With the second half of the school year well underway, the stress of grades and GPA still looms over several students. As assignments are graded, students may be a fraction of a point away from a higher letter grade. This could lead to the common practice of grade bumping, where students request an increase in their final grade from their teachers. While some see this as a small request, others could view it as a problem that challenges the ethics of the grading system.
From a teacher’s perspective, a grade is an evaluation of a student’s progress rather than a fixed outcome every time. Since the teacher holds authority over the gradebook, a student is not breaking a moral code by asking for a reconsideration; they are asking for a thorough review of their work in the class. If a teacher decides that a student’s educational growth, contribution or personal factors outweigh an average, the adjustment could be seen as fair in the teacher’s eyes. Viewing this practice through this perspective, the ethics are not bound to the student’s request; the decision is in the teacher’s hands and their own rules to change the grade, which one might find in a syllabus.
However, a counterargument exists standing on the side of fairness. If a grade is adjusted based on a personal request, it could create an advantage for students who have higher social confidence. This already poses a disadvantage for students who may have worked just as hard, if not harder, but are more soft-spoken, or didn’t know that bumping a grade could be an option. From this viewpoint, a grading scale must be a fixed standard applied to every student to ensure that an “A” represents the same level of work and knowledge for every student in the class, regardless of the student’s ability to lobby for it.
The context of the request also plays a major role in the ethics of the situation. There is a difference often made between a student asking for the rounding of a 0.1% decimal point and a student asking for a multi-percent jump, for reasons such as to maintain athletic eligibility or a specific GPA for college applications. This forces the teachers to balance their roles as educators and caregivers. If a bump is granted to one student for a specific reason, it raises the question of whether every other student in a similar position is entitled to the same option.
The pressure of grading or final periods often highlights the tension between success and integrity. At Park, where core values like “high effort” and “high expectations” guide the curriculum, the way Park handles grades reflects our broader culture. If the system allows for frequent, albeit small, changes in grading, it may strengthen existing biases. On the other hand, a system that is too rigid might fail to see the “best selves” that Park wants its students to see.
Ultimately, I believe the debate over grade bumps is about more than just a higher GPA. It is a conversation about what a grade actually represents, a measurement of points based on work and knowledge that is subject to change. While the final decision is still a matter of teacher choice, the discussion ensures that both students and staff are aware of the balance of consistency and compassion. By seeing these different perspectives, our school community can work toward an ethic where grades are earned through transparency and where every student feels they are being evaluated equally.
