New South Carolina law bans grade floors to boost transparency in student performance
I recently joined Stephen Biddix from WIS10 to discuss the passage of H.5073, which bans grade floors in traditional and public charter schools and reforms credit and content recovery programs. Check out the story below, or head to the original story to watch my video interview!
Columbia, S.C. (WIS10) – Parents across South Carolina could soon get a more accurate picture of how their children are performing in school after Gov. Henry McMaster signed a new law eliminating the use of so-called “grade floors,” a grading practice critics say inflates scores and obscures academic struggles.
The change, which takes effect in the upcoming school year, bars schools from assigning minimum grades. Supporters say the move will improve transparency and accountability for students, parents, and educators.
Under the new law, school districts that continue using grade floor practices risk losing 10% of their state funding.
Patrick Kelly of the Palmetto State Teachers Association said the current system often distorts student performance.
“Right now, because of the use of grade floor practices in multiple school districts across the state, students and parents are often receiving an inflated sense of what their students are capable of doing,” Kelly said.
Grade floors typically allow students who earn very low scores — for example, a 30% — to receive a minimum grade of 60% on assignments or tests. Critics say that the approach can mask academic gaps and make it harder to identify when students need help.
Ryan Dellinger of the Palmetto Promise Institute said eliminating the policy is an important step toward preparing students for life after graduation.
“We need to prepare our students for life after school, and that means having honest accountability and a realistic view of how they’re doing and what they need,” Dellinger said.
Education leaders say the change will also strengthen communication between schools and families. Dr. Dena R. Crews, president of the South Carolina Education Association, said more accurate grades should encourage parents to engage earlier when students begin to fall behind.
“I think this will be a help, so that way as parents are truly seeing what their students’ averages are, they’re able to come up to the school, have conversations and conferences with teachers and other educators in the building, and get support for their child,” Crews said.
The law includes additional accountability measures for students. It requires students to submit all assignments on time before they can enroll in credit recovery programs.
“We want a student to show they are putting in the work, making the effort, before they’re allowed to go in and just say, ‘I’m not going to do these things because of credit recovery, and I’ll just skate by,’” Dellinger said.
The legislation also limits the use of district benchmark tests. Those assessments can still guide instruction, but cannot count toward a student’s grade unless teachers have already covered the material and provided time for review.
Supporters say the overall goal is to make grading more reflective of actual learning — and ensure students are better prepared for future academic and career demands.
