Inaccurate Grading Methods

By: Kayla Flores, Esther Kerr, Anu Like, Keliʻi KaʻilipakaPeriod 3

To us, a grade is a representation of what a student understands and comprehends in class and is a result of how that students displays what they’ve comprehended through quality work. Which is what a grade should represent, the material a student learns and how they use that new found knowledge and apply it when asked to. Academic reporting refers to compiled information of a school’s academic achievements as well as their current academic progress. This type of information allows other schools as well as prospecting students to view a school’s intellectual standings compared to other schools. This type of information usually determines the status of a school; good or bad. All schools want to have a good reputation, and because of it, inaccurate reporting has become a bigger problem as time goes on. Inaccurate reporting refers mainly to two types of systems that both have caused problems for students in higher education. These two systems are grading inflation and grading deflation. Today, we will discuss why these two grading systems are problems and possible solutions to the problem.

Background

ProblemInflation• Inflation causes an artificial increase in academic

accomplishment, because it closes the gap between exceptional and average students. This allows students to receive higher grades even if they don’t deserve it.

Deflation• Deflation is an artificial decrease in academic

accomplishment, because it limits the amount of A’s received in a class, even if students deserve A’s.

Factors: InflationTeachers inflate grades to/because…• Uphold schools reputation (graduating population, G.P.A.)• Not trained on how to properly use a grading scale.• They base grades on non-academic factors, such as: behavior,

attitude, and participation.As a result, this…• Makes a student feel “smarter” than they really are.• Fails to teach students what it really means to succeed.• Prevents students from receiving a job they think they qualify

for.

Factors: DeflationTeachers deflate grades to…• Put a cap on how many students receive A’sAs a result, this…• Makes hard working students receive bad grades

they don’t deserve.• Causes students to feel demoralized, when in fact

they are very intellectual.• Affects a student’s future (applying for a job)

Solution• Inflation• Solution: Add to a student’s report card the

mean grade, as well as student placement among rest of class.• Outcome: Inflation is decreased because now student is

examined compared to other students not only by personal GPA.

• Solution: Stop grading non-academic factors.• Outcome: Bases the student’s grade on what they

actually know and comprehend from the material in class.

Solution• Deflation• Solution: Instead of using 100 point scale,

use 4 point scale.• Outcome: Grades are equally distributed on 4 point

scale, where as on a 100 point scale half of the possible points are considering failing.

• Solution: Self-regulated learning• Outcome: This solution means that it is ultimately

up to the student to work hard in class to earn their grades in order to prove the deserve the grade they are aiming for.

References"A History of College Grade Inflation." Economix A History of College Grade Inflation Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2013."Commentary." To Stop Grade Inflation, Just Stop Inflating Grades. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2013."Grade Inflation; Education Degradation." Dissident Voice RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2013.