Grade inflation is a tough problem to solve. Harvard recently announced a cap on A’s in any given class, but it doesn’t address lower grades, including A-minuses, and such measures tend to provoke faculty resistance. Dartmouth has reported median grades since 1994, and it still experienced grade inflation. There’s a way to address the grading system directly while preserving faculty autonomy: by adding an “inflation-adjusted GPA” on student transcripts.
A student’s transcript would show two overall grade-point averages. Next to the traditional GPA will appear a second number that adjusts course grades based on the median grade in each class. A student who earns an A in a course where the median grade is also an A would receive less of a boost than one who earns an A in a tougher course. If a student filled his schedule with easy-A classes, his transcript might show a traditional GPA of 4.0 and an adjusted GPA of 2.7. This large difference communicates that the student’s traditional GPA overstates his academic performance.