Basic math and multiplication tables had to be mastered to graduate 6th grade, algebra level one was mandatory during grade 7, and had to be passed with at least a C- to enter grade eight. That was back in the '70's in Coral Gables FL, a wealthy town, so probably not universal to FL as a whole. Students got held back a year all the time back then. You just had to pass basic milestones, period. It wasn't a completely horrible embarrassment to get held back, not like you were suddenly riding the short bus to school, but it was a plenty scary motivation to just suck it up and learn that shit whether you liked it or not.