In recent years, there has been growing concern over grade inflation in schools, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Are teachers really assigning higher grades for work that would have earned lower grades in the past, or is this merely a perception fueled by generational critiques? Let’s dive into the evidence, explore the causes, and examine why it matters for students, educators, and schools.
Evidence for Grade Inflation
Recent research paints a clear picture of grade inflation trends. ACT shared their analysis of more than 4 million high school seniors, collected from 2010 to 2021. Notably, they found that grades are on the rise: the number of ACT testers with an A grade average exceeded the number with a B grade average starting in 2016. As of 2021, those A students make up the majority of ACT test takers.
Are students just getting smarter? It’d be a nice outcome to this data, but ACT’s research shows that isn’t the case. Despite high GPAs, these students were achieving lower ACT scores than students with similar grades 10 years earlier. This pattern was evident across cohorts of students at every level—students with similar grades are now earning lower ACT scores. It’s not just the ACT, either—these same patterns were reflected in 12th grade math scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a national achievement test.
Source: ACT
Why does it matter?
Various factors likely contribute to grade inflation, including heightened student advocacy, the impact of the pandemic, and evolving educational standards. However, the consequences are profound. Grades serve as crucial indicators of student progress, offering valuable insights for students, parents, and educators, particularly in the aftermath of COVID-19 disruptions. Accurate grading enables targeted support for students who require additional assistance, while setting low expectations ultimately hampers academic growth.
New research shows that the impact on students goes even further. Seth Gershenson of American University looked at 10 years (2006-2016) of Algebra 1 grades and end-of-course test scores from 8th and 9th graders in North Carolina. He analyzed teacher grading patterns, comparing those that assigned lower grades than would be expected given their standardized test scores (harsher graders) with those that are more lenient. The harsher graders had stronger results on standardized tests: they increased their students’ scores by 16.9 percent of a standard deviation when compared to the most lenient graders. The impact was long reaching; their students also performed better in the following years in geometry and Algebra II.
The research is clear: grade inflation has a material negative impact on students, families, and schools.
College Admissions are Impacted, Too
It’s not just high school performance that is impacted, either. The college admissions process—already stressful for students and families—has become even more nebulous. With more and more students earning the same top grades, it becomes harder for them to assess what colleges are in reach—and harder for colleges to distinguish between students. As the number of college applications increases, the process becomes more challenging for all stakeholders—a net negative for all involved.
So, what can we do? We encourage families and schools to ensure they are incorporating objective measures of student growth and progress as a check on their grades. Stay clear-eyed about student progress as much as possible and be sure to listen to your students; if they are speaking honestly about what they do and do not understand, that will often tell a story as effectively as their grades.
