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Is an A still an A? The truth behind grade inflation

The Conversation · · 1147 words · By Christopher DeLuca; Michael Holden

The article examines the phenomenon of grade inflation in Canadian and American schools, discussing its causes and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that rising grades are influenced by a combination of supply and demand in university admissions, improved teaching strategies, and changes in assessment policies.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/is-an-a-still-an-a-the-truth-behind-grade-inflation-…

analyticsAnalysis

10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 90%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

11 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

info Single Source 6
help Insufficient Evidence 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
check_circle Corroborated 1
schedule Pending 1
verified
“Grades have been steadily rising in the United States and Canada for decades.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence contains general information about grading systems in the US and general facts about Canada/US borders, but no data or trends regarding the steady rise of grades over decades.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — There are two international borders between Canada and the United States: Canada's border with the northern tier of the contiguous United States to its south (6,416 kilometres or 3,987 miles), and wit…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada–United_States_border
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States is a popular destination for international students. This can include primary, secondary and post-secondary students. Studying abroad is determined in the United States by political …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_students_in_the_…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and a federal c…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“Harvard University’s grade point average, for example, has risen almost every year since the 1950s.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (The Harvard Crimson and other reports) confirm that Harvard grades have risen significantly, specifically noting that the median GPA has increased and that the median is now an 'A'.
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web search NEUTRAL — Harvard College grades have risen significantly in the past 20 years, per a newly-released report presented at the first Faculty of Arts and Sciences meeting of the academic year Tuesday afternoon.
https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/10/5/faculty-debate-…
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web search NEUTRAL — In just ten years, Harvard's median class grade point average went from 3.64 at graduation to the class of 2025's median average of 3.83. Also notable is that since the 2016-17 academic year "the medi…
https://www.nas.org/blogs/article/easy-come-easy-go-the-grad…
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web search NEUTRAL — Harvard has finally acknowledged that it has a problem with grade inflation. Unfortunately, though the university has now admitted that its instructors award too many A's, its proposed solutions fall …
https://www.city-journal.org/article/harvard-university-grad…
info
“between 2019 and 2021, average grades for Grade 12 students in the Toronto District School Board increased six per cent.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided for this claim consists only of dictionary definitions and mathematical explanations of the word 'average', with no data regarding the Toronto District School Board.
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web search NEUTRAL — In mathematics, it most commonly refers to the arithmetic mean, but may also refer to other measures such as other types of mean, the median, or the mode. Representation of the arithmetic mean, median…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Average
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web search NEUTRAL — The meaning of AVERAGE is a single value (such as a mean, mode, or median) that summarizes or represents the general significance of a set of unequal values. How to use average in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/average
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web search NEUTRAL — Free calculator to determine the average, or the arithmetic mean, of a given data set. It also returns the calculation steps, sum, count, and more.
https://www.calculator.net/average-calculator.html
info
“Between 2016 and 2021, the percentage of A-level students taking the ACT, a standardized test for U.S. college admissions, rose more than 13 per cent.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided discusses A-levels in Nepal, IB statistics, and a percentage calculator, but contains no data regarding ACT scores or percentages between 2016 and 2021.
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web search NEUTRAL — A-level has become a popular choice for many students in Nepal. Besides A-level, International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement are also offered at this level.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-level
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web search NEUTRAL — Learn more about IB DP statistics here.
https://www.ibo.org/about-the-ib/facts-and-figures/statistic…
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web search NEUTRAL — Free. Windows, Mac OS, Linux, iOS, Android. Percentage increase calculator finds the increase from one value to another as a percentage of the first value. Shows you how to find percentage increase wi…
https://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/algebra/percentag…
info
“across 16 universities, the median entry grade rose from 81.4 per cent in 2006 to 88.2 per cent in 2021.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provides general information about applying to universities in Ontario and global rankings, but does not mention the specific median entry grade statistics (81.4% to 88.2%).
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web search NEUTRAL — Ontario’s public universities offer: undergraduate degrees.How to apply. All applicants to undergraduate programs at Ontario universities. You can apply through the Ontario Universities’ Application C…
https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-universities
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web search NEUTRAL — of a university. More than 2500 universities are actually ranked by ARWU every year and the best 1000 are published.(See full Methodology).
https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/arwu/2024
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web search NEUTRAL — “Investing in Ontario’s colleges and universities is the best strategic choice the government can make today to secure our province’s long-term prosperity.”
https://globalnews.ca/news/11090763/ontario-college-universi…
info
“at the University of Manitoba, 40 per cent of high school students admitted in 2024 had a grade of at least 95 per cent.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence mentions 'UMD' (University of Maryland) and general entrance tests in India and Sweden, but provides no data regarding the University of Manitoba's 2024 admission grades.
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web search NEUTRAL — Join us for UMD Admitted Students Day to explore campus life, meet professors, and connect with future classmates!
https://www.tiktok.com/discover/when-is-umd-admitted-student…
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web search NEUTRAL — / Department of Higher Education.The Common University Entrance Test (CUET) provides a common platform and equal opportunities to candidates across the country, especially those from rural and other r…
https://cuet.nta.nic.in/
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web search NEUTRAL — The official website for application to higher education studies in Sweden. Study bachelor's and master's courses and programmes taught in English.If you applied to the First round, you're not require…
https://www.universityadmissions.se/
info
“Between 2005 and 2022, the number of applications to Ontario’s universities rose 86.5 per cent.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence contains general Wikipedia info on Ontario and unrelated biographies, but no statistics on the percentage increase of university applications between 2005 and 2022.
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web search NEUTRAL — Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath was sworn in as the leader of her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. The PC party under Ford has won two further successive majority governments in 2022 and 2025.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontario
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Leading Papunya Tula artist. One of last men to join Geoffrey Bardon's group of 'painting men' at the beginning of the 1970s and the first to be recognised as an artist in his own right. His illustrio…
https://daao.org.au/bio/clifford-possum-tjapaltjarri/biograp…
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web search NEUTRAL — University of WA Anthropology Museum (Berndt Museum of Anthropology), Perth, WA Pacific Asia Museum, Los Angeles, USA Parliament House, Canberra, ACT Victorian Centre for the Performing Arts, Melbourn…
https://www.daao.org.au/bio/clifford-possum-tjapaltjarri/col…
info
“the number of students who went on to register also rose, but only by 31.2 per cent.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While one source mentions that enrollment at Ontario universities increased by 71% over 14 years, it does not corroborate the specific 31.2% figure for the 2005-2022 period.
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web search NEUTRAL — Students should contact the Ontario postsecondary institution where they have accepted their offer of admission and intend to enrol to get a PAL.All applicants to undergraduate programs at Ontario uni…
https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-universities
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web search NEUTRAL — The university also measures student-to-faculty ratios with ten publicly funded universities in the United States.Rabble reported that enrolment at Ontario universities has increased by 71 per cent in…
https://thevarsity.ca/2015/12/07/student-to-faculty-ratio-co…
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web search NEUTRAL — Thee UK Home Office has reported a substantial 54 percent increase in the number of sponsored study visas granted to Indian students compared to 2022. This development marks a significant shift in fav…
https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/latest-studies/sto…
help
“Sixty-one per cent of American teenagers say they feel pressured to get good grades.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this claim.
help
“in almost every province, the share of people graduating high school has been increasing for years.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this claim.
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“Manitoba’s assessment policy, for example, tells teachers to base grades on students’ actual achievement, not on things like effort, participation or attitude.”
PENDING
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.