14. Does England Have a Solution to the Grade-Inflation Problem?

In this article, Heidi Tworek takes a look at the problem known as "grade inflation," and the possible solutions for this problem. The problem itself is that grading policies are either too lenient – as in Harvard's high percentage of A-students – or too harsh – as the "exceptionally high" 16-out-of-20s in a school in France. Many solutions have been offered and experimented with to solve this problem. One idea was to abolish the grading system altogether and have students focus on the "learning experience." Another option is the "dual track system," where students are given a regular grade, and the grade that their professors believe they deserve. On the other extreme, there is a solution that grades students based on a quota, such that the entire school has to have an average below a certain grade. However, the method that Tworek seems to uphold and side with is the method used in some English schools, where the only grades are a "first" at the top, "second 1" and "second 2" in the middle, and "third" at the bottom. She explains that this method keeps all students in an average middle level, and still makes the schools appealing both to prospective students and to the job market.
Tworek makes use of hypophora a lot throughout the essay, using it as a method of transition and also to get the reader on the same page as she is. The use is not very effective, if a bit excessive at times. She also established her credibility very well by citing statistics about schools that implement these innovative grading methods, and even includes the link to a website that evaluates grade inflarion over time. Tworek's article is wrapped up very nicely in her concluding paragraph, where she connects back to the introduction to the piece with the idea of grades and the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Also, she did a good job of using a personal connection to establish her point of view on the matter. She subtly impies that she supports the final grading method when she mentions that it was used in a place she herself studied in. In this way, she includes her subjectivr opinion into an objective article, and it is very well done. Overall, her article was exceptionally well-written, and gave readers an easily understandable, credible perspective into the problems and solutions involved in grading policies.

http://m.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/10/does-england-have-the-solution-to-the-grade-inflation-problem/381571/