High-school grade-point averages (HSGPAs) have jumped in the last decade but ACT test scores have remained stagnant, creating increased grade-inflation.
That’s according to a new report by the ACT, a nonprofit education organization most commonly known for its standardized test.
Dr. Janet Godwin, ACT CEO.
“It’s important students have a clear picture of who they are and what they are able to do. Understanding [that] is critical for their futures,” said Godwin. “Grade inflation makes this more challenging. There are enormous implications for admissions.”
The report also found that students of color, particularly Black students at primarily white K-12 schools, saw the sharpest increase in inflation. It concludes by urging admissions departments to use multiple, holistic assessments of students, including a combination of HSGPA and another standardized test metric.
Dr. Larry J. Walker, an assistant professor in the department of educational leadership and higher education at the University of Central Florida, said it’s no coincidence this report was produced at a time when more and more institutions are moving toward test-optional applications.
“[The report] talks about grade inflation and importance of other metrics, using the ACT. But we’re moving away from that,” said Walker, citing the decision made just earlier this month by the American Bar Association (ABA) to recommend that law schools no longer require the LSAT for admission. The ABA is following suit with other institutions like the University of Michigan, whose biomedical sciences graduate program dropped the GRE requirement in 2017, and the 2021 final decision by the University of California to end the use of the ACT and SAT to determine undergraduate admission.
