Rhetorical Analysis of “The Dangerous Myth of Grade Inflation”
Ronnie Reed
Dr. Dixon
EH 132
16 October 2014
Rhetorical Analysis of “The Dangerous Myth of Grade Inflation”
There is proof in the pudding. This cliché has been used an immeasurable amount of times to express that evidence to the claim leads to its legitimacy. It has been speculated for many years that grades are being inflated, and students are receiving A’s for mediocre work. In fact, the introduction of Alfie Kohn’s “The Dangerous Myth of Grade Inflation” shows reports of the matter made by Harvard Professor Harvey Mansfield and Harvard’s Committee on Raising the Standard, respectively, with a gap of over a century (pg. 1). Kohn expresses his take on the matter of grade inflation and asserts that these accusations are false and ill-supported. Using arguments and logic to give his assertions a backbone, Kohn is successful in illuminating that grading as a whole, not grade inflation, is the overlooked problem by educators and students in colleges everywhere. So you be the judge. Is there proof in the pudding?
Alfie Kohn is addressing the topic of grading inflation to educators and students, and his widely respected lecturing status attests to his knowledge on the matter. The author of 13 books, Kohn has been speculated to be "perhaps the country 's most outspoken critic of education 's fixation on grades and test scores" (www.alfiekohn.org). In “The Dangerous Myth of Grade Inflation,” he is debating the existence of grade inflation and pointing out factual evidence to prove his assertions.
As I stated above, he begins his piece with quotes from the prestigious Harvard University. To show that some really do consider grade inflation a serious problem, Kohn states that The Boston Globe “in a tone normally reserved for the discovery of entrenched corruption in state government” posted articles on a surplus of Harvard students receiving A’s and graduating with honors (pg. 1). He then goes on to notify the reader, when it comes to investigating this issue, the
Dr. Dixon
EH 132
16 October 2014
Rhetorical Analysis of “The Dangerous Myth of Grade Inflation”
There is proof in the pudding. This cliché has been used an immeasurable amount of times to express that evidence to the claim leads to its legitimacy. It has been speculated for many years that grades are being inflated, and students are receiving A’s for mediocre work. In fact, the introduction of Alfie Kohn’s “The Dangerous Myth of Grade Inflation” shows reports of the matter made by Harvard Professor Harvey Mansfield and Harvard’s Committee on Raising the Standard, respectively, with a gap of over a century (pg. 1). Kohn expresses his take on the matter of grade inflation and asserts that these accusations are false and ill-supported. Using arguments and logic to give his assertions a backbone, Kohn is successful in illuminating that grading as a whole, not grade inflation, is the overlooked problem by educators and students in colleges everywhere. So you be the judge. Is there proof in the pudding?
Alfie Kohn is addressing the topic of grading inflation to educators and students, and his widely respected lecturing status attests to his knowledge on the matter. The author of 13 books, Kohn has been speculated to be "perhaps the country 's most outspoken critic of education 's fixation on grades and test scores" (www.alfiekohn.org). In “The Dangerous Myth of Grade Inflation,” he is debating the existence of grade inflation and pointing out factual evidence to prove his assertions.
As I stated above, he begins his piece with quotes from the prestigious Harvard University. To show that some really do consider grade inflation a serious problem, Kohn states that The Boston Globe “in a tone normally reserved for the discovery of entrenched corruption in state government” posted articles on a surplus of Harvard students receiving A’s and graduating with honors (pg. 1). He then goes on to notify the reader, when it comes to investigating this issue, the
Cited: Kohn, Alfie. “The Dangerous Myth of Grade Inflation.” Authenticity. Ed. Shane Borrowman. Southlake, Tx: Fountain Head Press. 2012. Print. Kohn, Alfie. www.alfiekohn.org. Retrieved from http://www.alfiekohn.org/bio.htm