Grade inflation in the college classroom

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to assess the concept of grade inflation in higher education institutions in an effort to determine its prevalence, causes, and strategies that can be implemented to curtail it.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review of the problem is presented along with several strategies as possible solutions to restraining the problem of escalating grades in the college classroom.

Findings

The problem of grade inflation has been a topic of concern for over a century and there are no quick fixes or simple methods of reversing this trend but there are several alternatives presented which could help curtail this trend.

Research limitations/implications

Most of the research is based on anecdotal research. Very little has been written on how to fix this problem.

Practical implications

This paper brings this issue to the forefront in an effort to engage the reader, college administrators and educators.

Originality/value

The paper begins with an overview of previous research in this area and then moves on to what is currently being implemented to curb grade inflation. The authors then propose several methods and possible solutions that could be implemented to deal with this problem.

Citation

Tucker, J. and Courts, B. (2010), "Grade inflation in the college classroom", Foresight, Vol. 12 No. 1, pp. 45-53. https://doi.org/10.1108/14636681011020155