Examined whether the use of student evaluations of teaching effectiveness has been a contributing factor to a trend of grade inflation in a mid-sized, public university in the Midwest. Found a predictive relationship between student ratings of teaching and expected grades and an encouragement over time of grade inflation. (EV)

Two studies examining the effect of grade inflation on the piling up of grades in fewer grade categories and on the reliability of grade point averages found that reliability suffered significantly only in graduate study in which almost all grades were in two categories, A and B. Some other small effects were found in different rating scales. (MSE)

Grading patterns for over 1,000 teachers, giving more than 40,000 grades in approximately 2,000 courses, are reported and a method is introduced both to normalize and stabilize grade data by courses. The findings indicate that the academic field of the course is strongly related to the types of grades assigned, but that academic credentials and…

Ten departments with high grade inflation rates during a seven-year period were compared with 10 departments within the same university displaying lower grade inflation rates. Higher grade inflation rates were related to perceived increases in the demands placed upon the academicians' role. (Author/MLW)

Increasing cumulative grade point average at a public university was found to be caused not by a general relaxing of grading standards, but probably because students are moving away from traditional curricula into courses and degree programs with grading standards reflecting their abilities and/or interests. (Author/LBH)