Abstract
This article investigates grade inflation within basic speech communication courses and reports an experiment designed to counteract it through systematic grading reform. Reviewing seven decades of literature on the problem of evaluating performance in speech instruction, the author identifies persistent subjectivity, ethical dilemmas, and pressure to reward improvement over proficiency. Drawing on national data showing widespread grade inflation across higher education, the study documents local evidence of rising grade point averages after the introduction of graduate teaching assistants in a large introductory communication course. To address the issue, the department implemented a revised grading model adapted from Robert T. Oliver’s 1960 framework, which defined clear evaluative criteria for each letter grade and required staff calibration through weekly meetings and shared sample evaluations. Comparison of pre and post implementation data revealed a 13 percent reduction in average grades and an 11 percent drop in the proportion of A and B marks. The results suggest that explicit grading standards, collaborative norming, and continuous faculty development can mitigate inflation and restore evaluative consistency in performance based communication instruction.
Recommended Citation
Owen, Gordon R.
(1986)
"And Now, Perhaps, Grade Deflation,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 58, Article 26.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol58/iss1/26
