The Grading Architecture: Measurement, Systems and Reform in Higher Education
Loading...
Authors
Ryan, Mark
Issue Date
2026-04-16
Type
Book
Language
en
Keywords
grade inflation , measurement , systems , reform , higher education , Sanford College of Education
Alternative Title
Abstract
This book analyzes grading in higher education as a system of measurement shaped by design rather than by instructor leniency or student motivation. It argues that grade outcomes emerge from structural features such as scale thresholds, rubric construction, assessment formats, and institutional policy contexts. By reframing grade inflation as a systemic design issue, the text explains how grading architectures generate GPA distributions and affect the interpretive value of transcripts. It offers a design-oriented framework for educators, administrators, and researchers to understand and redesign grading systems to maintain validity, differentiation, and credibility. Topics include the separation of assessment and evaluation, shifting A-range thresholds, persistent inflation absent policy response, AI’s impact on evaluation, rubric reliability, two-tier examination models, and program-level feedback systems, alongside practical tools for structural reform grounded in measurement principles.