Argument Map made by: Timothy Haunsperger
Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/04/opinion/teachers-grades-students-parents.html
Grade Inflation is a significant problem in education
Add the starting statement or claim.
Failing students is detremental to their mental health and self-esteem
Students who fail classes may feel that they are less intelligent and worth less than their peers who do
Most students who fail did so because they did not care about passing
Add additional information.
(this is optional)
Minimum grade policies are beneficial
Write an argument or an objection that is against the statement.
They allow students to recover their grades if they put in effort
Support the objection by adding counterevidence.
Only minimal effort is required to go from a 50 to a 60 to pass, this does not demonstrate that the material was learned
Passing underperforming students is detrimental to those students
Students who continue on to higher education without being prepared are not equipped to do well
Both two and four year colleges are spending more resources on remedial education in recent years
The school system does not allow teachers to give the grades students deserve
These policies are widespread enough to have a significant impact
Graduation rates have increased despite increased absenteeism
Support the assumption you've made by writing an argument.
Some schools have a 50% policy where the lowest grade a student can earn is a 50
Failing students is harder than passing them
Write a reason that supports the statement.
Parents can fight teachers to keep their kids from failing classes
Do you have an assumption regarding this reason? Write it here.
Some surveyed teachers reported passing underperforming students to avoid dealing with the consequences
Support the reason by adding evidence.
