Give me an A!

In the essay Gimme an A (I Insist!) by Abigail Sullivan Moore it talks about the increase in students receiving good grades in the current systems. Abigail argues that in recent years, compared to in the past, students grades have increased but the SAT scores have stayed the same. Abigail also complains that parents, and the students themselves, are pressuring teachers into giving good grades so that students will be accepted into good universities. Both points, grades improving while SAT scores stay the same and teachers being pressured into giving out good grades, are valid points, but even in our society, where it is normal to be a straight A student, there are plenty of ways to know who the really exceptional students are. If a student is looking for ways to excel in school, there are plenty of opportunities that are open to them today. Students who are exceptionally strong in their studies have exceptional SAT/ACT scores. The fact is that although the increase of grades may seem harmful, really it is just grade inflation and when good grades are given more freely in high schools the colleges need to raise the standard to match the current grades being given. It is not the teachers fault that the students are receiving a good grades in class, teachers have to make learning in high school attainable for every student. The standard of learning in high schools need to be attainable, but that does not mean that the exceptional student can’t go beyond getting good grades and look for additional ways to educate themselves; additional ways include post secondary options, exceptional ACT/SAT scores, and making sure they are well rounded individuals.
Abigail’s points out that grades are increasing but SAT scores are staying constant don’t go together. Just because teachers have been “pressured” into giving good grades, this does not mean that students today are any smarter than students ten years ago. Although it doesn’t make a lot of sense to give out good it grades without the students deserving them, it does give the students a boost to pursue their dreams. As Abigail said “teachers feel a pressure to not shatter students’ self-esteem.” A good teacher knows how to give out accurate grades without shattering the student’s self-esteem. This is a very fine line, but it is important for an experienced teacher, that knows what level to expect from a student, to have standards before a class ever starts. Students do not always enjoy a class with such qualified teachers, but students will be pushed to be the very best that they can be. You may say that the teachers are being generous with grades or maybe you think that they are being pressured giving the good grades, but either way the standards have been lowered. Whatever the reason for the inflation of grades may be students who wish to go above the average must be able to prove themselves exceptional in multiple areas. Colleges are looking for well rounded people who can hand more than one thing at a time. Students who participate in sports and music often times have a higher chance of getting a scholarship than someone who is not as well balanced.
Not all students are exceptionally gifted in academics. Schools are really good about making sure that every student gets an equal opportunity to success. Schools should be commended for trying to be a place where all students can be challenged and still feel good about themselves. The inflation of grades makes students feel better about their success, but an A doesn’t necessarily mean that you are the top of your class. Knowing that an A does not mean that you are an exceptional student is the first step to fixing the grade inflation problem.