Is our society getting dumber? We can’t be getting dumber if grades are increasing, right? No, the grade inflation occurring the past few decades awards higher grades for the same amount, or in some cases even less, work. Between 2010 and now grade inflation has become more obvious as the National Assessment of Educational Progress reports that almost 90% of high school students received an A or B in English, math, social studies, and science, while only about 30% of those students meet or exceed the national standards. Awarding average or less-than-average work with a high grade allows people to become comfortable with putting in minimal effort because it gives them the same result as putting in full effort. This leads to people becoming careless, which puts them at a disadvantage for their future schooling, careers, and overall lives. Not only are these students at a disadvantage, but it also hurts our society as it causes less-educated people to be in jobs that require vast knowledge.
As grades rise, it has become more difficult for students to stand out by grades alone. The growing number of students receiving these top grades means that the grades mean less because if almost everyone can receive high grades, then earning them isn’t special. Furthermore, the volume of students getting high grades makes it harder for universities to determine which students are the most qualified and equipped to attend their school. This leads to students having to take on a more demanding workload to stand out, whether that is harder classes or more extracurriculars. With a more rigorous workload comes increased stress in fundamental years, which can bring on mental health struggles.
The inability of colleges to differentiate students based solely on their grades will also lead to standardized testing making a comeback. In “The Ongoing High Cost of Grade Inflation,” Jed Applerouth quotes MIT’s Dean of Admissions, “‘Just getting straight A’s is not enough information for us to know whether the students are going to succeed or not.’” If grades aren’t enough to prove that a student deserves to get into a college, then standardized testing will have to be brought back to give universities a distinct way to determine who should get into their school. Reintroducing these tests comes with multiple problems for the students they are supposed to help. Not only are these tests not compatible with some students’ learning abilities, they also favor students who have more resources available to them, hence leaving less- privileged students at a disadvantage. Standardized tests are designed by large companies that also create preparation for these tests that require payment. This makes the tests inaccessible to people who have a lower income, which will make college unattainable to many students.
Grade inflation reduces students’ work ethic and gives students a false sense of security in their knowledge.
If students are getting higher grades by putting in less work, they will continue to put in that amount of effort. This puts them at a disadvantage when they join the workforce because they won’t be accustomed to having to work hard to achieve their goals. Receiving higher grades even when students have not demonstrated a deep understanding of the material can give students a false sense of security in their knowledge, which once again will lead to relaxed study habits. If students were given accurate grades and feedback, it would allow them to go back and relearn the material to understand it fully. Instead, students believe that they know what they are doing, which can hurt them when they move on to the next course or job where they need to recall that information.
While grade inflation may make it seem like our education system is making a positive impact, it actually diminishes the value of education as a whole. Instead of trying to fully understand a concept, students are learning just enough to get a high enough grade that they haven’t even earned. While it may be hard to return to how grading was a couple of decades ago, because of all the changes in the education system, schools and teachers need to make a conscious effort to improve where they can. Many studies, including one done by Seth Gershenson, state that teachers who grade harder tend to have more students who reach or exceed nationwide standards. By grading even just a little bit tougher teachers can help better prepare their students, without having to make a huge change to the education system so suddenly.
