Between 2016 and 2021, the average GPA for students taking the test increased from 3.22 to 3.39. But scores on the ACT I 鈥� reflecting performance in English, math, reading and science 鈥� declined slightly, from 20.8 to 20.3. The trend was especially noticeable among Black students and those from low- to moderate-income homes.

The results, based on a sample of over 4 million students in almost 4,800 schools, reflect 鈥減ersistent, systemic,鈥� grade inflation, wrote the authors, both researchers at ACT. Following a recent from the National Assessment of Educational Progress 鈥� or NAEP 鈥� the ACT analysis provides further evidence that grades, which often include points for effort and class participation, don鈥檛 reflect objective measures of academic achievement.

The study found more grade inflation in higher-poverty schools. Edgar Sanchez, a lead research scientist at ACT, said it鈥檚 unclear why that鈥檚 the case and called the study 鈥渁 starting point.鈥�

But Seth Gershenson, an American University researcher who has the issue, attributed the problem to what President George W. Bush 鈥渢he soft bigotry of low expectations.鈥� Schools, Gershenson said, award passing grades 鈥渁nd let someone else deal with the lack of learning later on.鈥�

His research also showed growing grade inflation over time in wealthier schools, where 鈥渕ore entitled parents and students鈥� are putting pressure on teachers to give A鈥檚 so students can get into top colleges.

It鈥檚 unclear to what extent the relaxation of grading standards during the pandemic affected the study鈥檚 outcome, wrote the ACT researchers. California students, for example, were allowed to change their lowest grades. And reduced how much scores on end-of-course tests counted in students鈥� final grades. The authors noted that students who tested in the middle of a pandemic, especially the spring after schools shut down, 鈥渃ould be different from typical tested students鈥� and also from those who didn鈥檛 test until 2021.  

At a time when more colleges and universities are making both the ACT and SAT for admission, ACT CEO Janet Godwin acknowledged the risk that the paper鈥檚 argument in support of standardized testing might seem self-serving, 

But she said the company has 鈥渁 responsibility鈥� to contribute to the conversation.

鈥淲e have the means and the data to do this kind of research,鈥� she said.

Michael Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a conservative think tank that has published Gershenson鈥檚 work, agreed that ACT has 鈥渁 big dog in that fight.鈥� Regardless, he agreed that current trends in grading are leaving students less prepared for higher education.

鈥淭he heart of the problem is that there aren’t any standards or guidelines for grading in most places,鈥� Petrilli said. 鈥淭eachers are on their own, and don’t get much, if any, guidance. Nor do they get much training in [education] schools.鈥�

鈥業n the dark鈥�

Parents rely on grades to give them an accurate portrait of their children鈥檚 performance 鈥� especially since they are given more frequently than annual state tests, said Bibb Hubbard, founder and president of Learning Heroes, a nonprofit that helps parents become better informed about their children鈥檚 progress. 

But many parents might not understand that grades are sometimes more about effort than knowledge, she said. 

鈥淲hen we ask teachers why they don’t share more with parents about student achievement, they report it is fear-based 鈥� fear of not being believed, of being blamed and of their principals not having their back,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he system is designed to keep parents in the dark about their child’s grade-level performance.鈥�

In recent years, some districts have adopted an approach known as 鈥渟tandards-based grading鈥� that educators say offers a more accurate measure of whether students are meeting expectations. It takes the emphasis off non-academic factors like turning in assignments early and attendance 鈥� practices that can vary from teacher to teacher.

The 3,000-student Pewaukee School District in Wisconsin, outside Milwaukee, implemented such a model in 2015. Students are graded on a one-to-four system, with one representing below expectations and four indicating advanced performance. 

鈥淲e didn鈥檛 want students鈥� grades dependent on whether they brought in a box of Kleenex,鈥� said Danielle Bosanec, the district鈥檚 chief academic officer. 鈥淲e wanted kids to stop chasing grades and start chasing learning.鈥�

Parents bought into the plan because it allows students more than one chance at a passing grade on an assignment or test so long as they can demonstrate the additional work they did after their first try. The district agreed to convert final scores into letter grades for transcripts.

Bosanec also conducted her own research to test the connection between the new grading model and ACT scores. In general, she found that in a standards-based model, 鈥渁s students鈥� grades go up or down, the impact on ACT scores follows suit.鈥�

Despite the studies pointing to grade inflation, there鈥檚 no 鈥渨idespread evidence that institutions have lost trust in GPAs,鈥� said David Hawkins, chief education and policy officer at the National Association for College Admission Counseling. What colleges crave, he said, is more context. 

In the future, he thinks, like research projects or class presentations 鈥� used widely in some states like New Hampshire in lieu of tests 鈥� could become part of the admissions process.

鈥淭here is more to be mined from the student鈥檚 high school record than we鈥檙e currently getting,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e missing a lot of data about what students can do.鈥�