Data from a 1974 national survey of 134 colleges was presented to verify that grade point averages had increased.404 points from 1965 to 1973. Approximately two-thirds of the increase occurred since 1968 and the 1968 to 1970 period showed the highest average annual increments. Essentially, the same pattern and magnitude of change was revealed for…

This study examined the change in term grade point average (GPA) from 1974 through 2004 for 368,282 undergraduate student records at a large, research-extensive university in the Southeast. Descriptive analyses showed an increase in term GPA and average SAT scores over the 31-year period. Although average SAT and GPA increased, standard deviations…

During the past 15 years, considerable attention has been given to a conspicuous longitudinal change in grading patterns in higher education. Commonly referred to as "grade inflation," the phenomenon has been perceived by some as seriously weakening the meaning of grades but by others as reflecting a positive tendency for students to…

This paper examines the issue of test score inflation in the context of test-based accountability. The first section provides some background on the topic, describing what exactly is meant by test score inflation, reviewing the existing evidence for such inflation, and discussing why one should or should not be concerned if scores are inflated.…

Evidence indicates that college grades have increased on the average and that the college-bound population has decreased in traditional kinds of academic skills, based on observed declines on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the American College Test (ACT). But the relationship between these traditional skills and grades appears not to have…

In an effort to hold schools accountable, Arkansas added grade inflation into the accountability system. The Arkansas Legislature mandated that the Arkansas Department of Education identify high schools with "statistically significant variance" between students' grade point averages (GPAs) and ACT performances. A grade inflation index…

Anecdotal testimony indicates that grade deflation is encouraged in many colleges and universities, especially in freshman writing courses. As a result, grading down has become a point of pride for some writing instructors. Instead of earning reputations as good, caring, committed teachers whose students do well because the teachers have worked…

A study of grading practices at Christopher Newport College (Virginia) was conducted, using as data the grades awarded from 1979 to 1986. Differences between "in-department" and "out-of-department" grades were also analyzed, for all students enrolled in courses in more than one department. Results included the following: (1)…

To discuss how training programs for new teaching assistants affect them and, more specifically how a training seminar affected the way they grade papers, twelve teaching assistants read about evaluation, participated in six paper grading sessions, and were assigned an experienced teaching assistant who checked sets of marked essays for validity…

The major theme of the Carnegie Commission's report is that higher education has a good record for integrity. However, there are serious concerns: grade inflation, recruiting practices, vandalism. Governing boards can play an important role in addressing the problems. One example is the survey inspired by the University of Delaware board.…

This study was designed to investigate the extent to which grade inflation has existed at Brigham Young University (BYU) after accounting for increased preparation levels of entering students over time. Analyses were conducted for the university at large and individual colleges. The study first developed a model to forecast student grade point…

Most English teachers probably find it difficult to develop a grading system that takes into account the problems of individual students and that effectively communicates to students the quality of their work. Educators have been experimenting with written grading systems since the first system, one of predetermined adjectives, was used at Yale…

A number of factors have contributed to the inflation of grades in higher education, including: the belief that grades traumatize and dehumanize students; the conviction that academic standards are unfair in light of the equality of each individual; teachers' hesitation to fail high-risk or open enrollment students; the influence of popular…

This paper presents a new method to test for grade inflation. Defining grade inflation as the decreasing value of grades in the coin of student achievement, the study avoids the assumption that a rise in mean grade is a necessary condition of grade inflation. The study, which was conducted at a single university, also sought to determine whether…

The first-year performance of freshmen between 1987 and 1992 was investigated for evidence of grade inflation. Grade inflation is defined as "when a grade is viewed as being less rigorous than it ought to be". Performance data were analyzed for fall semester admissions of full-time, first-time freshmen at the University of Missouri…