#  UT Researcher Warns Grade Inflation Hurts Students’ Long-Term Academic and Career Outcomes 

 





Jeffrey T. Denning speaks at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.



 

February 04, 2026

 

 

 Mahpara Faatin 

University of Texas associate professor Jeffrey T. Denning argued that grade inflation in K-12 schools and colleges may boost short-term outcomes but undermine students’ long-term academic and career success at a Tuesday event at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

During the talk — hosted by the Center for Education Policy Research — Denning pushed back against arguments that grade inflation only occurs on college campuses, pointing to a 2025 study he co-authored analyzing grades awarded by teachers at K-12 schools in Los Angeles, California and Maryland.

“They’re like, ‘This is a college phenomenon. This is not a high school phenomenon,’” Denning said, referring to how grade inflation is often discussed in education policy debates.

“It’s a bulk phenomenon, is our argument,” he added.

*Continue reading at* [*thecrimson.com*](https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2026/2/4/hgse-grade-inflation-talk/)



 

 

 



 

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- [ In the News ](/cepr-in-the-news)
- [ Partnering in Education Research (PIER) Fellowship ](/projects/partnering-education-research-pier-fellowship)
- [ 2026 ](/year/2026)
- [ K12 ](/sector/k12)
- [ Postsecondary ](/sector/postsecondary)
 
 

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