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TO AMEND SECTION 59-17-135, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO CHARACTER EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A TEACHER IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL OF THIS STATE SHALL INDICATE A LETTER GRADE AND COMMENTS ON A STUDENT'S REPORT CARD UNDER THE SUBJECT HEADING OF "CONDUCT" AS AN ASSESSMENT OF HOW THE STUDENT EXPRESSES CERTAIN CHARACTERISTICS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 59-17-135 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding appropriately lettered subsections at the end to read:
"( ) Each teacher in a public school of this State shall indicate a conduct grade on a student's report card for each subject taught. However, if a teacher provides instruction in more than one subject to the same student, an overall conduct grade may be issued. Conduct grades must be indicated by the letter 'S' for satisfactory, 'N' for needs improvement, or 'U' for unsatisfactory. If a student receives a letter grade of 'N' or 'U', a teacher comment must be provided as an explanation of the grade. Comments for a student receiving a letter grade of 'S' are optional. Conduct grades are intended to provide parents or guardians with an assessment of student behavior and must not be included as part of a student's transcript.
( ) A school or district with a conduct grading program in place may have the program reviewed by the State Department of Education, Office of Character Education to determine whether the program meets the intent of this section. If a determination is made that the intent is met, the Office of Character Education may grant permission for continuation of the current program."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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