Student Learning and Graduation: Investigating Grade Inflation

• In Event: AERA Graduate Student Research-in-Progress Session 5
  In Roundtable Session: Teaching and Learning Practices in Higher Education (Table 8)

Abstract

Graduation rates have increased since the 1990s. While this increase in collegiate success should mean an increase in student learning, suspicions have arisen as to whether this is the case. Colleges/universities tend to display graduation rates as evidence of student learning. However, indicators of student learning (e.g., Grade Point Average) have been shown to be susceptible to grade inflation. To demonstrate true student learning across time, a measure of learning administered to the student body is necessary across multiple time points. The current study aims to utilize longitudinal student learning data from an R2 institution in the Southeast U.S. to determine if graduation status is significantly related to student learning after controlling for inflated learning measures and student demographics.

Author

• Autumn N. Wild, James Madison University