by Sarah Korn
Your heart pounds and your stomach drops as your math teacher hands you your test face down. You flip it over slowly, unsure whether you want to see how you did — 92%. The disappointment rises as you know this test won’t bring your grade up enough by the end of the semester.
Ask almost any parent or teacher, and they will tell you that a 92 is a very respectable if not excellent grade. But for the perfectionist student it will never be enough. That 92 percent spirals into thoughts such as, “how will colleges take me seriously with an A- in math?” or “Will they take me seriously as a potential biological sciences major with a 90 on my biology regents?”
According to The Learning Network with the New York Times, the satisfaction with receiving a B+ in the 1990s is equivalent to that of receiving an A- today. Additionally, the number of A’s given to students has risen over recent years.
Across America, students’ grades have been on the rise, but not always due to academic merit. Some teachers may have easier grading policies to boost their students’ morale or to simply make themselves look better as teachers. Others may want to avoid complaints from parents or students concerning low grades or to out perform international competition to aid students in securing college positions. However, the issue of grade inflation needs to come to an end.
An honest academic assessment is the best way to prepare students for the adult world where they will likely find they are “graded” more harshly. Additionally, students may be shocked upon attending college and seeing much lower grades than they are used to. Receiving good grades simply because you want them badly enough or think they will get you into a better school may not work in your favor in the long run. Both students and teachers are creating a bubble in the academic world, unintentionally shielding themselves from any harsh criticisms they may not want to face.
While many students support and appreciate grade inflation as a means of bettering their chances of getting into college, it is something that needs to be stopped. However, its end will only be effectively achieved if all teachers across the country discontinue the practice. This will prevent students from gaining unfair advantages over others.
While there is no way to ensure that grade inflation does not occur, it is important for teachers and students to realize that an honest academic assessment can be more motivation to work harder and better themselves than any perfect score.
