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K‑12 subcommittee backs bill to bar grade floors, tighten credit‑recovery rules
Summary
The K‑12 subcommittee voted to report House Bill 50‑73 favorably as amended after testimony from teachers and administrators; the bill would prohibit automatic grade‑floor policies, restrict use of benchmark scores as test grades and require students to complete work before accessing credit‑recovery, plus a state task force to revise the uniform grading policy.
COLUMBIA — The K‑12 subcommittee of the Education and Public Works Committee on Tuesday reported House Bill 50‑73 favorably as amended, moving the bill to the full committee after an 8–0 vote with one member abstaining.
The measure would prohibit district grade‑floor policies that give students automatic minimum grades on teacher‑graded work, bar the use of benchmark or formative assessments as counted test grades, require students to complete assigned work before entering credit‑recovery programs and establish a task force to review the State’s Uniform Grading Policy (UGP).
Supporters said the bill restores meaning to grades and addresses what they described as grade inflation that lets students pass without mastering material. Patrick Kelly of the Palmetto State Teachers Association said H50‑73 would ‘‘make grades matter again’’ and argued that grade floors teach students to ‘‘play the rules of the game’’ rather than learn the content.
"We are teaching bad habits with grade floors and diminishing the capacity of a grade to accurately report what students know and can do," Kelly said in testimony. He added the bill would require students to complete course work before using credit‑recovery programs.
Ryan Delinger of the Palmetto Promise Institute presented a state survey showing many districts, including Greenville and Dorchester 2, use 50% grade floors in some grades. Delinger said the task force provision was well received by teachers and that implementation would raise expectations over time.
Ryan Bailey of the South Carolina Association of School Administrators told the committee he supports a task force review of the UGP but recommended delaying votes on some prohibitory sections until the task force issues recommendations so the legislature can better account for unintended consequences.
During questions, members asked whether the bill would allow make‑up work for students who miss school for traumatic incidents; witnesses said teachers would still be able to assign and accept make‑up work. The bill, as amended, also adds language recommended by the Department of Education stating that "Grades that reflect actual student performance are essential for maintaining academic standards and accountability," and it extends the task force deadline to June 1 to allow more time for deliberation.
The committee adopted the amendment and then voted to report H50‑73 favorably as amended to the full committee. Representative Alexander abstained on both the amendment and the final report vote; the clerk announced the tally as 8 ayes, 0 nays, 1 abstention for both actions.
Next step: H50‑73 will be considered by the committee at large; the subcommittee did not take further action on implementation details beyond ordering the task force review.
