Grades Gone Wild!

By Dr. Chris Cronin

What is wrong if students all get straight A's? If all students are getting A's, is that grade inflation or simply a reflection of high caliber students being taught by excellent faculty?

What is grade inflation and how do we know it when we see it? Also, what's the problem if there is grade inflation? Let's explore some of these issues.

Recent studies indicate a national trend toward grade inflation. Since the 1980s, grades at the nation's institutions of higher education have gradually increased. For example, at private institutions the average GPA in 1991 was 3.09 and in 2006 the average GPA increased to 3.30. At this rate, in just under two decades the average grade will be an A!

Proponents of higher grades suggest that universities are simply attracting better students. However, research does not support that hypothesis. Studies indicate no increase in SAT or ACT scores of students entering college. Indeed, many students entering some of the most prestigious universities need to take remedial math and English before taking their general education classes. Others suggest the increase in grades is a reflection of the consumer culture that has appeared in higher education. Students feel that they are purchasing a degree and faculty feel pressured to reward students with high grades.

So what's wrong with a university where everyone is above average? Can't everyone be on the Dean's List? Of course they can, and grade inflation is not inflation if grades actually reflect performance. However, when high grades are awarded for merely adequate or even minimal work, then all students suffer. Those who work hard and deserve good grades have their efforts diminished by grade inflation. The A for excellent work no longer reflects superior work, but rather mediocre efforts. Students are no longer motivated to do their best once they realize that throwing a paper together the night before it is due will result in a high grade. Also, the student who tries but still needs assistance does not get the appropriate feedback that will enhance their education. Instructors, feeling pressure to award high grades, become cynical about the students' education. The grading process becomes a perfunctory chore rather than an opportunity to teach.

At first blush, high grading looks like an attractive situation for students. But grade inflation actually harms students. The solution is not to lower grades, but rather to have grades reflect performance. All students are carefully evaluated before they are accepted to the university. Everyone admitted is capable of doing the work at a high level. However, when grades do not reflect effort, effort wanes. Students can help fight against grade inflation by demanding that grades reflect their efforts. A high grade awarded for sloppy or merely adequate work chips away at the foundation of the student's education. An education is far more than the diploma. Faculty can also fight against grade inflation by awarding an A for superior work, and a C for adequate work. A concerted effort by all stakeholders can improve the educational experience for everyone.