Evaluations by cooperating teachers of student teachers resulted in ratings that were above average on all items. Reasons suggested for above-average evaluations included rater bias due to the relationship between cooperating teacher and student teacher, problems with the evaluation instrument, and a progressivist educational paradigm that…

A faculty survey at a large open enrollment public university found most faculty felt grade inflation was a problem and one-third felt the primary cause was student evaluation of instruction. However, individual faculty did not feel that they themselves were influenced by student evaluations in grade assignment. Results did not differ by faculty…

The widespread acceptance of the phrase "grade inflation" poses a potentially damaging overstatement in reference to higher education. Grades are at an all-time high, but a review of the literature demonstrates that the improvement is not incongruous with a rise in faculty development programs and increased varieties of student support services.…

This study was conducted to establish the existence of grade inflation and show that the ability of college students has remained constant. The second purpose was to examine the effect of grade inflation on the validity of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Two types of analyses were performed to gather data. A longitudinal analysis of selected…

This article on grading practices in colleges considers the following issues: the more extensive utilization of nontraditional grades by many institutions, the practices of some institutions of not giving or not recording D and/or F grades, the policy of permitting unlimited repeating of courses with the last or highest grade received used in…

McMaster University students' high school and freshman grades were compared in an examination of the possible effects of grade inflation, variability of grades between secondary schools, and appropriateness of some courses for university admission. With some qualification, high school grades remain generally reliable predictors of university…

To find out whether high school grade inflation exists, data drawn from students who took the ACT in the eleventh or twelfth grades and graduated from public high schools were examined. Because grade inflation is by definition a factor that develops over time, data from a relatively long period, 1991 to 2003, or 13 years were used. The number of…

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)

This article discusses signs that America has adopted a negative view of gifted children, including the undermining of the Jacob Javits Act, grade inflation, and a shift in funding and legal mandates from the gifted toward students with disabilities or low achievement. Reasons for this trend and suggestions for responsive action are discussed. (PB)

Grade inflation has occurred in postsecondary institutions and has been accompanied by a concomitant rise in grade-point average. Nursing educators are expected to prepare competent future nurses. Because many nursing programs use grade-point average as admission, retention, and progression criteria, it is imperative that grades accurately reflect…

Although many sources have discounted the likelihood of grade inflation resulting from instructors trying to "buy" better student ratings of instruction, many faculty members still believe that there is widespread manipulation of grades. This study involving 28,629 undergraduates over a 6-year period found no relationship between…

Although the United States leads the world in spending for education, the quality of education is under attack from all quarters. On college campuses, the perceived necessity to maintain enrollment levels, and a post-60's reluctance to be selective in admissions contributed to waning academic standards. Economic interests have become the dominant…

The prevalence of grade inflation was analyzed from over 125,000 final grades, representing 144 undergraduate courses and 9,338 students. Grade inflation was defined as a systematic increase in grades for the same course over a five year period, statistically controlling the student's major and academic and demographic background. There was no…

The writer looks at the often contradictory ways in which tests are seen and used. We are told by its defenders that the SAT is a superb measure of academic promise, but its detractors insist that it is next to useless in helping colleges and universities select their entering class. Test-driven accountability systems have been criticized as…

The 31st annual report of national normative data on college freshmen is part of the Cooperative Institutional Research Program's longitudinal study to assess the effects of college on students. Data are based on 251,232 entering students at 494 of the nation's two- and four-year colleges and universities in Fall, 1996. The normative data are…