SC students and teachers say current grading scale is unfair, push for a 10-point scale

CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – State Superintendent Molly Spearman says grading changes may be made in South Carolina schools soon.

There’s a push to change South Carolina’s grading scale to a 10-point grading scale. The state is one of few operating on a 7-point scale.

Students in South Carolina apply for the same colleges, universities, and scholarships as other students in the United States, and that’s why school leaders say it’s only fitting they’re measured by the same standard.

At Coastal Carolina University, the admissions office asks students for their standardized test scores, class standing, and their high school GPA.

Alexis Robison went to high school in Missouri where her GPA was calculated on a 10-point scale.

In her school, a 90 was an “A” and an 80 was a “B”. The same goes for Patricia Albert from Chicago, and both agree on one thing.

“Grading should be equal throughout the whole United States. It shouldn’t be different states have different rules for different things,” said Robinson.

As the South Carolina grading scale stands now, both would be compared to Georgetown High School grad Garrett Johnson’s for things like college admissions and scholarship money.

“That’s definitely not fair, and I think that…I don’t know for sure, but perhaps that contributes to South Carolina being relatively low as far as school goes,” said Johnson.

South Carolina students have to score a 93 for an “A” and an 85 for a “B”, and school leaders say changing that would put students in our state on a level playing field.

“It allows South Carolina students to be more competitive with other students coming from North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and surrounding states,” said Myrtle Beach High School Principal John Washburn.

Washburn is on the committee to have the grading scale changed, and says if the change is passed, 13,000 more students in our state could qualify for scholarship money through the SC Education Lottery.

State Superintendent Molly Spearman says the change would not only benefit students in South Carolina, but it would also simplify the transition process for students whose families are in the military and move state-to-state.

Spearman says recommendations will be given to the State Board of Education, and they will need to be voted on before any changes with the grading scale are made.