is AI making a high GPA less impressive?

[Anonymous]

Whether it be middle, high school or college.

From AI study tools to using ChatGPT for essays.

Study found that AI-generated exam answers scored higher on average than those of real students and were rarely flagged by human markers.

So is the human voice being undetected and are teachers/professors being fooled?

[Anonymous]

My kids take exams with pencil and paper at their Catholic high school. They wrote essays in class. AP uses blue book so you can’t use AI. Standardized digital ACT/SAT make it so AI can’t be used- screen locks.

[Anonymous]

Definitely, if anything I am worried high GPA kids will be seen as being “too good at using AI.”

[Anonymous]

Maybe it comes thru in LOR what type of student they are

[Anonymous]

yes

[Anonymous]

Grade inflation is making a high GPA less impressive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Grade inflation is making a high GPA less impressive.

+1

[Anonymous]

High GPA + lower SAT = grade inflation or low rigor

[Anonymous]

Grade inflation plus AI makes GPA at many schools meaningless. Now add accommodations that so many students get so even more students get higher GPA's.

It doesn't makes sense that at two high schools within a few miles there is often vastly different policies. One of my kids graduated last year from a school a few miles from my house. The school houses a special program that my child enjoyed being in so it was worth it for that child, even though it was really competitive and child had 3-4 B's. No AI allowed. School had no re-takes / test corrections in AP / honors classes. Only on level classes some teachers will allow test corrections / re-takes so students can pass the class. Essays written by hand in class. Tests are taken in class on paper with multiple versions. If you don't show up for a test, the test version you get the following week is known to be harder.

At a parent meeting one AP teacher who was notoriously hard said - "parents, I realized your kids are used to getting over 100% on tests due to extra credit and have never received a B in their lives. Don't email me when your child gets a C or D on their first test or complain to me when your child doesn't get an A and studied five hours a night. I have explained they need to actually read the textbook and not only memorize all the information, they need to use that information in novel ways... they need to present evidence of their understanding and demonstrate how that information works together to solve the problem being asked. That is what get's you an A or B in my class."

My kid worked hours and went from a D to a C to a B. That B really meant something because it was earned. Now at a college ranked in top 30-50 and on the first test in that subject was one of the few to get an A.

My other child is now a senior at our local public school and enjoys the social aspect of high school. This kid has never read a book in high school, uses AI to write papers and do homework, takes advantage that every honors /AP class you can do repeated test retakes and/or test corrections until you get an A so doesn't bother studying because prefers to see what is on the test first. Additionally, late work isn't counted down so waits until friends have their work graded and passed back so groups of friends can trade homework and copy. There is a ton of extra credit.

GPA- 4.0 unweighted, super high weighted GPA and only applying to test optional schools because why waste time studying for the SAT when you can do something more enjoyable?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Grade inflation is making a high GPA less impressive.

This. Retakes, no late penalties.

My kid also had to write essays only in person in class in a blue book. If it was a research based paper they could bring in two pages of pre approved handwritten notes with research from pre approved sources.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Grade inflation plus AI makes GPA at many schools meaningless. Now add accommodations that so many students get so even more students get higher GPA's.

It doesn't makes sense that at two high schools within a few miles there is often vastly different policies. One of my kids graduated last year from a school a few miles from my house. The school houses a special program that my child enjoyed being in so it was worth it for that child, even though it was really competitive and child had 3-4 B's. No AI allowed. School had no re-takes / test corrections in AP / honors classes. Only on level classes some teachers will allow test corrections / re-takes so students can pass the class. Essays written by hand in class. Tests are taken in class on paper with multiple versions. If you don't show up for a test, the test version you get the following week is known to be harder.

At a parent meeting one AP teacher who was notoriously hard said - "parents, I realized your kids are used to getting over 100% on tests due to extra credit and have never received a B in their lives. Don't email me when your child gets a C or D on their first test or complain to me when your child doesn't get an A and studied five hours a night. I have explained they need to actually read the textbook and not only memorize all the information, they need to use that information in novel ways... they need to present evidence of their understanding and demonstrate how that information works together to solve the problem being asked. That is what get's you an A or B in my class."

My kid worked hours and went from a D to a C to a B. That B really meant something because it was earned. Now at a college ranked in top 30-50 and on the first test in that subject was one of the few to get an A.

My other child is now a senior at our local public school and enjoys the social aspect of high school. This kid has never read a book in high school, uses AI to write papers and do homework, takes advantage that every honors /AP class you can do repeated test retakes and/or test corrections until you get an A so doesn't bother studying because prefers to see what is on the test first. Additionally, late work isn't counted down so waits until friends have their work graded and passed back so groups of friends can trade homework and copy. There is a ton of extra credit.

GPA- 4.0 unweighted, super high weighted GPA and only applying to test optional schools because why waste time studying for the SAT when you can do something more enjoyable?

Are teachers really noticing or reporting what is AI generated?

[Anonymous]

OP asks whether AI is making a high GPA less impressive. In my experience, the performance of today's college students as a population is so far off the mark that AI is in some ways the least of the problems. The biggest issue is the ability to read and distill information. They genuinely don't know how to do that, and they also report not doing it in high school. Reading that is assigned for homework is simply ignored, and written assignments are often ignored, too, especially if there is not a discernible straight line between class and some kind of tangible benefit (like an internship or athletic eligibility). My students are still really lovely people, and polite and respectful, too. They are just consciously opting out of much of the learning that college provides. Grades are not a motivator, and explanations about the usefulness of certain kinds of material or certain ways of learning or thinking have only limited effect.

So a high GPA means very little to me now when I am trying to think through the achievements of an undergraduate. I have to look at the list of courses a student has taken, and even at the people they have studied with, to know whether I should even be interested. Often what is more impressive is what kinds of truly independent experiences they have undertaken. Did they manage to study abroad at a program not run by our own university? Do they know a language we don't teach? Did they land an internship at a place we don't have strong connections? Did they get a summer job in a city outside our region and away from their home? Do they participate in a volunteer or service activity that is removed from our orbit? Do they maintain a high-level skill or interest that they cultivate outside of or away from school? Do they dedicate time and energy to a demanding job - or even the needs of a family? Things like this suggest capacity for independent thought, high executive functioning, resilience, creativity, and even courage. Those are the students I tend to believe in most, not just those who earned decent grades in return for taking exactly what was required and doing little else of meaning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grade inflation plus AI makes GPA at many schools meaningless. Now add accommodations that so many students get so even more students get higher GPA's.

It doesn't makes sense that at two high schools within a few miles there is often vastly different policies. One of my kids graduated last year from a school a few miles from my house. The school houses a special program that my child enjoyed being in so it was worth it for that child, even though it was really competitive and child had 3-4 B's. No AI allowed. School had no re-takes / test corrections in AP / honors classes. Only on level classes some teachers will allow test corrections / re-takes so students can pass the class. Essays written by hand in class. Tests are taken in class on paper with multiple versions. If you don't show up for a test, the test version you get the following week is known to be harder.

At a parent meeting one AP teacher who was notoriously hard said - "parents, I realized your kids are used to getting over 100% on tests due to extra credit and have never received a B in their lives. Don't email me when your child gets a C or D on their first test or complain to me when your child doesn't get an A and studied five hours a night. I have explained they need to actually read the textbook and not only memorize all the information, they need to use that information in novel ways... they need to present evidence of their understanding and demonstrate how that information works together to solve the problem being asked. That is what get's you an A or B in my class."

My kid worked hours and went from a D to a C to a B. That B really meant something because it was earned. Now at a college ranked in top 30-50 and on the first test in that subject was one of the few to get an A.

My other child is now a senior at our local public school and enjoys the social aspect of high school. This kid has never read a book in high school, uses AI to write papers and do homework, takes advantage that every honors /AP class you can do repeated test retakes and/or test corrections until you get an A so doesn't bother studying because prefers to see what is on the test first. Additionally, late work isn't counted down so waits until friends have their work graded and passed back so groups of friends can trade homework and copy. There is a ton of extra credit.

GPA- 4.0 unweighted, super high weighted GPA and only applying to test optional schools because why waste time studying for the SAT when you can do something more enjoyable?

Are teachers really noticing or reporting what is AI generated?

Um, which local high schools allow retakes and late work? I find it hard to believe that the school is this lax. Our local high school is very tough. Late work = 0, overtakes or extra credit. It’s school policy. Anecdotally, friends kids have graduated and getting straight As in rigorous college courses. I feel my kids are at a disadvantage bc of the heavy grade deflation here.. so I’m surprised so many people post about grade inflation at public schools around the country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grade inflation plus AI makes GPA at many schools meaningless. Now add accommodations that so many students get so even more students get higher GPA's.

It doesn't makes sense that at two high schools within a few miles there is often vastly different policies. One of my kids graduated last year from a school a few miles from my house. The school houses a special program that my child enjoyed being in so it was worth it for that child, even though it was really competitive and child had 3-4 B's. No AI allowed. School had no re-takes / test corrections in AP / honors classes. Only on level classes some teachers will allow test corrections / re-takes so students can pass the class. Essays written by hand in class. Tests are taken in class on paper with multiple versions. If you don't show up for a test, the test version you get the following week is known to be harder.

At a parent meeting one AP teacher who was notoriously hard said - "parents, I realized your kids are used to getting over 100% on tests due to extra credit and have never received a B in their lives. Don't email me when your child gets a C or D on their first test or complain to me when your child doesn't get an A and studied five hours a night. I have explained they need to actually read the textbook and not only memorize all the information, they need to use that information in novel ways... they need to present evidence of their understanding and demonstrate how that information works together to solve the problem being asked. That is what get's you an A or B in my class."

My kid worked hours and went from a D to a C to a B. That B really meant something because it was earned. Now at a college ranked in top 30-50 and on the first test in that subject was one of the few to get an A.

My other child is now a senior at our local public school and enjoys the social aspect of high school. This kid has never read a book in high school, uses AI to write papers and do homework, takes advantage that every honors /AP class you can do repeated test retakes and/or test corrections until you get an A so doesn't bother studying because prefers to see what is on the test first. Additionally, late work isn't counted down so waits until friends have their work graded and passed back so groups of friends can trade homework and copy. There is a ton of extra credit.

GPA- 4.0 unweighted, super high weighted GPA and only applying to test optional schools because why waste time studying for the SAT when you can do something more enjoyable?

Are teachers really noticing or reporting what is AI generated?

Um, which local high schools allow retakes and late work? I find it hard to believe that the school is this lax. Our local high school is very tough. Late work = 0, overtakes or extra credit. It’s school policy. Anecdotally, friends kids have graduated and getting straight As in rigorous college courses. I feel my kids are at a disadvantage bc of the heavy grade deflation here.. so I’m surprised so many people post about grade inflation at public schools around the country.

.

* No retakes or extra credit

[Anonymous]

As a HS teacher, I definitely see higher grades especially on homework.