This study investigates whether national trends of declining SAT scores and grade inflation were evident at a small liberal arts college. Specifically, the changes in grading standards between major fields and across time periods were examined against the model of Adaptation-Level grading. (The Adaptation-Level grading theory hypothesizes a positive relationship between ability levels and grading standards.) Actual total and major GPAs were regressed separately on the SAT-verbal scores, SAT-math scores, and secondary school class ranks. The resulting regression equations were used to project a hypothetical GPA when applied to the predictor data of other major fields or longitudinal cohort groups.

Evidence of Adaptation-Level grading was found between major GPAs of the major fields in the first two of three cohort groups. However, only the grading of the second cohort was significant at the .05 level. Between each cohort, the relative grading standards of the general academic areas (humanities, social sciences and sciences) remained relatively stable. The standards between the individual major fields in each area were less so. Adaptation-Level grading was also found for each of three total GPA performance levels across time periods with the highest GPA level exhibiting the greatest drop in grading standards over time. No consistent major GPA grading pattern was found between the individual major fields across time periods.

Since Adaptation-Level grading was found between cohort groups for the total GPAs and not for the major GPAs, it was concluded that the grading pattern of total GPAs was primarily due to the grading patterns of lower level or service courses.