I haven't got more than a few minutes here but I'd like to add a little historical perspective to this discussion. Those of you with longer memories than mine, please correct where appropriate. My sense is that while the historical evidence shows that complaints about students' attitudes, writing, etc. are not new, there have indeed been several changes of mind in the past twenty or thirty years that we can now see resulted in widespread grade inflation. In no particular order they are: The ebbing of agreement that merit is rare and precious. We now must choose to rebel against or to sign onto the notion that all children can be "above average." The development of agreement that encouragement and praise are more effective in education than is criticism and negativity. The spreading use of bonus assignments, and other devices that change grades. The development of agreement that effort can and should be evaluated. David Ritchie Portland, Oregon ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html