I recently read an interesting article in the New York Times about College Grade Inflation by Catherine Rampell.
Take a look at the red line in the chart below, which refers to the share of grades given that are A’s: 
What accounts for the higher G.P.A.’s over the last few decades?
I’d like to think that my own kids are just smarter than me, but the authors don’t attribute steep grade inflation to higher-quality or harder-working students. In fact, one recent study found that students spend significantly less time studying today than they did in the past.
Rather, the researchers argue that grade inflation began picking in the 1960s and 1970s probably because professors were reluctant to give students D’s and F’s. After all, poor grades could land young men inVietnam.
They then attribute the rapid rise in grade inflation in the last couple of decades to a more “consumer-based approach” to education, which they say “has created both external and internal incentives for the faculty to grade more generously.” More generous grading can produce better instructor reviews, for example, and can help students be more competitive candidates for graduate schools and the job market.
The authors argue that grading standards may become even looser in the coming years, making it increasingly more difficult for graduate schools and employers to distinguish between excellent, good and mediocre students. More disturbing, they argue, are the potential effects on educational outcomes.
I’m wondering if this is just another result of the growing entitlement attitude in our world? I hope not, I hope it is because our kids really are smarter.
