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In the media attention to grades,
writers
frequently charge secondary and higher education with "rampant" grade
inflation, an inflammatory concept that does not lead to helpful
discussion. To counter this charge, we suggest the following lines
of inquiry.
 The scope
A discussion about grading is most
productive at the institutional, college,
and departmental levels. The
two comprehensive empirical studies of
grades—Adelman (2004) and Kuh & Hu
(1999)—do not substantiate any national trends in grade inflation or
grade compression over the past three
or four decades. A detailed
study of an institution’s grading patterns may
reveal local trends or
disparities that can form the basis for a thoughtful discussion about
the meaning of grades.
The terms
Indisputable grade inflation is
nearly impossible to substantiate because
of the complex conditions
and practices related to grading. Validating
grade inflation requires
a multivariate analysis of data that are not always available or
accessible. More reasonable questions about grading include
issues of compression, disparate practices related to teaching
methodologies,
and disciplinary or departmental conventions about
teaching loads and expectations.
The institutional setting
A discussion of grading will
entail a dialogue about institutional programs
or initiatives designed
to help students learn, such as retention efforts,
learning
communities, capstone experiences, undergraduate research
programs,
faculty development centers, and academic support such as
writing
centers and math labs. A discussion of grading will also involve
studying a suite of changing student and faculty characteristics,
including gender, status, ethnicity, and age.
Associated issues
Discussion of
grading frequently migrates to other topics. For example,
faculty
express major concerns about the role of student teaching
evaluations,
with an assumption that higher grades always yield higher
teaching
evaluations. An institution committed to strong teaching will
ensure
that faculty can trust their systems of teaching evaluation.
Grade Inflation
Home
Key Concepts
and History of the Discussion
What Counts
for Evidence
Foundations for Commentary
Grades at
the University of Wyoming
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