Grade Inflation: The Effects Of The Pressure On High School Students

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One of the primary sources of grade inflation is the pressure for high school students to be admitted to reputable universities. There is a vast amount of pressure on students to succeed, but there is also an equal or greater amount of pressure on educators and administrators to make sure their students succeed. In higher socio economic schools, such as private schools or public schools in wealthier areas, teachers are stressed to keep students generally high grades even higher. Apparently today it is thought “that a teacher could be “crippling” students by giving them 93’s” (Applerouth). Many of these teachers are also warned “they could be keeping their kids out of top schools by giving lower grades, particularly if other schools in their …show more content…
Her administrators told her “retaining 20 students was simply not an option; the system could not handle the extra burden, nor did the administration want to face the consequences of failing [that] many students” (Applerouth). Grade inflation in these schools could also be used to keep some type of control with less disciplined students. The grading in low-income schools “may reflect a hidden curriculum of compliance and control, in which teachers use grades as carrots and sticks to keep students in line” (Goodwin). Sadly rather than actually discipline the students, a number of teachers prefer to take the easy way out and appease their students with grades they do not deserve. Another factor, or in this point an instigator, of grade inflation are the parents of the students. Normally when a parent is looking for a school district or specific schools for their child to attend they look for one that has a reputable overall track record. But many times they are advertently looking for which school is going to give their child the best grades, or the best edge for college