generally, there is no logical explanation for the grade curving we do ... it certainly is not based on any specific characteristics of the data and/or students ... or based on any established set of "grading" principles we have
what we usually have is a distribution where, we look at it and make some GUT level decision (before the students come en masse and beg) that ... not enough people passed ... or are falling into certain grade categories ...
so, we change the cut points DOWN ... to reflect more of what seems to make US, the instructor ... more comfortable
sure, many (not all) students will like grade curving since, many students will move UP the scale ... but, i can assure you that not ALL students like this ... the ones who work very hard and 'earn' their As ... don't like that we more or less "give" the lower scoring students points ... to make THEIR grades look better ... when the good students worked very hard to earn that on his or her own
curving invariably REDUCES the GRADE variance and ... makes students look more similar than their original test scores look and good students don't necessarily think that is fair
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