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A History of College Grade Inflation
Topic Started: Jul 15 2011, 02:09 AM (528 Views)
jon-nyc
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Cheers
Interesting graph.

Ok, I want to point out that I went to school when the 'A's hit their post-1970 nadir. (did I mention the part about walking uphill both ways?)

Posted Image

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/14/the-history-of-college-grade-inflation/
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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jon-nyc
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Its interesting that private colleges are the biggest 'offenders'.


Posted Image

In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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jon-nyc
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(waiting for one of the young'ns to tell us its all just because they're smarter than we were)
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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Klaus
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HOLY CARP!!!
One interpretation of the data would be that colleges have an incentive to give better grades, and that private colleges have an even higher (financial?) incentive to do so.
Trifonov Fleisher Klaus Sokolov Zimmerman
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Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
There could be a lot of reasons for this. Where's P*D?

Perhaps a more consistent standard was applied. Or it could be better GPAs out of state schools precipitated competition from the privates.
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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Klaus
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HOLY CARP!!!
Well, for me the reasons are pretty clear: Giving better grades is a "win-win" situation for everyone: Students are happy with their professors and their college; professors are happy because they have happy students and giving better grades doesn't cost them anything, the universities wins because they can increase their student throughput and hence income from tuition etc.

The only problem is of course that grades have mostly become worthless. They can only be a potential problem - namely if you do not have the best grade - but the need to have the best grade is just taken for granted in many places, and is not a very useful indicator of future job performance anymore.
Trifonov Fleisher Klaus Sokolov Zimmerman
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John D'Oh
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MAMIL
I got a pretty horrible degree - 3rd class Hons. However, based on these results I'm going to start telling people I got mostly A's when adjusted for something-or-other.
What do you mean "we", have you got a mouse in your pocket?
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VPG
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Klaus
Jul 15 2011, 03:43 AM
One interpretation of the data would be that colleges have an incentive to give better grades, and that private colleges have an even higher (financial?) incentive to do so.
Or it's designed to make the teachers (UNION) look good, and protect their jobs. Screw the kids and their future.
I'M NOT YELLING.........I'M ITALIAN...........THAT'S HOW WE TALK!


"People say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look."
Ronald Reagan, Inaugural, 1971

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Copper
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Shortstop

Students are getting smarter.
The Confederate soldier was peculiar in that he was ever ready to fight, but never ready to submit to the routine duty and discipline of the camp or the march. The soldiers were determined to be soldiers after their own notions, and do their duty, for the love of it, as they thought best. Carlton McCarthy
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kenny
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I know.
Let's solve everything with . . . standardized testing.
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Axtremus
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HOLY CARP!!!
Hey jon,

I'm curious about something ...

Has there been inflation of bond and/or commercial paper ratings over the years, too?

Is there a similar chart showing the percentages of AAA, AA, A, etc. ratings over the years?
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jon-nyc
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Funny you should ask, I saw a piece on that just this morning.

Of course the analogy isn't great because grades are intended to be a relative measure (at least in some cases), while ratings are an absolute measure. Its would be entirely ok to have a year where only AAA-rated entities issued debt.


But here's a graph:

Posted Image

And here's a piece on it:

http://ftalphaville.ft.com/blog/2011/07/15/623881/the-aaa-bubble/


In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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Axtremus
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HOLY CARP!!!
Thanks, jon.
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ivorythumper
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I am so adjective that I verb nouns!
jon-nyc
Jul 15 2011, 02:09 AM

Ok, I want to point out that I went to school when the 'A's hit their post-1970 nadir. (did I mention the part about walking uphill both ways?)

Posted Image

You were in college in 1984?
The dogma lives loudly within me.
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jon-nyc
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Started in 86.
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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The 89th Key
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Interesting chart...looks like the "A" and "C" grades have an inverse relationship. Odd...

I wonder if it has anything to do with the addition of "easier" elective courses?

Or maybe related to the use of computers?
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Luke's Dad
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VPG
Jul 15 2011, 05:34 AM
Klaus
Jul 15 2011, 03:43 AM
One interpretation of the data would be that colleges have an incentive to give better grades, and that private colleges have an even higher (financial?) incentive to do so.
Or it's designed to make the teachers (UNION) look good, and protect their jobs. Screw the kids and their future.
If this was a charting school age, I'd likely agree with you, but this is dealing with college students.


I tend to think that technology has a huge part to do with it. Easier and better access to information. Plus, to get top marks in most courses these days, all you have to do is just repeat "conservatism sucks!" "Repukicans want to kill your grandmother!" Wham, 4.0.
The problem with having an open mind is that people keep trying to put things in it.
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jon-nyc
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Cheers
Probably wouldn't have worked in my engineering classes, LD.
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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ivorythumper
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I am so adjective that I verb nouns!
jon-nyc
Jul 15 2011, 01:43 PM
Probably wouldn't have worked in my engineering classes, LD.
No, in those science and engineering classes you just have to regurgitate crap about how the Church is opposed to science and persecuted Copernicus and Galileo. :lol2:
The dogma lives loudly within me.
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Luke's Dad
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Emperor Pengin
jon-nyc
Jul 15 2011, 01:43 PM
Probably wouldn't have worked in my engineering classes, LD.
Right. In engineering, you have to say:

(1/3) * pi * radius2 * height=Republicans Suck
The problem with having an open mind is that people keep trying to put things in it.
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Aqua Letifer
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ZOOOOOM!
This is seriously going to bite me in the ass later.

We don't have the same letter grades here. The school still uses the old letter grades, which refer to non-numeric qualifiers.

For example, "Credit" is "work of good quality showing more than satisfactory achievement on all objectives of the subject." Sounds pretty good, right? Well, it is. Getting a "C" is nothing to get pissed off about.

The problem is that in order to present themselves as more international and competitive, the freaking school adopted the American 4-point grading system AND percentages, but they don't match up to the appropriate grades at all.

So that "C" is now a ****ing 68 percent. Congratulations, it looks like you almost failed when in fact you did very well.

I'm going to have a lot of explaining to do if people ask for my transcripts.

(FWIW, from looking at the graph, I'd say my program follows the 1962 scale.)
I cite irreconcilable differences.
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LWpianistin
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HOLY CARP!!!
jon-nyc
Jul 15 2011, 02:09 AM
(did I mention the part about walking uphill both ways?)

and in snow with newspaper for shoes. My dad had to do that.
And how are you today?
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Jolly
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Geaux Tigers!
kenny
Jul 15 2011, 06:51 AM
I know.
Let's solve everything with . . . standardized testing.
You're not far from right.

The MCAT is being given more weight than before, ditto for the DAT.
The main obstacle to a stable and just world order is the United States.- George Soros
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Aqua Letifer
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ZOOOOOM!
jon-nyc
Jul 15 2011, 03:21 AM
(waiting for one of the young'ns to tell us its all just because they're smarter than we were)
You're not gonna hear that out of me.

I have no doubt in my mind that people are dumber now.
I cite irreconcilable differences.
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