The Unseen Classroom

Do High Grades Still Mean High Achievement?

Do High Grades Still Mean High Achievement?

I’ve noticed that students today struggle with concepts that weren’t nearly as difficult just a few years ago.  For example, in Grade 11 Physics, many students struggle to rearrange simple equations. 

Other teachers have noticed the same decline in students’ skills.

But at the same time, these same students are earning the highest grades we’ve ever seen.

How can both be true?

The Problem

Grade inflation has become the norm.

Where I work, over 80% of students make the honour roll.  The line to pick up their certificates stretches down the hallway.  

Universities are seeing it too.  “The average grade of applicants admitted to the University of Toronto was 83.9% in 2006.  By 2023, it had risen to 90.2%. At McMaster University, the average increased from 84.1% to 91.7%.” (The Globe and Mail Editorial Board, 2026)

Are Higher Marks a Sign of Higher Achievement?

It makes sense for parents to assume that higher marks mean their child is learning more than previous generations.  And, there are good reasons to assume that.

  1. There are more immigrant children in the classroom, the children of immigrants often earn higher marks than children with Canadian-born parents. (Ngan, 2026)
  2. Changes in assessment practices—such as cheat sheets, open-book tests, and opportunities to rewrite assessments—have made it easier for students to demonstrate what they know. (Ngan, 2026)

The problem is that the evidence doesn’t suggest students are actually learning more.  The opposite is true, Canadian students’ performance on international assessments of mathematics and reading has declined over recent decades. 

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) shows that in math, Ontario students are performing at a level almost two grade levels below where students were 20 years ago. (Zwaagstra, 2026)

The same pattern is showing up at universities.  First-year students are arriving increasingly underprepared. (Ngan, 2026) Some of the examples are startling: the University of California San Diego found that 8% of first-year students did not meet middle-school mathematics standards. (Ngan, 2026) 

If my child had graduated with a 95% average, I would expect them to be ready for university. Most parents would.  Today, for many students, that’s just not true.

How Did We Get Here?

It’s a vicious cycle.  Grade inflation pushes university admission averages higher and higher.  Universities respond by raising their cut-offs. (The Globe and Mail Editorial Board, 2026)

Teachers also contribute to grade inflation.  If most schools are inflating grades, teachers face a difficult choice: give students the marks they have honestly earned, or raise those marks so they are not at a disadvantage when competing for admission to university. (The Globe and Mail Editorial Board, 2026)

Assessment has changed as well.  Schools have moved away from traditional tests and exams and toward more projects, opportunities to redo work, and multiple chances to demonstrate learning. 

I’m not going to pretend that I never do this.  I let students have a second chance on certain test questions after I’ve graded the test.  The problem is that, by the second attempt (even with a different question), it becomes impossible to know whether the student has developed a deeper understanding or has simply learned how to answer that particular type of question after discussing it with classmates or reviewing the correct solution.

The same thing can happen with projects.  I know teachers who provide detailed feedback, have students revise their work, then repeat the process until the project is excellent.  With the best of intentions, the teacher gradually becomes a co-author of the final product.

In both the testing example and the project example, two students may earn the same grade, but the evidence behind those grades is not the same.  One student demonstrated their understanding independently on the first attempt.  The other student only reached that result after feedback, coaching, and multiple opportunities to improve.  Both may receive 100%, but those two grades do not represent the same evidence of learning.

Grades are increasingly reflecting the amount of coaching and the number of attempts rather than what students independently know and can demonstrate.

Although these practices are intended to help, they change how students approach learning: they become less motivated to prepare for the initial test, expect repeated feedback and multiple opportunities and rely on teachers to identify weaknesses instead of critically evaluating their own work.

The consequences extend well beyond high school. Students who leave school without this independence, critical thinking, and attitude of lifelong learning may not be prepared for the university or the workplace. (The Globe and Mail Editorial Board, 2026)

So, What’s Wrong with Higher Marks?

Maybe mark inflation isn’t really a problem.  Today’s students aren’t competing against students from ten years ago; they’re competing against others whose marks have also been inflated.  So, everyone is still on a level playing field.

But the playing field isn’t actually level.  “Grade inflation doesn’t keep pace everywhere—a student who gets a 95 at one school could have the same abilities as a student who received an 85 at another.” (Ngan, 2026)

I’ve seen this within my own school.  Two students with similar abilities can earn very different marks simply because they have different teachers.  That’s not fair to either student.

That being said, the playing field has probably never been level.  Different teachers and schools have always assessed somewhat differently. 

But a level playing field is not the reason mark inflation is a problem; mark compression is. (Ngan, 2026) Mark compression is when marks are no longer spread across a wide range—for example, from 60% to 100%, and more and more students are clustered in the mid- to high-90s.

“Kids who, six years ago, would have graduated with a 95 are still getting the 95… [But] kids that might have been around 89 or the low 90s who are now getting a 95 as well.” (Ngan, 2026)  Students who would have been at the very top no longer stand out because so many other students have been pushed into the same range.

Another problem is that inflated grades can convince students they are better prepared than they really are. (Ngan, 2026) After high school, students who demonstrated their learning independently are generally better prepared than those who relied on rewrites, repeated feedback, and multiple opportunities to improve.

I remember one student I’ll call B.  She had over 90% in Grade 12 math, yet she struggled with some of the math we used in Grade 11 physics.  She couldn’t understand why she struggled when her math marks suggested she should be excelling.  My heart broke for her.  She wasn’t lazy.  She wasn’t unwilling to work.  She had simply been led to believe she was better prepared than she really was, and it really shook her confidence.

Mark inflation can also send students down the wrong path.  Some spend thousands of dollars—and sometimes years of their lives—trying to earn a university degree before realizing another path—college, an apprenticeship, or another career—might have been a better fit.   Honest grades help students make better decisions about their futures. (The Globe and Mail Editorial Board, 2026)

What Needs to Happen?

Universities have a responsibility to make the admissions process as fair as possible.  If a 95% at one school can represent the same level of achievement as an 85% at another, then grades alone are no longer enough to distinguish applicants fairly. (Ngan, 2026)

The University of Waterloo’s engineering program addresses this problem by adjusting applicants’ averages based on how students from the same high school have historically performed once admitted.  In 2022, a 95% average from Ancaster H. S. was adjusted to 73.6%, while a 95% from Stephen Lewis S. S. became 86.9%. (Ngan, 2026)

Another possibility would be admission tests.  If this were implemented, high school grades could still play an important role, but they wouldn’t be the only measure. (The Globe and Mail Editorial Board, 2026)

But university admissions are only part of the issue.  Students also deserve an honest picture of how well they’re actually doing.

To do this, teachers need an objective measure that can’t be manipulated or adjusted for any reason including student requests and parental pressure. (Zwaagstra, 2026)

I think one part of the solution is provincial or national exams. 

Alberta still has diploma exams worth 30% of the final mark, and the province has largely avoided the degree of grade inflation seen elsewhere.  These exams are externally developed and anonymously marked. (The Globe and Mail Editorial Board, 2026; Zwaagstra, 2026)

Provincial exams should be part of the final course mark.  But, universities should also be able to see a student’s provincial exam mark separately.  Once the exam is averaged into the final grade—especially if it is worth only 30%—much of its value as a common measure of achievement is lost.  My preferred solution would be to report both the classroom mark and the provincial exam mark. (Zwaagstra, 2026) If that is not possible, a second, less optimal option would be to increase the weight of the provincial exam from 30% to 50%. (Zwaagstra, 2026)

I’d also introduce provincial exams for Grade 11 academic courses.  This makes sense for two reasons.  First, universities consider Grade 11 marks for admission decisions.  Second, it would give students valuable experience writing provincial exams before Grade 12.

Mark inflation is a system-wide problem.  “Individual schools and teachers can’t tackle the problem alone—system-wide reform is needed from provincial ministries of education.” (The Globe and Mail Editorial Board, 2026)

Students deserve honest feedback, even when it’s difficult to hear. Inflated grades may feel encouraging in the moment, but they can leave students unprepared for what comes next. 

Coming Soon:

References:

Ngan, J. (2026, March 31). The Surge of A+ Students. Maclean’s. https://macleans.ca/education/student-hub/getting-in/the-surge-of-a-students/

Rushowy, K., & Teotonio, I. (2025, December 3). EQAO scores reveal insufficient progress, Ontario education minister says as he announces new plan. Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/eqao-scores-reveal-insufficient-progress-ontario-education-minister-says-as-he-announces-new-plan/article_2fa48903-ec55-5aea-bc57-40390c2d64c7.html 

The Globe and Mail Editorial Board. (2026). Grade inflation is eroding trust in Canada’s education system. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/article-grade-inflation-canada-education-system/

Zwaagstra, M. (2026, February 16). Grade inflation is distorting Ontario high school grades. Troy Media. https://troymedia.com/education/grade-inflation-is-distorting-ontario-high-school-gradesgrade-inflation-is-distorting-ontario-high-school-grades/ 

Learn More:

A Different Take:

Waterloo’s Adjustment Factor: