Bibb Hubbard, founder and CEO of Learning Heroes, joins the Education Gadfly Show to discuss grade inflation and the disconnect between what parents think report cards are telling them and how students are actually performing. As families rely on grades and teacher feedback to understand student progress, can stronger school-family communication help give parents a more honest picture of how their children are doing?

Then on the Research Minute, Amber Northern looks at new research on Chicago’s merit-based free community college program and what it suggests about college choice, degree attainment, and whether free tuition at two-year colleges steers students away from four-year success.

Recommended content:

• B-flation | How Good Grades Can Sideline Parents —Gallup, Inc
• The Engagement Advantage — Dr. Eyal Bergman and Dr. Zenzile Riddick, Learning Heroes
• Fixing grade inflation via clear policies and cultural change —Michael J. Petrilli, SCHOOLED
• Fixing grade inflation through incentives and transparency —Michael J. Petrilli, SCHOOLED
• The Effect of Merit-Based Free Community College —Emileigh Harrison, Kelly Hallberg, Elijah Ruiz, and Marvin Slaughter, EdWorking Papers (March 2026)

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