Grade inflation doesn't help anyone learn:
...In 1966, only 15% of college freshmen were averaging A's; In 1991, that number jumped to 24 percent. Grade inflation is very much a reality. Some believe it originated in the 1960s. As a result of the Vietnam War, college professors lowered standards to keep average or failing students out of the draft...
In Robert J. Samuelson's 1992 Newsweek article, "The Trophy Syndrome," he states that America has become a "self-congratulatory society." Although we rank poorly in international comparisons we continue to pat ourselves on the back for a job well done. What job well done?...
Many feel that colleges are no longer educational institutions, but businesses where the students are the "customers." According to John Leo, author of the 1993 U.S. News & World Report article "A for Effort. Or for Showing Up," "market forces" are to blame. "As tuition rises, so does grade inflation," he states. He makes a valid point; however, many are reluctant to make such an accusation...
Posted by kswygert at September 24, 2003 12:09 PM