The Dangers of Grade Inflation: How Low Standards Are Failing Students
In a 2012 study, researchers found that since 1960, ‘A’ grades have increased by 28%, accounting for 43% of all college grades.
For over a decade as an educator, I’ve seen students constantly seek validation through achievement. They join sports teams, clubs, advanced courses, and leadership roles. This drive to succeed is crucial for development. However, an insidious problem has been spreading for 70+ years: it’s now too easy to earn an ‘A’.
In a 2012 study, researchers found that since 1960, ‘A’ grades have increased by 28%, accounting for 43% of all college grades.¹ Nearly half of all marks are now ‘As’, although many still think higher education should challenge students, this seems to counter that mentality. The authors argue that over this period of time teachers have lowered their standards allowing students to receive higher grades for less work.
Why is this happening? In my 10 years teaching high school, students expect at least a ‘C’ with little effort. Several factors drive this, including politics, social pressures, and economics. Politicians and administrators push teachers to pass more students, leading to less rigor. Teachers are also encouraged or required to focus on the individual students, not whole classes, so standards drop to accommodate everyone.
Personally, I aim to teach as much content to as many students as possible. However, handling 30+ students, discipline issues, and curriculum requirements make it "simpler" sometimes to pass students than fight for accountability. This ultimately disserves students’ education as when we lower the standards for some students, it means inflating grades for others to seem superior by comparison.
The solution is complex but it starts with unity. Teachers must work as a unit with administrative support and make students accountable again. Parents and students should see failure as instructive, not a dead end; students may work harder knowing someone won’t always pass them. All groups must change the mindset that schools make it too easy to pass.
Grade inflation will persist until students face consequences and learn from failure. Schools must uphold high standards to produce learned, capable citizens - not just graduates. What solutions would you propose, and how can all stakeholders work together to solve this issue?