Originally Posted by indigo
article, "Is grade inflation a real problem?"
Originally Posted by mckinley
When you've read the article, I'd love to know what you think.
Short answer: Apples and oranges! Varied time periods! College grades vs. IQ scores!

Longer answer: The author has an interesting and far-ranging discussion but I personally do not see it as building to a conclusion. Rather it reminds me of so many magazine articles which consider various aspects but remain open-ended and questioning.

The title does not ask whether grade inflation exists, but whether it is a real problem... to which some may say that the answer may differ based on one's viewpoint. For example:
- If one expected grades to sort/rate/rank a group of individuals by relative degree of knowledge in a topic, then grade inflation (if it occurred) would be a problem.
- If one expected grades to create a record of "equal outcomes" among a group of individuals, then grade inflation may be seen as a welcome solution to a problem.

The author's premise: Grade inflation does not exist; what we see is growth; today's students are smarter than students of 30 years ago.

The article contains many external links. It may be worthwhile to isolate and focus on the cluster of thoughts expressed in relation to each external link? Addressing the article in bite-size pieces may facilitate creating a series of brief, individual posts exploring the ideas imparted.

1) wikipedia - Grade Inflation

2) wikipedia - Tragedy of Commons

3) wikipedia - Flynn Effect

4) College Simply - Harvard acceptance rates

5) Quora - Harvard acceptance rates 30 years ago

6) CNBC - Harvard's incoming class is 1/3 legacy

7) ERIC digest - Grade Inflation in Higher Education

8) SAGEpub - Grade Inflation and the Signaling Power of Grades

9) Taylor&Francis Online - Grade inflation in UK higher education

10) Wiley Online Library - University Competition, Grading Standards, and Grade Inflation

11) wikipedia - availability heuristic

12) US Census - population clock

13) BLS/OOH - Post-Secondary Teachers

14) Slate - Small number of elite universities produce most of America’s professors [i] (redirect)[/i]

15) wikipedia - Curse of Knowledge