The disconnect between graduation rates and college readiness in South Carolina

Increasing concerns about grade inflation have emerged in education, particularly regarding its impact on students’ preparedness for higher education and the workforce. While rising graduation rates may indicate academic success, they do not necessarily reflect an increase in college readiness. 

High school graduation rates across the nation have steadily risen over the past few decades, surpassing 85% nationally. However, standardized assessments, such as the SAT have shown stagnating and even declining scores, raising concerns that students are graduating with grades that do not reflect true academic mastery.   

Schools are inherently pressured to boost graduation rates due to funding incentives and performance evaluations tied to graduation metrics. This creates a perverse incentive to lower academic standards or inflate grades to ensure more students meet the minimum requirements for graduation. The result is that reported academic success does not align with student readiness for postsecondary education. 

Despite increasing graduation rates, many students enter college unprepared for higher education. In 2024 about 40% of South Carolina students scored at or above proficiency in math, while only 32% reached proficiency in reading. 

Discrepancy between graduation rates and college readiness in South Carolina 

South Carolina's standardized test scores highlight key areas for improvement in college readiness when cross referenced with its graduation rates.   

In 2018, South Carolina’s high school graduation rate was 81%; by 2021, it had increased to 84%. However, during the same period, the average SAT score dropped from 1064 in 2018 to 1028 in 2021. 

These test results show that while South Carolina students progress through grade levels, their mastery of academic concepts and college readiness appears to decline. 

Legislative efforts  

Two bills have been introduced aimed at tackling grade inflation and ensuring that high school diplomas accurately reflect student achievement.  

H.3205 - College Readiness Bill 

Currently, South Carolina students can advance to the next grade level even if they struggle in core subjects. School districts often make retention decisions, which are influenced by factors beyond academic performance. H.3205 would change this by requiring students who score two or more grade levels below their current enrollment on statewide English/language arts or math assessments remain in the same grade until they show improvement. 

H.3208 - Grade Inflation Prohibition Bill 

Right now, South Carolina uses a uniform grading scale where grade point averages are calculated based on course grades. H. 3208 proposes a major shift by requiring the State Board of Education to revise the grading scale by 2027 so that grades align with content mastery as measured by national standardized tests like the ACT. It also states that non-academic factors, such as participation or effort, cannot influence high school grades, ensuring that GPAs reflect true academic performance. 

This change addresses concerns that inflated grades do not accurately reflect student preparedness for college or careers but could exacerbate the issue of teaching to the test– where instruction is narrowly focused on exam performance rather than fostering a deeper understanding of the material.  

Additionally, the bill also creates a task force of education leaders to recommend grading reforms. However, with so many groups already overseeing education adding another one could just create more red tape. 

Tackling grade inflation 

The disconnect between graduation rates and college readiness exposes the challenges grade inflation creates in education. While increasing graduation rates is a positive goal, it should not come at the expense of academic integrity. 

While these bills aim to improve academic rigor, we must consider potential downsides, such as increasing the pressure to teach to the test. Nonetheless, they could play an important role in restoring academic rigor and equipping students with the skills they need to succeed in higher education and the workforce. 

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Charles Ann MacDonald is a research intern for the South Carolina Policy Council