<p>I'm trying to find out information on how other schools handle the calculation of a students final grade when they switch out of an honors class into a non-honors version of the same subject mid-year. My DD's school computes honors classes on a 5.0 scale and non-honors on a 4.0 scale. She had completed two out of four marking periods of honors chemistry plus the midterm when the teacher suggested that she switch into the regular class. At that time she had a 3.0 average in the honors chem class (i.e. she had a C average which counted as a 3.0 out of a possible 5.0). Her average for the remaining two marking periods plus the final in the non-honors class was a 3.0 (i.e. a B average which counted as a 3.0 out of a possible 4.0). </p>
<p>In the computer system, her school transfered her honors chem grades to her regular chem class, not at the point amount but based on the letter grade. So instead of getting a B average or a 3.0 for the full year she ended up with a 2.3 or a C+ average which is shown on her transcript as earned in the regular chem class. No indication of the honors class remains in her file. I am flabergasted as to why they asked her to switch since she would have likely maintained a C average in the honors class and thus would have ended up with a 3.0. </p>
<p>Any advice on how other schools would handle this or how you would argue this with DD's school would be greatly appreciated. All of her other grades freshman and sophomore year are A's and B's so a C+ will certaintly stick out on her transcript.</p>
<p>My son had a similar experience in the opposite direction- he switched out of a non-honors to an honors class at the semester break. They calculate GPA by semester at his school anyway, so the first semester was unweighted and the second semester was weighted (they use +.5 for honors; +1.0 for AP).</p>
<p>I would assume most schools must calculate GPA by semester, since many of the classes are only a semester long to begin with. For example, my son's AP Bio grade (2 semesters long) was B/A. His AP Government grade (one semester long) was A.</p>
<p>There really can't be a single "final grade" in a two semester class, unless your grade was the same both semesters.</p>
<p>Yes, I would think our school would treat each semester separately, one with the weighted grade and listed as H; the other unweighted and a CP course.</p>
<p>However, are you saying that the "mid-term" switch was within one semester? If so, I don't know how that would usually be done. If it is rare at your D's school, I would suggest you calculate her GPA the way you think it should be and meet with the teacher/principal/GC to discuss. If it is common and they have always done it this way, well... what can you do?</p>
<p>If she is not bound for science/engineering in college, I wouldn't fret about it too much. Take a look at what her overall GPA will be with and without this grade and I'm hoping you'll see that it will not have a major effect.</p>
<p>joinville,
To me, it sounds like a screwup- if your daughter completed the entire first semester including semester final. I'd check into it, ask, and lobby to have the first semester class recorded as "honors". That's the only accurate way to do it, isn't it?</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for your responses. DD's school doesn't have semesters, they have 4 separate marking periods each with a separate grade and a midterm and final which are weighted so each counts as 1/2 of a marking period grade. At year end they average all 6 grades (weighting the exams) for a final grade. Their transcripts only show the final grade for the full year if the class is a full year class. </p>
<p>She completed two marking periods and the midterm in the honors class and then took the last two marking periods and the final in the regular class. Since her school looks at it as one class for the school year they averaged all of the grades. But, when they transferred the honors chem grades, they did it by the letter grade and not the grade point. In other words they took a C with a grade point of 3.0 in honors chem and transferred it as a C to her regular chem class so the grade point then recomputes at a 2.0.</p>
<p>She won't be going into the sciences so it won't be a huge problem for college as Jmmom pointed out. But she is near the cut off at her school for National Honor Society and this one grade will likely make a difference. </p>
<p>Treetopleaf, she worked extremely hard in the honors chem class including private tutoring sessions. She got great grades on her labs but really struggled with the tests and quizzes. She ended up with a C+ each of the first two marking periods but wiped out on the midterm (grade of E - I didn't even know there was such a grade). Which is why they asked her to transfer even though she was willing to stay in the honors class. In the regular chem class she found the work much easier and dropped the tutoring sessions. She had an A- third marking period but slipped in the fourth marking period on the one major exam and on the final (although she had one of the highest grades in the class on both of those exams, the teacher didn't curve the results) so she ended up with B-s for fourth marking period and the final.</p>
<p>I'd ask the counselor about the weighting, because it sounds like their grade point algorithm is in error and will be until they correct it. Good luck!</p>
<p>^^^absolutely. Under the current system, students could start the year in regular history/science/etc., then switch over to Honors or AP and carry their first semester A grade with them (same thing as happened to joinville but in reverse) but get the extra weighting. Would the school be as agreeable to that scenario, or does this policy only apply if it <em>hurts</em> the student?</p>