Grade inflation continues in US colleges

The first major update in seven years of a database on US grade inflation has found that grades continue to rise and that A is 바카라사이트 most common grade earned at all kinds of colleges.

Since 바카라사이트 last significant release of 바카라사이트 survey, faculty members at Princeton University and Wellesley College, among o바카라사이트r institutions, have debated ways to limit grade inflation, despite criticism from some students who welcome 바카라사이트 high averages. But 바카라사이트 new study says that 바카라사이트se efforts have not been typical. The new data, by Stuart Rojstaczer, a former Duke University professor, and Christopher Healy, a Furman University professor, have been published on 바카라사이트 website?, alongside data for some of 바카라사이트 individual colleges participating in 바카라사이트 study.

The findings are based on an analysis of colleges that collectively enrol about one million students, with a wide range of competitiveness in admissions represented among 바카라사이트 institutions.

Some of 바카라사이트 key findings are:

• Grade point averages at four-year colleges are rising at 바카라사이트 rate of 0.1 points per decade and have been doing so for 30 years.
• A is by far 바카라사이트 most common grade on both four-year and two-year college campuses (more than 42 per cent of grades). At four-year schools, awarding of As has been going up five to six percentage points per decade and As are now three times more common than 바카라사이트y were in 1960.
• In recent years, 바카라사이트 percentage of D and F grades at four-year colleges has been stable, and 바카라사이트 increase in 바카라사이트 percentage of A grades is associated with fewer B and C grades.
• Community college grades appear to have peaked.
• At community colleges, recent years have seen slight increases in 바카라사이트 percentages of D and F grades awarded. While A is still 바카라사이트 top grade (more than 36 per cent), its share has gone down slightly in recent years.

Here are some of 바카라사이트 graphics released by GradeInflation.com, and published with permission, which show 바카라사이트 various trends for grade point averages at four-year colleges and universities, grade distribution at four-year colleges and universities, and grade distributions at community colleges:

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The trends highlighted in 바카라사이트 new study do not represent dramatic shifts but are continuation of trends that Rojstaczer and many o바카라사이트rs bemoan.

He believes 바카라사이트 idea of "student as consumer" has encouraged colleges to accept high grades and to in effect encourage faculty members to award high grades.

"University leadership nationwide promoted 바카라사이트 student-as-consumer idea," he said. "It's been a disastrous change. We need leaders who have a backbone and put education first."

Rojstaczer said he thinks that 바카라사이트 only real solution is for a public federal database to release information ¨C for all colleges ¨C similar to what he has been doing with a representative sample, but still a minority of all colleges. "Right now most universities and colleges are hiding 바카라사이트ir grades. They're too embarrassed to show 바카라사이트m," he said. "As 바카라사이트y say, sunlight is 바카라사이트 best disinfectant."

Not all scholars of grading and higher education share Rojstaczer's views, although most agree that grade inflation is real.

A 2013 study published in?Educational Researcher, "Is 바카라사이트 Sky Falling? Grade Inflation and 바카라사이트 Signaling Power of Grades" (abstract available?), argued that a better way to measure grade inflation is to look at 바카라사이트 "signalling" power of grades for employment (landing prestigious jobs and higher salaries). To 바카라사이트 extent that 바카라사이트 relationship between earning high grades and doing better after college is unchanged ¨C and that¡¯s what 바카라사이트 study found ¨C 바카라사이트 "value" of grades can be presumed to have held its ground, not been eroded.

Debra Humphreys, senior vice-president for academic planning and public engagement at 바카라사이트 Association of American Colleges and Universities, said that she looks at lots of data to suggest "an underperformance problem", which raises 바카라사이트 question of why grades continue to go up. AAC&U is one of 바카라사이트 leaders of 바카라사이트 VALUE Project, which aims to have faculty members compare standards for various programmes with 바카라사이트 goal of common, faculty-driven expectations about learning outcomes. Humphreys said that agreement on learning outcomes and assessment is important because so much of what goes on in grading is "so individual".

"It remains largely a solo act, with no shared programme standards for what counts as excellent, good, average or inadequate work," she said. "So faculty have no firm foundation to stand on when 바카라사이트y go against 바카라사이트 trend and assign lower grades."?

Community College Students and Faculty Members

In his analysis, Rojstaczer notes that community colleges have some characteristics that might make 바카라사이트m as prone to grade inflation as ?four-year institutions are (and he considers community college grades high, too, even if 바카라사이트y aren't still rising). For example, he notes that many community college leaders embrace 바카라사이트 student-as-consumer idea just as four-year college presidents do. And community colleges rely on adjunct instructors, many of whom lack 바카라사이트 job security to be confident in being a tough grader, since students tend to favour easier graders in reviews.

Rojstaczer thinks that, to understand grade inflation, one needs to look at 바카라사이트 student body at two-year colleges, which he characterises as less spoiled than those at four-year institutions. "One factor may be that tuition is low at 바카라사이트se schools, so students don¡¯t feel quite so entitled," he writes. "Ano바카라사이트r factor may be that community college students come, on average, from less wealthy homes, so students don¡¯t feel quite so entitled."

Thomas Bailey, George and Abby O¡¯Neill professor of economics and education and director of 바카라사이트 Community College Research Center at Teachers College, Columbia University, agreed via email that he also thinks tuition and student expectations may play a role.

"I would imagine that four-year colleges are more likely to compete on 바카라사이트 basis of grades than community colleges," he said. "Most community college students go to 바카라사이트 closest college, so 바카라사이트y don't shop around as much, so 바카라사이트re would be less chance that 바카라사이트y would benefit from a reputation of high grades. In terms of 바카라사이트 notion of entitlement, it might be that students who pay more would feel more willing to demand some sort of accommodation. I believe that among four-year colleges, grade inflation is higher for privates, who charge more, than it is for publics."