Public and Private School Grade Inflations Patterns in Secondary Education

54 Pages Posted: 22 Mar 2023

See all articles by Pedro Luis Silva

Pedro Luis Silva

University of Porto - CIPES; Universidade do Porto - Faculdade de Economia (FEP)

Stephen DesJardins

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

Ricardo Biscaia

Centre for Research in Higher Education Policies (CIPES); Universidade do Porto

Carla Sá

Centre for Research in Higher Education Policies (CIPES); University of Minho

Pedro Teixeira

Universidade do Porto - Faculdade de Economia (FEP)

Abstract

Grade inflation in high schools is potentially problematic for students, education institutions, and society. We examine the extent of potential grading inflation in courses taken during high school and how such differences vary across student and school characteristics. Utilizing longitudinal, administrative data for the population of high school students in an entire country (Portugal) over ten years, we develop a measure of grade inflation using the position of the student's high school grade relative to their score on the national standardized admission exam. We analyze differences in this measure across four types of high schools: TEIP schools (public schools located in disadvantaged areas that include children at-risk of social exclusion), public schools (state-funded schools), private schools, and private association schools (owned by private entities but publicly funded). We find that private association schools exhibit a lower probability of grade inflation when compared to public schools. Additionally, TEIP schools tend to have a higher probability of inflation for students with high grades. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Keywords: grade inflation, grading standards, high school grading, postsecondary access equity, upper secondary education

JEL Classification: I21, I23, I24

Suggested Citation

Silva, Pedro Luis and DesJardins, Stephen and Biscaia, Ricardo and Sá, Carla and Teixeira, Pedro, Public and Private School Grade Inflations Patterns in Secondary Education. IZA Discussion Paper No. 16016, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4396103 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4396103

Pedro Luis Silva (Contact Author)

University of Porto - CIPES ( email )

Portugal

Universidade do Porto - Faculdade de Economia (FEP) ( email )

Rua Roberto Frias
s/n
Porto, 4200-464
Portugal

Stephen DesJardins

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI
United States

Ricardo Biscaia

Centre for Research in Higher Education Policies (CIPES) ( email )

Portugal

Universidade do Porto ( email )

Rua Dr. Roberto Frias
4200-464 Porto
Portugal

Carla Sá

Centre for Research in Higher Education Policies (CIPES) ( email )

Portugal

University of Minho ( email )

Braga, 4700
Portugal

Pedro Teixeira

Universidade do Porto - Faculdade de Economia (FEP) ( email )

Rua Roberto Frias
s/n
Porto, 4200-464
Portugal

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
78
Abstract Views
492
Rank
661,210
PlumX Metrics