March 2, 2007
Printed courtesy of Imperial Valley Press, El Centro, CA

We are not surprised by results of a recent study that determined good grades and good scores on standardized tests don’t necessarily go hand in hand.

Students are taking more Advanced Placement and other challenging courses than ever and are getting higher grades overall. In 2005 high school graduates across the county had an overall grade-point average of just below 3.0, or a B, as opposed to an overall high school graduate GPA of 2.7 in 1990. Yet standardized test scores show no such improvements.

Many say higher GPAs stem from grade inflation, that the value of an “A” is not what it was. If so, there may be no worse place for grade inflation than the Imperial Valley.

Look at the honor rolls in this newspaper that feature scores of students in the highest honors, high honors and honors categories. Then look at how poorly Valley students do on standardized tests compared to the rest of the state and the nation.

Obviously something is not right when we have so many Valley kids excelling on report cards but not exactly qualifying as scholars on standardized tests.

We think much of it has to do with unduly low expectations of Valley educators.

So many students come into local schools ill-equipped, ill-prepared or unmotivated that when teachers encounter a child who is relatively talented or inspired that student often is rewarded with grades better than he or she deserves.

There actually may be good intent in wanting to pump up students’ confidence and push students to continue their academic pursuits, but it gives students unrealistic expectations about what they have to do to excel in the classroom.

At times local students go to universities or colleges and are unprepared for the rigors or standards of higher education.

We are not convinced teachers are passing more disinterested or incapable students than they ever did. Those students seem to be still getting the bad grades they deserve and everything else that goes with academic failure.

Our concern is many of our better students are getting “As” when they should be getting “Bs,” “Bs” when they should be getting “Cs” and so on.

We are convinced Valley students will rise to the level set in their classes, grade-wise and otherwise. It’s time that local educators raise that level a bit higher.