I’m reluctant to say much about this for fear of being labeled a crusty old relic who is out of touch with the demands of the new global marketplace and the difficulties of landing a job or a position in some post graduate program. However, as we enter the final weeks of this academic year, I suppose now is as good of a time as any to push the issue, even if it doesn’t have much to do with race and ethnicity.
I do want to say that it’s a relief that some people are starting to seriously explore this issue of grades and entitlement. Here at Penn State I’ve watched the total number of “A” grades jump from 27 percent when I started teaching in 1990 to over 40 percent today. I’m reasonably certain that students have not gotten THAT much smarter, although I’m happy to stand corrected if I’m wrong.
This issue doesn’t stop here at Penn State but rather appears to be a nationwide phenomenon — and one that is most visible at more expensive private schools. And from within my own anecdotal experience, grade inflation has occurred at the same time as we see a widespread decline in reading — which is to say, my students seem to read less and less.
Just read the article. I’m sure you’ll have much to say: “Student Expectations Seen as Causing Grade Disputes”
I want to add that many schools have pursued policies of “grade deflation,” in which they have tried to actually limit the overall number of A grades. Check this out from USA Today:
Since Princeton took the lead among Ivy League schools to formally adopt a grade-deflation policy three years ago — limiting A’s to an average 35% across departments — students say the pressure to score the scarcer A has intensified. Students say they now eye competitive classmates warily and shy away from classes perceived as difficult.
“It used to be that you’d let someone copy your notes if they were sick,” says Mickel, 21, of Monroe, La. “Now, if someone misses classes, you’d probably still let them, but you’re also thinking: ‘Gee, you might get the A while I don’t.’”
There is no quota in individual courses, despite what students think, says Dean of the College Nancy Malkiel. Still, the policy has made an A slightly more elusive. In the first two years, A’s, (A-plus, A, A-minus), accounted for 41% of undergrad grades, down from 47% the two previous years.
Though a typical Princeton overachiever might blanch at the mere mention of a B, the university is sticking by its policy, Malkiel says. Students’ employment and graduate school placements actually have improved the past two years, she says.
Perhaps we’ll start doing this at Penn State.
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Wow about time someone started noticing. I feel like this is high school all over again—where honors kids would get 3% added to their grade and AP students would get 5% added to their grade. Then students would get grades over 100%– How can you get over a 100% anyway? That is mathematically impossible. Students would end up with grades higher than 4.0. Seriously? And colleges would look at this and those students would get accepted sooner than students with a legitimate 4.0(which I’m assuming was hardly anyone) though I guess that’s why we have the SAT’s. It’s really funny hearing students now who come to college and say how hard it was compared to High School. It’s even funnier when you found out they were at the top of their class, yet barley get B’s here. I suppose that shows the problem with inflating students grades—they won’t be prepared for college.
Here in college, grades are basically the same way. How are so many students getting A’s? Penn State giving 40% A’s is way too high(and it really doesn’t make sense). The students complain and then the teachers will start giving out extra points. As soon as students get bad grades, they run and talk with their teachers for extra credit. I hate that because now, as when high school kids with higher grades entering college, college graduates going into the workplace will be giving preferential treatment for their ‘high achievements’. I suppose for this reason ending this grade inflation may cause a problem. If we had a curve based on a standard deviation curve , that would be much better, however then Penn State graduates would never get jobs.
Another issue is a lot of students go to rate my professor and get the easiest teachers—or at least easiest graders. Now I suppose that it may be a hard time to find the easiest teachers the entire way through college, however it certainly would help your GPA. Also, I know some majors are much more difficult than others too(oh now that’s a funny discussion listening to some people bash others because of their major).
A problem with regulating these grades is that all schools don’t do it the same way. For example, my high school didn’t just give out grades. I personally did terrible in High School. But this wasn’t the case throughout the state. I suppose that’s why SAT scores have some value. Either way, if colleges were really concerned with this, there needs to be a system-wide—across all accredited universities—policy showing what percent of grades can be A’s across all universities. Thought I guess the same could be said as far as high schools, I don’t think it needs to happen necessarily.
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