Fall term marked a record high of 34 students earning a perfect 6.0 average, the most of any fall term in ten years. According to school officials, this spike follows the relative upward pattern administrators have witnessed over the past several years. “The average number of students on the 6.0 list has been creeping up, and this is just a continuation of that trend. In this case, we just happen to be at a high point,” said Dean of Studies John Rogers. Rogers added that the number of students getting 6.0 averages fluctuates every term. According to historical data, the number of students with 6.0 averages increases steadily from fall term to winter term to spring term. In the 2007-2008 school year, 26 students earned 6.0’s in the fall, whereas 37 and 48 students earned 6.0’s in the winter and spring, respectively. Rogers said the 6.0 distribution does not tend to favor one demographic over another. “Sometimes there are more boys [earning 6.0 averages], sometimes more girls. Sometimes there are a disproportional number of day students versus boarders. The group tends to vary,” said Rogers. Although Rogers said he has not seen any patterns in the 6.0 group, his office has not investigated which students get specific averages. “It’s been an interest of ours,” said Rogers, “but we haven’t done any extensive research into who gets what when it comes to GPA. However, it is my impression that the 6.0 group generally tends to be older students, particularly in the fall.” Rebecca Schultz ’09 said, “With college applications, I really wanted to focus on my grades for the fall. I ended up getting a higher GPA last term than I ever have before.” In response to the fall’s spike and the growing trend in 6.0 averages, there has been some concern amongst students and faculty that grade inflation may be causing the higher grades. Don Barry, Instructor in Math, who has been teaching at Andover for 28 years, said that the average grade in the 80’s was a 4.2. “[As a house counselor], my dorm never got above a 3.71,” said Barry. Barry said that he believes grades are going up and that kids seem more dutiful and more responsible in preparation. However, Barry said that he has found himself re-teaching more often, which he believes reflects a certain learning style in which students are compartmentalizing their knowledge and don’t draw upon what they learn. Rogers said that grade inflation is not a problem as long as there are enough grades for comparison. “It becomes a problem when teachers only give out fives or sixes. If all students get a five, the grade becomes meaningless,” explained Rogers. Furthermore, Rogers thinks that the spike has little to do with grade inflation. “I would separate grade inflation from the six list. It’s still really hard to get on the six list, and that small group doesn’t necessarily follow the trends of the rest of the student body in terms of GPA,” said Rogers. Barry agreed that trends among top students may not follow the trends of the rest of the population. “At the top level, we have students that are as good or better than students we’ve had over the years,” he said. Rogers thinks the current student body is much more achievement-oriented than ones in the past. He cites increased pressure from college admissions, generational differences and the ways students are raised as possible reasons for this goal-oriented mindset. “In the past we’ve had groups of students where some are concerned with their grades while others are not. Today it seems that most people take their grades into great concern,” said Rogers. Rogers doesn’t think grade inflation occurs on a problematic scale here at Andover. He said, “Grade inflation is not a problem on the national level; rather, it is a reality.”
