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From: davis_d@spcunb.spc.edu (David K. Davis)
Subject: Re: Grades and credentials
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Date: Thu, 20 Mar 1997 19:21:59 GMT
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Herman Rubin (hrubin@b.stat.purdue.edu) wrote:
: In article <33301BDA.3D03@lanl.gov>,
: Rebecca M. Chamberlin <rlmiller@lanl.gov> wrote:
: >Rick Fletcher wrote:
:  
: >> Herman Rubin (hrubin@b.stat.purdue.edu) wrote:
: >> : This is assuming that the new schools will be like the present ones.
: >> : The causes of the atrocious education are implicit in the current
: >> : structure of academic progress: everyone on the same assembly line.
: >> : Even different speeds on the same assembly line does not solve the problem.
:  
: >> Why is this true?  Teach to the top and let the rest struggle and survive
: >> or fail.
:  
: 
: >> Rick
:  
: 
: >Sounds great in theory, but there's this thing called grade inflation.  
: >Students give high ratings to professors who teach easy classes and give 
: >high grades.  Administrators who can't be bothered with making sure 
: >students are being *educated* use these "popularity" rankings when 
: >determining professors' raises and promotions.  
: 
: >At least that's what I read in the Chronicle of Higher Education 'bout 2 
: >months ago.  One university is considering scaling students' GPA's based 
: >on how "hard" their courses are (determined in part by the average grade 
: >given out by the professor).  Too bad nobody has the guts to scale the 
: >professor's salaries according to whether their students are learning 
: >anything.
: 
: The scaling procedure is the typical response of someone who believes
: in the religion of statistics.
: 
: But I can think of only one way to eliminate the pressure to have the
: professors reduce the curriculum so the courses will not be "too hard",
: and also to keep the students from even wanting easy courses.  That is
: to make course grades purely advisory, and to have lengthy degree
: examinations, where the students will have to put it all together.
: These need not be the usual type of examination, but should be real
: problem examinations under appropriate conditions, allowing appropriate
: use of books, computers, laboratory equipment, etc.
: 
: The only important consideration is whether they can use what they
: have been taught.  Those who believe in the present grading should
: see what happens when their students are asked to use the material
: on which they have been given A's and B's.
: -- 
: This address is for information only.  I do not claim that these views
: are those of the Statistics Department or of Purdue University.
: Herman Rubin, Dept. of Statistics, Purdue Univ., West Lafayette IN47907-1399
: hrubin@stat.purdue.edu         Phone: (765)494-6054   FAX: (765)494-0558

I agree with this. I assume Herman means that these examinations should
cover college level basic literacy as well as the requirements of the
major. Unfortunately, many are currently graduating without meeting any
reasonable measure even there.

But there is a chance even these measure won't work without some kind of 
standards on a national scale. Colleges are subject to the same
downward forces that act on individual professors.

-Dave D.
