Grade inflation at local high school...

[Jackie in NE]

Just reading this morning's paper, and here are the stats on our local high school... (FWIW, this H.S. was recently given the honor of being named the "best high school in the state" by U.S. News & World Report). Of the 238 senior students at the high school, 107 of them (45%) are on the honor roll. 70 of them (30%) have a 4.0 GPA, and 61 students (26%) are members of the National Honor Society. :confused: :confused:

 

My oldest dd has taken classes at the high school, competes on the swim team there, and has several friends there. The classes are a joke. Content is totally dumbed down. In a Physics class, which dd dropped after 1 week in favor of an online class, if the students did poorly on an exam, the instructor handed them the answer sheet, told them to study, and allowed them to re-take the exam. Now, this is probably not news to most of you. Grade inflation has been a problem for years. But how do we, as homeschoolers, respond? How can we adequately convey to colleges and universities that our dc are actually learning? How do you compare apples to oranges?

 

Of course I realize that there is also the measure of ACT or SAT scores. (The article did not mention these.) But on the basis of grades, I feel that my dc will be cheated because of the inflation going on. It makes me angry! My children work hard. Oldest dd has been studying like crazy for her online finals this week. She is about to begin one of her Omnibus V exams which has a time limit of 5 hours. She expects she will need all of that time.

 

I guess I just needed to vent. I don't expect there are any real answers out there. I just want all of this hard work (Not to mention our significant financial sacrifice)to pay off.

 

On a brighter side, I am so thankful we have the freedom to make our own educational choices. I am so thankful that dh is able and willing to finance this whole thing, including the loss of the income that I could be providing.....

 

Aarrgghhhh! Life! :glare:

Just reading this morning's paper, and here are the stats on our local high school... (FWIW, this H.S. was recently given the honor of being named the "best high school in the state" by U.S. News & World Report). Of the 238 senior students at the high school, 107 of them (45%) are on the honor roll. 70 of them (30%) have a 4.0 GPA, and 61 students (26%) are members of the National Honor Society. :confused: :confused:

 

 

I'd be more curious about AP test results. I don't think there's much inflation there.

[FaithManor]

Just reading this morning's paper, and here are the stats on our local high school... (FWIW, this H.S. was recently given the honor of being named the "best high school in the state" by U.S. News & World Report). Of the 238 senior students at the high school, 107 of them (45%) are on the honor roll. 70 of them (30%) have a 4.0 GPA, and 61 students (26%) are members of the National Honor Society. :confused: :confused:

 

My oldest dd has taken classes at the high school, competes on the swim team there, and has several friends there. The classes are a joke. Content is totally dumbed down. In a Physics class, which dd dropped after 1 week in favor of an online class, if the students did poorly on an exam, the instructor handed them the answer sheet, told them to study, and allowed them to re-take the exam. Now, this is probably not news to most of you. Grade inflation has been a problem for years. But how do we, as homeschoolers, respond? How can we adequately convey to colleges and universities that our dc are actually learning? How do you compare apples to oranges?

 

Of course I realize that there is also the measure of ACT or SAT scores. (The article did not mention these.) But on the basis of grades, I feel that my dc will be cheated because of the inflation going on. It makes me angry! My children work hard. Oldest dd has been studying like crazy for her online finals this week. She is about to begin one of her Omnibus V exams which has a time limit of 5 hours. She expects she will need all of that time.

 

I guess I just needed to vent. I don't expect there are any real answers out there. I just want all of this hard work (Not to mention our significant financial sacrifice)to pay off.

 

On a brighter side, I am so thankful we have the freedom to make our own educational choices. I am so thankful that dh is able and willing to finance this whole thing, including the loss of the income that I could be providing.....

 

Aarrgghhhh! Life! :glare:

 

AP exams would be one way or SAT II subject exams. If you don't have the knowledge, if you didn't do the work, you won't pass. These exams are more thorough in an examination of skill and content than regular standardized tests including the SAT and ACT. Some colleges give credit for AP's, others do not, but these are widely regarded by colleges as a way for students to show they did the work even when grade inflation is rampant. Your student doesn't need to overburden him/her self by taking one in every subject and what not...don't do that. Just pick 3 or 4 which is the range of AP's that many Tier 1 uni's like to see, us AP texts and then complete a prepatory AP review book on that subject. A student who has worked hard and has been taught test taking skills (assuming that excessive nerves do not come into play or other mitigating circumstances) is likely to receive a 4 or 5 (general equivalent to B and A respectively) which is what the colleges are looking for to show mastery of content.

 

Also, if you can find extra-curriculars that require diligence and application of significant skill, this helps as well. Science clubs, chess clubs, debate, math olympiad, rocketry teams, etc. DD attended Space Camp twice and received the Right Stuff Award. That year she was one of only two students that received it. (You have to really impress the NASA Space Camp staff to get that award.) I know all of these things mean money, but also see if your local 4-H program has anything. Ours is very academically oriented, science club, rocketry, kids involved in state politics, conservation programs, student research into wind power, etc. They have a TON of options and with that, the student who works hard, will receive personal letters of recommendation from adults whose credentials will be respected. These things independently verify that a student is diligent and perseveres. Combined with a decent ACT or SAT score, most uni's, vo-techs, and apprenticeship/internship supervisors will have confidence that your student was well-taught and raised.

 

For homeschoolers, those extra-curriculars and AP's can be prime...dual enrollment IF your community college is well-respected has having rigorous courses and good teaching reputation, can also count for a lot!

 

Faith

Edited May 22, 2012 by FaithManor
sp. left out apostrophe - probably killed a kitten. Sigh

[EKS]

Yup. My older son's well regarded private school also has what I consider to be grade inflation, though not as bad as what you're describing. For example, he had a C average on tests in his math class after the first quarter he was there, but the grade issued was an A-. The reason was that: (1) The teacher would hand back the tests and allow the students to correct their mistakes (in class, without notes or book) and then she would average the grades for the first and second tries; (2) 25% of the points were for participation; and (3) if the kids didn't like their grades on the tests they were allowed to do extra credit problems, which can really have an overwhelmingly positive effect on the final grade.

 

Not impressed.

[Denise in Florida]

The colleges are aware of the issue. I have talked to quite a few admissions departments (dd1 applied to 8 schools, dd2 applied to 7 :001_smile:).

 

They really don't put much weight on the GPA. They want to see a total package: a few rigorous courses (AP, Honors, Dual Enrollment) and steady increase of difficulty on the transcript, community service, good test scores and good letters of recommendation. All but two school asked me to assign a GPA but most admitted they did not depend on it for much.

[AuntieM]

I have heard reports just like your dd's coming out of our local Blue Ribbon school district. Knowing some of the students, I believe it. One mom told me how many times her child was allowed to retake the same test - after three tries he finally earned :glare: that A.

 

It wouldn't bother me EXCEPT that those who teach and create a transcript with academic challenge and integrity find their students' stats in competition with the inflated ones at our state universities. Scholarship programs have point systems for gpa, class rank, etc and it's not fair that those aren't truly equitable stats. The good thing is that our kids, who tend to be more rigorously educated, usually outperform the others on nationally normed tests such as the PSAT, SAT and ACT.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

An acquaintance of mine told me how shocked she and her daughter were when her daughter went to college. The daughter had straight A's in high school, was on the honor roll, etc. When she got to college, she had to take a whole bunch of remedial classes due to low test scores.

 

I think grade inflation is a nasty trick to play on kids that are planning to go to college. Or even for kids who are planning to get a job directly out of high school. It gives them a false sense of security about their abilities.

[petepie2]

I just read an article yesterday about grade inflation and the effect it has.

[Jackie in NE]

An acquaintance of mine told me how shocked she and her daughter were when her daughter went to college. The daughter had straight A's in high school, was on the honor roll, etc. When she got to college, she had to take a whole bunch of remedial classes due to low test scores.

 

I think grade inflation is a nasty trick to play on kids that are planning to go to college. Or even for kids who are planning to get a job directly out of high school. It gives them a false sense of security about their abilities.

 

I really agree with you. It is a real disservice to our youth. Perhaps the better statistic for colleges to measure is the % of remedial classes required by a certain high school's graduates. If the % is high, they should not even look at GPA. With respect to the high school though, the kids are gone, and no longer their problem when they realize how unprepared they are for college. And who pays? The parents. All those remedial classes still cost $$, but don't count toward graduation requirements. It's a mess!

[sleeplessnights]

That is an awesome article. Wow, grade inflation is bad for the "good" students and bad for the "bad" students. What a concept!

 

And I think that 4-year colleges should not offer remedial classes. If you aren't ready for regular college classes, you should go to community college until you are ready.

[Jackie in NE]

I just read an article yesterday about grade inflation and the effect it has.

 

Excellent article. And I thoroughly agree with the long-term effects of our indulgent public education system. I feel sorry for the victims-the students.

[Greta]

I just read an article yesterday about grade inflation and the effect it has.

 

That was a really interesting article. Thank you for sharing it.

[missmoe]

The colleges are aware of the issue. I have talked to quite a few admissions departments (dd1 applied to 8 schools, dd2 applied to 7 :001_smile:).

 

They really don't put much weight on the GPA. They want to see a total package: a few rigorous courses (AP, Honors, Dual Enrollment) and steady increase of difficulty on the transcript, community service, good test scores and good letters of recommendation. All but two school asked me to assign a GPA but most admitted they did not depend on it for much.

 

This has been our experience as well. My dd has the opposite problem--she is attending a high school where the students do work hard for their grades. The school culture is all about excellence. She has a GPA of 3.85 and won't even fall in the top 50% of her class. UC schools promise students that have standing in the top 9% of their high school class a place at one of their universities. In talking to the admission depts of several UC univerisities, I have been told not to worry so much about the GPA and class standing as the universities are aware of the schools that students work hard at and schools where students are given their grades.

[Princess Peach]

This has been our experience as well. My dd has the opposite problem--she is attending a high school where the students do work hard for their grades. The school culture is all about excellence. She has a GPA of 3.85 and won't even fall in the top 50% of her class. UC schools promise students that have standing in the top 9% of their high school class a place at one of their universities. In talking to the admission depts of several UC univerisities, I have been told not to worry so much about the GPA and class standing as the universities are aware of the schools that students work hard at and schools where students are given their grades.

 

The potential catch to this is, a student can work very hard and be very bright and be forced to attend a school that gives away grades like candy. This mentality is not fair to the student that has no control over their school. I think it could breed or worsen classism.

[Perry]

I just read an article yesterday about grade inflation and the effect it has.

Great article. I found the comments depressing.

[Kathryn]

An acquaintance of mine told me how shocked she and her daughter were when her daughter went to college. The daughter had straight A's in high school, was on the honor roll, etc. When she got to college, she had to take a whole bunch of remedial classes due to low test scores.

 

I think grade inflation is a nasty trick to play on kids that are planning to go to college. Or even for kids who are planning to get a job directly out of high school. It gives them a false sense of security about their abilities.

 

:iagree:

 

I just read an article yesterday about grade inflation and the effect it has.

 

Great article.

[Denise in Florida]

The potential catch to this is, a student can work very hard and be very bright and be forced to attend a school that gives away grades like candy. This mentality is not fair to the student that has no control over their school. I think it could breed or worsen classism.

 

Yep, but again I will say most admissions counselors know what to look for. The students should not rely on the evaluations (GPA, Class Rank) of just one school. In my experience, dual enrollment in a community college (with a good rep) is ranked higher than Honors or AP classes. They also look for a wide range of demanding extra curriculars such as Mock Trial, Speech and Debate competitions and university enrichment camps (Piano, Science, etc).

 

Grade inflation at high school, community college and universities is a big problem but admission counselors/employers/grad schools are not fooled for long. :001_smile:

[G5052]

I've been a community college professor longer than I've homeschooled, which is over a decade for both now.

 

The community college where I work is a good one. Of those who graduate, a good percentage go on to 4-year degrees, including several public Ivies. The nursing program has a near 100% board pass rate and accepts only a small percentage of students. But the behind-the-scenes truth is that the majority of the graduates are not 18-20 y.o. graduates of the local public school system. Most of them are homeschooled, private schooled, in their 20's or older, or students from other areas.

 

Among the graduates of local public schools, the percentage who need remedial classes is shocking. Truly shocking. And the number of students who start in remedial classes who end up with a two-year degree is very small. It is great that community colleges offer remedial classes, but the reality is that the number who don't progress on to regular classes is much greater than those who do.

 

If you look at the statistics on AP exams, many take, but few get 4's and 5's, which is what the more selective colleges want if they take them at all.

 

I realize that the benefits of public school can be much more than academic, but in my area, I can't say that academics are a good reason to send your child there if you have options (and some don't have options).

 

And yes, the admissions folks at the more selective schools know all of this. They know it well.

[missmoe]

The potential catch to this is, a student can work very hard and be very bright and be forced to attend a school that gives away grades like candy. This mentality is not fair to the student that has no control over their school. I think it could breed or worsen classism.

 

I agree. And I think the system needs to be fixed--most likely be changing our expectations as a culture, but for now I have to work with what is out there--making it work for my kids.

[GoVanGogh]

An acquaintance of mine told me how shocked she and her daughter were when her daughter went to college. The daughter had straight A's in high school, was on the honor roll, etc. When she got to college, she had to take a whole bunch of remedial classes due to low test scores.

I hear that time and time again from our "top ranked" school. :glare:

Two of our neighbor kids that graduated a few years ago with honors dropped out of college "because it was too hard." They both feel that they were lied to and are now working their butts off trying to pay off college debt with min wage jobs.

Ironically, the neighbor boy who dropped out of high school and is now doing construction work is doing quite well for himself.

[G5052]

The potential catch to this is, a student can work very hard and be very bright and be forced to attend a school that gives away grades like candy. This mentality is not fair to the student that has no control over their school. I think it could breed or worsen classism.

 

I've taught local students who were literally in tears at the end of the semester, telling me how high school failed them. These were kids who had nearly all A's in high school and took honors sections. They've told me that many of their exams were open book and that they frequently were allowed to retake exams they did poorly on. And late work wasn't a big deal. In other words, they were coddled along and told that they were great. But they weren't....

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Even in college and grad school, the grade inflation still happens. I became friends with one of my grad school profs and his wife after I graduated. One evening at dinner at their house, he filled me in on the "Warm Body Policy". They needed to keep a certain number of passing students in the program in order to keep receiving their funding. It explained the previously unexplainable grades of one of my roommates/classmates who could not actually do the work and would hound me for answers and help. She managed to receive passing grades, though and has the same degree that I worked my butt off to receive.

[Jackie in NE]

Even in college and grad school, the grade inflation still happens. I became friends with one of my grad school profs and his wife after I graduated. One evening at dinner at their house, he filled me in on the "Warm Body Policy". They needed to keep a certain number of passing students in the program in order to keep receiving their funding. It explained the previously unexplainable grades of one of my roommates/classmates who could not actually do the work and would hound me for answers and help. She managed to receive passing grades, though and has the same degree that I worked my butt off to receive.

 

So I guess the rubber doesn't ACTUALLY meet the road until somebody hires them? :confused: Hard to believe. Surely, a lot of them shake out during college. :confused: Apparently this problem is ingrained throughout our education system. I am overwhelmed by the scope of it. :001_huh:

[Heather in AL]

So I guess the rubber doesn't ACTUALLY meet the road until somebody hires them? :confused: Hard to believe. Surely, a lot of them shake out during college. :confused: Apparently this problem is ingrained throughout our education system. I am overwhelmed by the scope of it. :001_huh:

 

Not necessarily. :glare:

[*Michelle*]

Sometimes I feel like our entire society is one big Potemkin village: faux educations, faux economy...