<p>My district is changing the way it computes GPA. Currently, we have a standard 4.0 scale, with weighting for a handful of classes (9 APs and few others). The district has now, however, decided to figure the number of courses a student takes into the calculation. So, a kid with 5 AP classes, who is also in band and chior, has a more rigorous schedule than a kid with 5 AP classes and 2 study halls. (Don't ask me how anybody gets 5 APs in one year when only 9 are offered, but that was the example in the paper). Anyway, under the new system, the kid with more courses winds up with a higher GPA.</p>
<p>Apparantly, a demonstration using last year's data showed an elimination for the "ties" for those top ranks. The formula isn't publically available, but I think I like the idea. I was wondering where else this might be done and how's it working out?</p>
<p>They’re not hiding it; it just wasn’t in the paper, and since just accepted at last night’s board meeting, not yet on the website.</p>
<p>And yes, the superintendant’s kids definitely go to school within the district. You mean it’s possible that they wouldn’t? That wouldn’t inspire much confidence now, would it.</p>
<p>^The superindentent’s kids thing was a joke, like they’re entering their freshman class, so now he’s changing the rules to give them an upper hand. </p>
<p>Anyway, at my school we didn’t rank, so the actual GPA wasn’t nearly as important. It’s really lame for trying to apply for scholarships (we had no weighing, so an A in Physics C got you the same GPA as an A in PE), but otherwise good.</p>
<p>I think this new system is more fair to those kids who really are taking 5 APs, band and choir instead of study halls. However, it also has the potential to put kids under even more pressure than they are now.</p>
<p>At our school, you can’t take more than one class period of study halls. Sometimes there are a few others scattered around because phys ed is 2 days/week and science labs are 2 days/ week, but you can’t replace 2 classes with study halls. So while it is true a kid with study hall gets a slight boost over a kid with band, it wouldn’t matter to me if they changed to your new system. </p>
<p>One year my D had 3 AP’s, 2 honors classes, and 2 non-weighted classes - anatomy and a first year language course that was not offered as honors. To me that would be more rigorous than someone whose non-honors classes were band and art. Do they rank every elective as to rigor, I wonder?</p>
It seems in this case that the school is looking for a way to break the ties in academic rigor. If students truly do want to attend an Ivy they need to meet the standard being set. The pressure is provided by themselves and their parents.</p>
<p>Agree they are treating band, choir etc. as an academic course and study as a non-course. Seems fine to me and I agree pressure most often comes from students and parents not from teachers and districts. If I had a student who actually needed a study hall I’d give it my full blessing…ranking be damned and I do have one that did take a study hall one semester freshman high school year because he’s dyslexic, a slow reader and that extra 50 minutes a day was heaven sent for him. I fully supported his decision. Good luck with the formula I’ve “seen” our district’s formula expressed in words but have yet to see it expressed as any kind of formula where you can actually plug numbers in and get a number.</p>
<p>I’m not sure why this is considered unfair. If students are taking a class they receive a grade in, it is factored into their GPA. If they choose to take advantage of the option of a study hall that is not graded, there is no grade to factor in. This may actually work against a student if they get a grade in a class that was previously not factored into GPA that is lower than their current average.
Many colleges recalculate the GPA as they see fit so in these instances it would be a moot point. Some strip all bur academic classes, some strip all weighted grades, some do not count the freshman year. It is endless as the ways that schools themselves calculate GPA. As long as the school is very clear on the transcript as to how they calculate GPA and the grading scale, the colleges do a pretty good job of evening out the field. </p>
<p>Our students had a grading scale change mid way through high school. So did the neighboring county. They changed grades retroactively. Ours did not. It is noted on the transcript and colleges are well informed of it. Amazing, but they do ‘get it’.</p>
<p>At our high school, an AP or IB student taking unweighted music classes instead of study hall (or late arrival) would have a lower rank all other things being equal. </p>
<p>I think may have hurt my son’s chances on a few scholarship. He was not in the top 10 despite having fewer Bs than the salutatorian (in that case due to more weighted classes, not just fewer unweighted classes). If we had to do it all over again, we’d still encourage the 10 semesters of music because music is his passion. But perhaps I would have questioned the freshman year unweighted business class that was assigned because the study halls were full.</p>
<p>Interesting. I understand the math, but am sad that it puts that students in a position of choosing not to take ‘non academic’ classes that can enrich high school such as music, art, or technology. Perhaps these classes should be available on a Pass/Fail basis. Students are encouraged to do well, but they are not penalized for taking a class that they receive an non-weighted A (4.0), or lower, that could lower an otherwise very high GPA</p>
<p>I am certainly not undervaluing study hall as a option for some students. It is a catch 22.</p>