My high school just switched to awarding one Carnegie unit classes to two half Carnegie units. Before the change if a student made a 3.5 in a full year subject it was recorded as an A and the student would receive 4 quality points in their GPA. Now if a student receives a “B” in the first half of a subject and a “A” in the second half they receive 3.5 quality points (3 + 4)/2. This will effectively lower GPA’s unless the student makes an “A” in both halves of a subject. Our school already uses one of the hardest grading systems in the state and receiving the higher letter grade for the .5 sort of compensated for that.
I would welcome any comments you may have on these two methods of calculating GPA’s.
It should not matter. High schools sent a school profile detailing things like the grading system, levels of classes offered, average grades etc. along with each transcript so your HS record will be reviewed in the proper context. In addition many colleges recalculate GPA based on their own formula/criteria.
In any event, don’t worry about things you can’t change.
It’s not the change from whole units to half that’s affecting student GPAs, it’s the policy of no longer handing out a 4.0 to a student who earned a 3.5. The outcome would be the same either way. It’s probably a good change. If you earn a 3.5 in college, your transcript will say 3.5. If your school is rigorous, that will be reflected in the school profile. I’d rather my school be known for its rigor, not for grade inflation.