Concepts and History

The Current Conversation:  A History
 

The conversation about grade inflation is by no means new.  Faculty have lamented at least for the past century about their underperforming students.  In 1894, for example, faculty at Harvard University found in their Report on Raising the Standard:

"Grades A and B are sometimes given too readily -- Grade A for work of not very high merit, and Grade B for work not far above mediocrity . . . One of the chief obstacles to raising the standards of the degree is the readiness with which insincere students gain passable grades by sham work."

In the current conversation of rising grades, several argue that grades have been increasing markedly since the 1960s and 1970s.  Many institutions are now examining GPAs to identify potential causes for upward trends.  Are students achieving more or have standards fallen? 

Research on the topic varies widely.  Some researchers assert that GPAs have skyrocketed.  Others counter that very little credible research exists to determine whether or not grades have inflated.  In this website, we provide representative sources and discuss the most commonly cited articles and reports in the links "What Counts for Evidence" and "Foundations for Commentary." The evidence indicates that there has been an increase in grades over the past thirty years, but increase does not necessarily imply inflation.   
 

The Current Conversation:  Concepts

Grades

Grades indicate how well a student performed on subject matter assessments given over a prescribed period of time.  Typically,  "A" signifies excellence, "B" very good, "C" average, "D" poor, and "F" failing.  Some institutions allow "Pass" and "Fail" designations for a percentage of courses.  A few replace grades with narrative accounts of student performance.

Grade Increase

Grade increase is a rise in average grades over a period of time.  An increase does not equate with inflation.

Grade Compression

Grade compression is a clustering of grades on the grade range.  In the conversation about grade inflation, the term usually describes aggregation at the high end. 

Grade Inflation

Grade inflation is an increase in grades without a corresponding increase in the quality of student work. 

Grade Disparity

Grade disparities are  discernible differences in grading patterns among or between departments, college, or groups of instructors. Disparities do not equate with inflation.

Grade Inflation Home

What Counts for Evidence

Foundations for Commentary

Principles for a Conversation About Grading

Grades at the University of Wyoming