COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) – Some teachers in South Carolina have said they are being told to give students a 50 or 60 even if the student didn’t earn it, but a bill could possibly put an end to end that.

Under current law in some districts across the state, teachers can’t give zeros or failing grades below a certain number. Some teachers said those rules were designed to bolster graduation rates, and keep students from falling behind.

“[What the bill is] getting at [is] this root idea of ensuring that grades are an accurate reflection of student mastery of content, and that they’re a measurement of what students have actually done in the classroom,” said Patrick Kelly from the Palmetto State Teachers Association.

The proposed legislation would take away funding from districts that continue to the practice.

“I think we’ve really gotten away from accountability, and we want to teach our kids that you can do the you can do it if you put in the work,” said the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Fawn Pedalino (R – Clarendon).

But supporters of the bill said a student’s grade should match the work they’ve done.

“I hear a lot of frustration from teachers is in instances where students don’t turn anything in, they still have to assign a minimum grade, a grade floor, and teachers worry that that is not teaching work ethic and integrity,” Kelly continued.

Pedalino added that said the bill is about figuring out what needs to be fixed in school districts and help students perform better.

“Fixing this is going to help us gauge what we need to fix within our school districts and in turn, help our workforce and our college rates,” she said. “It’s going to push them to do the work. “

Education experts expressed worries that passing the bill alone without doing a comprehensive look at the state grading system could lead to unintended consequences.