Social promotions in government schools are not a recent invention. Looks like he was a jock, so there was probably some pressure to get him through classes and keep him eligible.
The most heated argument I ever saw in college (late 70s) came in political science class. The professor was a conservative who later became a senior official at the National Endowment for the Humanities. Somehow, class discussion drifted to the “easiest” college major. As a journalism major, I slid down in my seat and watched the fireworks begin when someone asked the professor. His answer? “If I have a student who really wants to stay in school, but can’t handle any other major, I send them to the education department. Haven’t met anyone yet who can’t earn an education degree.”
Naturally, there were lots of future teachers in the class, and they howled. But the professor held his ground, saying the easiest classes he ever took were those required for his teaching credential. After that, the ed majors in the classroom gave up their fight. They knew he was right.
In the early eighties, a school-teacher friend came over and said, “Sit down and do these problems.” Handed me ONE sheet of paper and a pencil. She timed me. It took me 8 minutes to do the problems on both sides of the paper. She graded it, I had 100% correct.
She then told me that THIS was the math proficiency test the teachers in the State (NC) were fighting against. They were given 60 minutes and only required to get like 50% of them right.