In this cartoon essay, the author shares his experience from a travel to Paris to see the French higher education system. From his travel, he learned that in France, "degree" inflation may be an issue, but not grade inflation. On the flight home, the author reflects how French and American academics answer one question about the state of…

Accountability demands place tremendous pressures on high schools to meet specific standards. To satisfy demands, grading policies are becoming more liberal. Grade inflation is the result and a growing concern. This controversial subject contains a number of dangers. To combat the trend, teachers must realize the impact of grade inflation and take…

The author examines the reluctance of most American colleges and universities to address grade inflation. In addressing the problem of grade inflation, the author describes two proposals he made to his faculty's Educational Planning Committee. The first, presented in spring 2002, proposed that two new items be added to each course listed on…

The concurrent improvement in average grades earned by college graduates would seem to indicate better quality students, although some observers attribute that to grade inflation. From the author's perspective derived from almost four decades of teaching at one institution, students are intellectually as good as ever; however, the author sees a…

Throughout classrooms in the United States there appears to have been a general watering down of academic standards. The percentages of "A" and "B" grades have risen, and at some schools, the percentage of grades of "C" or lower has plummeted. Numerous scholarly articles about grade inflation discuss the extent,…

Through an examination of one institution's efforts to strengthen teaching and learning on campus, the author makes a strong case for the use of common examinations as a powerful form of assessment as well as a fruitful context for faculty deliberations. Providing a continuing occasion for faculty inquiry and discussion, insuring grade…

The topic of grade inflation, the awarding of too many "A's" and "B's", is frequently mentioned in the literature on higher education. Many educational philosophies have suggested ways to evaluate students fairly. Some professors have used the bell-shaped curve as a model, giving grades according to the normal distribution curve regardless of the…

A defense is presented for allowing all students a reasonable chance to make an "A," based on the belief that competition often works to the detriment of many students. (DS)

This letter to Harvard University's new president compares what he pledged in his inaugural address to what has actually occurred, noting that the true tests of his leadership will be his handling of ROTC, grade inflation, and affirmative action and suggesting that the greatest threat to the university is balkanization into warring factions…

A form of indexation is proposed, in order to restore informational content to student grades. Each student's transcript would include the grade received and the average grade assigned by that instructor for that course. (PN)

A business professor who attempted to improve satisfaction and retention of international students relates how his strategies failed. He argues that students should be judged solely on performance, and pressure to raise grades should be resisted. (SK)

Discusses three steps to help legitimize grades as true measures of student success: eliminating superfluous inflationary pressures on grades; having expert teachers offer frank assessments of student progress (and stop teaching to the test) and give teachers authority over grades and the power to dismiss students who cannot or will not do the…

Reasons for grade inflation include student demands, faculty lack of knowledge about evaluation methods, and faculty desire for positive evaluations from students. Although nurse educators are responsible for preparing competent, highly skilled nurses, there is little research on grade inflation and its impact in nursing education. (SK)

College-level "grade inflation" may result not from flabby standards but from more effective instructional strategies such as mastery learning. (Author/JM)

This material presents, in courtroom style, arguments on grade inflation. However, the authors refrain from giving a final verdict. (Author/MLF)