Class Rank, Grading Scale, and GPA Scale Information Night

Review of Proposed Changes

Wednesday, November 7th, 2018Garnet Valley HS

Proposal to Academic Policies:

1. Elimination of class rank beginning with the class of 2020.

2. Shifting to a 10 point grading scale. 3. Realignment of the GPA scale.

Why is Garnet Valley considering these changes:

1. Many of the top public and private high schools do not rank students.

2. Garnet Valley’s policies and procedures are not aligned to national norms and are very confusing to college admissions representatives.

3. Garnet Valley’s policies are vastly different than many comparable high schools in our area.

Class Rank was once a major component in admission decision...

But according to a recent report by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) more than half of all high schools no

longer report student rankings. Source: NACAC 2017 State of College Admission

Area High School DataHigh Schools that DO NOT report rank:

● Conestoga HS● Downingtown STEM Academy● Haverford HS● Harriton HS● Lower Merion HS● Marple Newtown HS● Penncrest HS● Radnor HS● Ridley HS● Strath Haven HS● Unionville HS● West Chester Area Schools

High Schools that DO report rank:

GARNET VALLEY HIGH SCHOOLChichester HSSpringfield HSUpper Darby HS

Colleges such as Rutgers University-New Brunswick have stopped considering rank as a determining factor for admissions. The university says it considers the grades in each course, course difficulty, GPA, and the patterns of each prospective student's grades.

"We also seek to understand the degree to which students challenge themselves in the context of the high school's curriculum through available offerings at the honors, accelerated, advanced or AP levels," the university said in a statement. "Due to the number of high schools who do not rank their students, we have not required class rank from applicants for several years."

Dean of Admissions at Penn, Eric Furda, confirmed NACAC’s conclusion — that class rank is not an essential factor in the admissions process at the University of Pennsylvania. According to Furda, “‘From a multi-decade perspective, class rank has become less prevalent in secondary schools,’ he said, adding that only about 30 percent of Penn’s applicant pool typically attends a school that ranks its students. ‘Class rank has become less prevalent in our pools, and therefore, less relevant,’ Furda said.”

At Tufts University in Boston, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Lee Coffin said just 20 percent of the students who applied this year provided a class rank. And Jim Bock, vice president and dean of admissions at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, said many more applicants are coming from high schools with unorthodox ranking systems that make little sense.

But Bock said there is a silver lining: Without rank, admissions officers have been forced to look a little more closely at applications when students come from schools without rank. Maybe that’s a good thing, he said.

At Tufts, Coffin said the university gradually will start phasing out any mention of rank in its marketing materials because just a fraction of students are ranked.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2015/07/13/high-schools-are-doing-away-with-class-rank-what-does-that-mean-for-college-admissions/?utm_term=.634447c52d16

“Half our applicants now come from schools that don’t have rank.” –Jim Miller, Director of Admissions, Brown University

“This year, 20,376 of the 32,772 freshmen applicants had no class rank (62%). Further, 69% of admitted students did not report rank.”

–Mike Mills, Northwestern University

“The majority of schools that I read for do not rank, so they are certainly not penalized. Rank does not directly affect scholarships.”

–Kevin Crimmons, Washington University

“Students without rank are not penalized. As for scholarships, not at all [would class rank be an issue] as our aid is predominantly need-based.”

–Alisa Fisher, Notre Dame

Grading Scales

92-100 A

83-91 B

74-82 C

65-73 D

0-64 F

90-100 A

80-89 B

70-79 C

60-69 D

0-59 F

Current Grading Scale Proposed Grading Scale

High School Grading Scale

Radnor 10 point

Conestoga 10 point, 65-69 = D

Unionville 10 point

Strath Haven 10 point

Haverford 10 point

Lower Merion 10 point

Harriton 10 point

West Chester Area 10 point

Downingtown Area 10 point

Marple Newtown 10 point

Springfield 10 point

Current GPA Scale

Proposed GPA Scale

.25 extra quality points added to all honors courses.50 extra quality points added to all AP courses

High School Grading Scale GPA scale Weighted Levels

Radnor 10 point 4.3 Honors/AP

Conestoga 10 point, 65-69 = D 4.0 Honors/AP

Unionville 10 point 4.3 Honors/AP

Strath Haven 10 point 4.3 No Extra Weight

Haverford 10 point 4.3 Honors/AP

Lower Merion 10 point 4.0 Honors/AP/IB

Harriton 10 point 4.0 Honors/AP/IB

West Chester Area 10 point 4.3 Honors/AP

Downingtown Area 10 point 4.0 Honors/AP

Marple Newtown 10 point 4.3 Honors/AP

Springfield 10 point 100 Honors/AP

FAQs:

Are the changes official yet?No. The Garnet Valley School Board of Directors must vote to approve any changes to school board policies.

When will the proposed changes go into effect?If approved by the GVSD School Board, changes will begin with the 2019-2020 school year.

Will the changes have any impact on current seniors?No. Changes will begin with the Class of 2019.

Why can’t you wait and implement changes with the incoming 8th grade class?We know our current policies are confusing to college admissions representatives and not in line with national norms. We need to take immediate steps to ensure Garnet Valley students remain competitive with their peers.

Will previous grades be converted to the new GPA and Grading Scale?Previous grades earned will not change. If you earned a 90 in a class last year, the grade will still be considered a B+ and not an A-. Grades will be converted to the new GPA scale.

FAQs

How will colleges and universities know Garnet Valley made changes?Each year colleges and universities receive a GVHS School Profile that highlights and explains Garnet Valley’s grading scale, GPA scale, and class rank policies.

Will there still be a valedictorian and salutatorian?No. There are minor differences between our most talented students. Students in the top 10 are often separated by hundredths or tenths of a point.

Who will speak at graduation if there is not a valedictorian or salutatorian?There will be student speeches at graduation. Students interested in the opportunity to speak at graduation will submit a written speech to a committee made up of faculty and administrators who will review submitted speeches and select the best ones.

When will students receive their new GPA?Rising seniors will receive their GPA in late July so they can begin filling out college applications in August. Underclassman will receive their new GPA in early September.