More and more parents believe their children must attend college to succeed. And the better the school, they reason, the better the kids' chances. Many families need help paying the costs. The bill at a private school is often twice as high. Parents have become more demanding that their children get good grades.
High expectations can cause problems in the high schools.
Teachers are compromised as students, parents, administrators and the community at large push for higher marks. Grade inflation follows. Every school wants its students to be presented in the most favorable light, he said. Hart said that when not enough kids are getting high grades, administrators suggest that teachers change their grading systems. It happens in urban schools, too.