The real problem with grade inflation is not the reduction in
information that might be used by employers. As with regular inflation,
the real problem is that grade inflation is not uniform - some
departments and some professors are more subject to inflation than
others. In particular, grade inflation tends to be much worse the
softer the science: grades are almost always significantly higher in
art, cultural anthropology, and english than in math, physics and
economics, for example. And within departments it is well known that
some professors grade easier than others.
The effect of this is to draw students away from math, science and
economics and towards the softer social sciences. Similarly, within
departments students are drawn away from harder graders and towards
softer graders. Budgets go where students go! Thus grade inflation
causes a *misallocation of resources* (measured in student time or in
budgets.)
Alex
--
Dr. Alexander Tabarrok
Vice President and Director of Research
The Independent Institute
100 Swan Way
Oakland, CA, 94621-1428
Tel. 510-632-1366, FAX: 510-568-6040
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
