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Higher education in the United States is facing increasing demands for colleges and universities to demonstrate what students learn and that they are providing a high-quality education experience during the undergraduate years (Pascarealla et al. in "Chang Mag High Learn" 42(1):16-22, 2010). Despite evidence of the elevation of grades in higher education dating back to the 1970s, attempts to rein in this phenomenon have been largely unsuccessful (Nikolakakos et al. in "Coll Univ" 87(3):2-14 2012). It is our contention that attempts to reform grading have not succeeded because their focus is too narrow. After providing background information on the extent and causes of grade inflation, we will propose a synergistic approach to dealing with the problem of grade inflation.

To examine the antecedents of perceptions of grading fairness, approximately 600 college students were surveyed about the prevalence and desirability of 1) teaching practices that assisted students to prepare for examinations, and 2) common test scoring manipulations used to transform poor scores into acceptable ones (e.g., curving low scores upward). Students also described the fairness of the grading they had experienced. Regression analysis revealed that grading fairness was predicted best by exposure to the teaching practices rather than the scoring practices. Results are discussed in terms of the possible effects of these teaching and grading practices on grade inflation. (Contains 2 tables and 1 footnote.)

Throughout classrooms in the United States there appears to have been a general watering down of academic standards. The percentages of "A" and "B" grades have risen, and at some schools, the percentage of grades of "C" or lower has plummeted. Numerous scholarly articles about grade inflation discuss the extent, causes, and implications of this situation in American schools, and op-ed pieces frequently lament or deride current grading practices. One of many undesirable consequences of the grade inflation is the draining of information from student transcripts, thereby making them less useful. Numerous colleges and universities have struggled, with varying degrees of success, to mitigate the problem. In an attempt to help reverse this process, the authors explain why they believe it would be a good idea to include normative data such as median course grades on undergraduate transcripts. (Contains 5 footnotes.)