Regarding grades in the School District of Lee County, apparently there’s policy and then there’s practice.
At several schools, there will be no zeroes in the gradebooks for students this school year. Nor have there been zeroes at some schools in other recent years.
No matter what, the lowest grade to be entered is 50 percent, according to a mandate shared with teachers at a couple of schools in the district this week.
Homework not turned in? The student gets 50 percent. The student is absent so work is not done? 50 percent.
According to a video shared by multiple anonymous sources, Estero High School Assistant Principal for Curriculum Timothy Dougherty explained to teachers during a grading training session Tuesday that the 50 percent grading floor is a policy “coming directly from the top, our chief academic officer,” who is Nathan Shaker.
The issue has become an educational focal point on social media, especially on the Facebook page of Parents For Transparency, where commenters, some of whom self-identify as current and former Lee County teachers, say the practice is the norm at several schools and has been in effect for up to 28 years.
Not true, said Lee Schools spokesman Rob Spicker, who emailed the grading handbook to WGCU and said, “Claims that we have established a minimum grade of 50% are categorically false. We have no minimums for grading."
Spicker added: “The handbook was created for this school year to ensure grading practices are consistent across teachers and grade levels. It promotes fairness by using common assessments, shared scoring criteria, and aligned proficiency expectations.
“There is an alleged email posted on social media claiming to prove we have a 50% minimum. With the to-and-from section deleted, we cannot confirm the legitimacy of that email. The memo included in the email was not created by our Academic Services Department, was not circulated by our Academic Services Department, and is not the policy of the Academic Services Department.”
The policy (or not) comes on the heels of repeated pledges by Superintendent Denise Carlin that Lee Schools would be an A-rated district under her administration.
That didn’t happen this year.
The school district earned a B rating, barely missing an A.
According to Florida law, schools – and school systems – are graded by standardized test scores, learning gains in English language arts and math, and career readiness.
Graduation rates factor into this rating.
The 50 percent floor grading practice could make a difference in that rate. Even though 50 percent is still a failing grade, a student is more likely to pass a course if they receive 50 percent for work not completed than a 0, once grades are averaged.
Last year, the district made a significant jump in its graduation rate.
The class of 2025 reached a milestone graduation rate of 89.8 percent, the highest in district history. This represented a 4% increase from the previous year. Across Florida, the graduation rate increased 2.5 percent over the 2024-2025 school year, at 92.2 percent.
The school district also recorded its lowest dropout rate ever at 1.5%.
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