Despite ongoing concerns if the traditional grading system is equitable and truly reflects student success, the issue of grade request changes is also fraught and puts teachers in a particularly tricky position.
Parents or students asking teachers to change a grade is sometimes referred to as “grade grubbing"—and it has become increasingly common, educators say.
In the span of two years, 55% of educators said they never changed a student’s grade after issuing it, while 44% said they did change a grade at least once, according to an EdWeek Research Center survey conducted in December 2024. Of the portion that changed a grade, 76% said the new grade was higher.
Many teachers who changed a grade (45%) said it was because they realized they made a mistake, while 42% filled in a response, most of which said they had changed a grade because students had submitted additional work, work that had not been submitted at the time of grading or work was turned in late.
Teachers might be more apt to change grades these days, in part due to the “grace before grades” approach during the pandemic, which made educators more lenient with grading. Other experts believe “helicopter parenting,” which describes parents as overly involved in the lives of their children, is also driving grade-changing requests, according to Education Week reporting.
The impact of grade grubbing on teachers typically isn’t positive—many reported feeling uncomfortable with the requests and say they didn’t get enough support from administrators when these instances occurred. In some cases, principals or other colleagues, like sports coaches, have been the ones to ask teachers to change grades.
These feelings were reflected in a recent social media post, in which Education Week asked if it was common for parents to ask educators to change grades.
Sixty percent of the 894 respondents said it was not common for parents to ask them to change grades, while 32% said it was. Eight percent said, “it depends.”
The following educator responses have been edited lightly for length and clarity.
Some teachers have had grade change requests happen frequently
I had one parent demand I raise their daughter’s grade. They admitted the grade was correct but said she was “stressed” on test day. She was 7. In 2nd grade. Yes, I changed it.
In affluent districts, this happens all the time despite the electronic grade book.
[It happens] all the time. It's awful.
Other teachers say grade changes are a rare request
Common? No. Does it happen? Sure. My answer is always no. Only the teacher can change the grade.
Never, ever in 38 years.
Some teachers feel the pressure from colleagues instead of parents
No, my admins do that. Generally, they do that because of pressure from the district or from the parents or both.
The [special education] department beats [parents] to it.
I had larger issues with coaches asking me about grade changes for eligibility to play.
