The problem of grade inflation and explanations for this phenomena are considered. Grade inflation is described as the positive change in grade point average of large numbers of students generally, over an extended period of time. The following array of causes or explanations are discussed: awarding high grades so that a student could go to…

Grade distribution patterns at Humboldt State University in California were examined over a five-year period on the basis of mode of instruction and by academic department. The grade distributions for each academic department were compared with the other departments within the same school, and the distribution for each school was compared with…

In an investigation of trends in grade inflation, the grade point averages and Medical College Admission Tests scores for medical school applicants in all undergraduate colleges with at least five such applicants were compared over four years. (MSE)

Examines the history, magnitude, causes, consequences, and remedies of grade inflation. Predicts the erosion of professional autonomy and academic freedom if schools abandon the task of conscientiously assessing what students have learned and external agencies take on the task. (DMM)

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)

College faculty have been concerned about grade inflation for years, particularly at selective colleges, but the few recent attempts to remedy the problem have met with resistance or proved ineffective. Institutions feel pressure to grade as others do, and have abandoned efforts to develop stricter policy. In addition, teachers who do distribute…

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…

A study was conducted to determine whether universities award degree credit for remedial courses, and whether certain lower division courses receive upper division credit. Courses under investigation included remedial English (Subject A at Ventura College, California), remedial math (Math X), and traditionally lower division courses in accounting,…

A study was undertaken of the relationship between performance of the North Carolina State Board Test Pool Nursing Examination and grades in university courses of study of 441 nursing students (1974-78). Data were collected for each of the Ss and factor analysis was used to determine independent variable groupings. For each independent variable…

Surveyed are undergraduate grading practices and their impact on graduate admissions. A diversity of reasons are offered by the respondent universities and institutes for the dramatic rise in undergraduate grade-point averages since the mid-1960's. These speculations focus on changes in student and faculty behavior, innovations in grading systems,…

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…

A survey of undergraduate grade point averages from 1960 to 1974 at 50 institutions indicates a steady increase during that period. If the current concern about grade inflation is sustained, more institutions will probably explore methods to extend the distinctions that record the scholastic achievement of undergraduates. (LBH)

The New York City Board of Education has implemented a school quality review system called Performance Assessment in Schools Systemwide: Essential Elements of Exemplary Schools (PASS). The PASS process provides a set of standards of exemplary educational practice and a model for assessing schools in relation to these standards. The process is…

Reviews the decline of educational standards as reflected in national test scores and discusses four pedagogic causes for this decline: the abandonment of written tests in favor of objective, true/false testing techniques; nonpunitive grading and attendance policies; excessive use of technology in the classroom; and academic grade inflation. (JP)

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)