NC Students Can No Longer Fail Classes Just for Missing Days
You’ve heard of getting an “F” on a report card, but what about an “FF”? In North Carolina, that grade was traditionally used for students who were both failing and frequently absent. Starting this school year, that’s no longer allowed.
The current policy states that “FF” can only be used if a student is failing academically and has significant absences. But the State Board of Education wants to make the rule clearer. In September, they’ll vote on whether to add:
“A student may not fail a course based solely on attendance.”
While schools can still use “FF,” they can’t apply it if a student is passing the course, regardless of how often they show up. “If a kid is making a B but doesn’t come to school, that’s more of a classroom issue than it is an attendance issue,” said NCDPI’s Sneha Shah-Coltrane.
Supporters say the change promotes fairness. Drew Washington with the Education Justice Alliance says students shouldn’t be penalized for poor attendance if they’re completing their work. But critics warn it may worsen chronic absenteeism.
Data from NCDPI shows that 25% of K–12 students missed 10% or more school days in 2023–24. American Indian and Black students are disproportionately affected. While absenteeism has slightly declined since COVID, it’s still higher than pre-pandemic levels.
According to myFutureNC, chronically absent high schoolers are less likely to graduate or attend college.
WRAL reached out to several large school districts, including Wake, Durham, and Cumberland counties, to see how they’re adjusting to the policy.