Grade Inflation

Bridget Rose Nolan

The term grade inflation refers to an increase in grade point averages over time without a corresponding rise in achievement. Grade inflation illustrates a concern about declining academic standards in high schools, colleges, and universities over the past 15 years, particularly at elite institutions. For example, fewer than 10 percent of all grades given at Stanford University since 1992 have been below B; similarly, 91 percent of the grades earned at Harvard University are B- or above, and over 90 percent of Harvard graduates received honors in 2001. Applying the term grade inflation to these trends suggests that the grades are artificially high with a consequential decrease in the Some ...

Users without subscription are not able to see the full content on this title. Please, subscribe or login to access all content on this website.