation among educators, researchers, and the public. Yet, few have deliberated over the ethics of grading, let alone the ethics of grade inflation. The purpose of this paper is to map out and examine the ethics of grade inflation. By way of beginning, we clarify why grade…

The practice of handing out excellent grades to students who don't deserve them (grade inflation) is not a new phenomenon. Indeed grade inflation is among the oldest and most difficult issues to address in higher education. The author first studied the impact of grade inflation on student performance on standardized tests at the high school level…

The exclusive use of academic course grades as sole admission criteria for Ontario universities is discussed, in light of heavy competition and questionable grade enhancement practices. In particular, the ranking of schools and factoring in of this information in admission decisions about individual students is seen as potentially discriminatory.…

Russell disputes West's description of the Ontario Assessment Pool Instrument as a device for screening students and asserts that, on the contrary, the test can measure program effectiveness. An attempt is made to clarify other issues concerning the effects of educational research on government policy. (PP)

Ontario university admission data for 1983-93 were analyzed for evidence of high school grade inflation and grade-enhancement practices in response to increased competition for university admission. Results show only a moderate increase in entering grades, and suggest that grade inflation must be distinguished from changes reflecting demographic…

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…

Compulsory province-wide grade 12 examinations, administered in Alberta since 1906, were dropped in 1973; teachers were given the responsibility of assigning final grades. To assess the quality of education since then, a 1976 survey examined: (1) current grade 12 evaluation policies and practices; (2) whether or not grading has changed in the past…

In 1973, compulsory province-wide grade 12 examinations, administered in Alberta since 1906, were dropped; teachers were given the responsibility of assigning final grades. Mandated by the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in 1976, this study by the Minister's Advisory Committee on Student Achievement (MACOSA) surveyed education professionals,…