A conflict exists because all South Carolinian students are held to the same college- and career-readiness expectations, yet upstate school districts have opted to implement different grading policies. While the three Research Districts featured in this study employed varied forms of 50 as a minimum grade, other districts have no such mathematical safety net for students on the 0 to 100 grading spectrum delineated by the South Carolina Department of Education's Uniform Grading Policy. Therefore, it is difficult to guarantee fairness, reliability, and equity to South Carolina students if districts adhere to differing grading policies. This study highlights the impact of grade book zeros and investigates how teachers' beliefs about district policies influence their grading practices. In addition, this research aims to address grading equity at the classroom level based on evidence from Cox (2011), who suggests that nonacademic factors, such as work ethic, behaviors, and organization, can also create inconsistencies in students' grades. The results of this study suggested that standardization of grading is necessary, whether at the regional or state level. This research study may reveal information that could be useful to the South Carolina Department of Education or policymakers in upstate South Carolina in implementing either a regional or statewide standardized grading policy that addresses both the use of 50 as a floor grade while also minimizing the impacts of nonacademic factors on grading for academic mastery. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]