Profiles in Character: on Education


Grade inflation breeds culture of falsely perceived success

The self-esteem excuse is used today in a variety of forms at many of our institutions of higher learning. Many of our graduate and professional schools these days function on an inflated grading curve. For some of the nation’s most prestigious schools, [the average of] the curve is set at a B+. That means anything below a B+ is considered below average. Students in a class could be performing only C work, but because the grading curve is a B+, those students’ grades will be bumped up to a grade of B+ or higher.

The justification for this high grading curve is apparently part self-esteem and part fear of competition. Many schools in the upper echelon now inflate their grading curves so that their students will have an advantage in the job market. As other schools get wise to this grade inflation, they too inflate their grading curves, breeding a culture of perceived successes and abhorrence to failre.

Source: Profiles in Character, by Jeb Bush & B.Yablonski, p. 62-63 Nov 1, 1995

  • The above quotations are from Profiles in Character, by Jeb Bush & B.Yablonski.
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