South Carolina is allowing teachers to give zeros again, but the problem with grading goes deeper

“No-zero” grading policies are becoming more common in US schools. South Carolina is the first state to ban these policies.

By: Laura Link, University of North Dakota, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: July 20, 2026

Words: 1,222

Last Updated: 2 days, 16 hours ago

Body Text Preview

By Laura Link, University of North Dakota

The grades that students receive in high school and college can decide their futures. High school grades shape students’ overall GPA, class rank and the transcripts that colleges read. They can determine who makes the college sports team and who earns the scholarship.

Yet some parents may not realize that in a rising number of U.S. schools, students will never receive a score of zero – even if …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

About

FAQ

Email Us