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“A recent survey of more than 30,000 first year students across the country showed that nearly half were spending more hours drinking than they were studying…”
You might think that’s an interesting statistic.
You probably think…oh well, those are the party kids…the kids who don’t go to class, take college freedom to an extreme…the ones who do badly in school and will probably flunk out.
And you would probably be wrong.
What??? … You would most likely cite studies that show that many college students are showing up for class ill-prepared, due to partying you’d say. Data that shows that many students study less than 10 hours per week – a staggering number when you consider that’s less than half the time spent studying 40 years ago – would lead you to believe that many students would be flunking out!
But they don’t flunk out because they receive decent grades…
But schools are harder today, you would cry! Our kids tell us that, the media has made that claim, and look how much money we’re paying!
How can our kids be studying less, when education is far more demanding than it was when we were students???
And how can these kids be getting good grades if they’re not studying???
Grade inflation…
“Changes in grading have had a profound influence on college life and learning,” according to a recent report in the Christian Science Monitor, which goes on to say that when students know they’ll get a B+ or better without putting much time in on studying – that’s what they’ll do – put in “minimal effort.”
As college tuitions have sharply escalated over the years, there has been a “dumbing down” of academic expectations. For instance over 2/3′s of the letter grades at Brown University are A’s!
The Monitor cites data that shows that 3.3 is the average GP at private colleges these days. Translation – an A is average at these educational institutions.
Web site gradeinflation.com shows the stunning phenomena.
And many would say that providing mediocre educations is one of the forces undermining our economy. Our ability to compete on a global scale is undoubtedly hindered when we are not ensuring that academic rigor is in place in our educational system.
Raising the Academic Bar
Princeton, Wellesley, and Reed are three institutions who are actively addressing grade inflation. At Princeton, A’s are now limited to 35 percent of the class.
The GPA at Wellesley in 2000 was 3.55, and represented the highest GPA anywhere that year. A return to “academic rigor” went into effect in 2004 with a new policy on grades.
The 2007/2008 school year found Wellesley’s GPA at 3.31, reflecting a concerted effort to stop grade inflation.
Admitting there is a grade inflation problem is essential to addressing the issue. Leadership at these institutions has determined that academic excellence is their mandate, and they are working with faculty to ensure that policies and guidelines reflect this objective.
At Wellesley, Princeton, and Reed, students do not get a B just for showing up. The expectations are higher. Academic rigor is back in fashion.
Average grade awarded. 1960-1965 and 1975-1976 are multi-year averages. 1991-2007 are grades for the entire academic year.
1960-1965
2.73
1975-1976
3.17
1985
3.28
1991
3.38
1992
3.37
1993
3.39
1994
3.38
1995
3.39
1996
3.40
1997
3.46
1998
3.47
1999
3.54
2000
3.55
2001
3.50
2002
3.48
2003
3.40
2004
3.29
2005
3.28
2006
3.32
2007
3.31
Source:
Dean’s office/www.gradeinflation.com
And the students fortunate enough to be subject to higher demands at their institutions will ultimately be the future leaders who restore America to its position of prominence in the world.
Those of whom much is expected, will push harder and accomplish more, when academic rigor is deemed more important than complacency.
For more:
Grade Inflation Gone Wild/Christian Science Monitor
Princeton Leads in Grade Deflation/USA Today
Ivy League Grade Inflation/USA Today
Possible Grade Inflation in Georgia Schools/Daily Report
JOHN PRESCOTT
-BostonKayakGuy
Top Real Estate Agent for more than 14 years, serving the real estate needs of Wellesley, South Natick, Weston, Needham, Wayland, Newton, Framingham and other MetWest communities. www.johnprescott.net
JOHN PRESCOTT
508-523-9252
BostonKayakGuy…The MetWest Scene
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