Grade Change

Connecticut's Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal has academic integrity on his mind these days. WTNH Team 8 Investigators have "uncovered" the possibility of a second school coercing teachers into changing student grades to suit the administrators' needs.
The article quotes one teacher and the Teacher's Union President. Hardly enough to build a solid case. However, I wonder what constitutes "asked to do something to get the grade change." If the adminstrator or counselor comes to a teacher and says, "Listen, Johnny here is at a 55% percent in your class, but without this credit, he doesn't graduate. Is there something you can do to help Johnny get to a passing score," is that pressure?

Or, if the administrator comes to a teacher and says, "Mr. McNamar, Liz is half a credit short of graduation. She has a 55% in your class. What kind of kid is she? Did she make improvement from first semester to second? Was she a hard working kid?" is that pressure?

I have never been pressured to change a grade, so I can't speak to what a techer might feel if pressed to pass an undeserving student. But here's what I can say. I don't think my academic integrity is any more questionable if I were to move a student from a 55% to a 60% than if I were to offer some lame "extra credit" opportunity to my students. It certainly comes down to professional judgement. In the end, I don't think I would mind if an administrator came on behalf of a student. But, I would mind if the grade was changed without my consent. That would be a whole different issue.