Consistent Application for Graduating Class Early Graduation Summer Graduates Midyear Graduates Transfer Grades / Class Ranking The District shall apply the same class rank calculation method and rules for local graduation honors for all students in a graduating class, regardless of the school year in which a student first earned high school credit. Students who wish to graduate in less than four years shall declare their intent either by the end of the sophomore year, during the first ten days of the junior year, or during the first ten days of enrollment when transferring from another district. An early graduate declaration form must be signed by the student, parent, head school counselor, and principal. If a student is taking two courses, one of which normally precedes the other, the appropriate department head, the teachers involved, the student, the parent, the school counselor, and the principal shall be required to approve the student s schedule. The District shall not prevent a student who has completed all state and local graduation requirements from graduating. Early graduates shall be eligible for all graduation honors for which they meet the requirements, except salutatorian and valedictorian. Students who graduate in three years shall be eligible to participate in commencement ceremonies. Students who graduate during the summer shall be ranked with the class that graduated during the previous spring. Summer graduates shall not be eligible to participate in spring commencement ceremonies and shall not be considered for local scholarships awarded during the spring. Students who graduate at the end of the fall semester shall be ranked among the students who will graduate during the spring. Rankings shall be based on grade point average (GPA) at the end of the fall semester. Midyear graduates shall be eligible to participate in spring commencement ceremonies and shall be considered for local scholarships awarded during the spring, provided they complete a local scholarship application form. Transfer work shall be averaged in with work completed in the District. The student shall not, in this case, be given a grade of insufficient attendance (IA). If a student transfers to the District during the semester and the withdrawal information accompanying the student does not include withdrawal grades, the student s grades shall begin from the date of entry into the District s high school. Letter grades on transcripts of students transferring to the District shall be calculated for class rank by use of the median value for numerical grades. DATE ISSUED: 8/20/2018 1 of 7 -X
Example: Top Ten Percent Transferring Grade Numerical Range Median Value A- 90 93 92 A- 94 96 95 A+ 97 100 98 and the like All students whose GPAs comprise the top ten percent of the graduating class, according to the class ranking system in this policy, and qualify for automatic admission under Education Code 51.803 shall be recognized. Eligibility standards required for the local procedure for determining valedictorian and salutatorian (or other local honor positions such as top 20) shall not apply to the procedure for determining the top ten percent. The GPA shall be reported on the student s transcript as required by TEA and made available in accordance with the application deadline when requested by the student. [See (LEGAL)] Note: The following provisions shall apply to students in the graduating classes of 2019, 2020, and 2021. Applicable to the Graduating Classes of 2019, 2020, and 2021 For students in the graduating classes of 2019, 2020, and 2021, students graduating under the foundation program with the distinguished level of achievement shall be ranked prior to students graduating under the foundation program with an endorsement. Students graduating under the foundation program without an endorsement shall be ranked thereafter. The following guidelines shall apply: 1. To be eligible for priority ranking, a student must have successfully completed the criteria for top 20 graduates. 2. Only core area courses and any courses designated as Advanced Placement (AP), Pre-AP, or concurrent enrollment that count toward state graduation credit shall be included in the GPA. 3. It shall be optional for non-required courses taken beyond state graduation credit requirements to be included in the GPA. 4. Credit for successfully completed college course(s) shall be earned in one-half credit increments per semester. 5. Grades earned in summer school core courses and high school courses taken at the middle school shall be averaged when determining class rank. DATE ISSUED: 8/20/2018 2 of 7 -X
Weighted GPA Class Rank Calculations Top 20 / Academic Recognition Only designated Advanced, Pre-AP/AP, and college-level courses shall be weighted before averaging according to the following provisions adopted for each course-level designation. The following shall apply: 1. A regular course shall receive the numerical grade awarded. 2. Any dual enrollment CTE course shall receive three additional 3. Pre-AP, Precalculus Advanced, and Economics Advanced courses shall receive four additional points per semester numerical grade. 4. An AP course or college-level course shall receive five additional All high school students shall be ranked at the end of each school year. Senior students shall be unofficially ranked for graduation at the end of the first semester of the senior year. At the end of the fifth six-week grading period, the grades for the fourth and fifth sixweek periods shall be averaged to determine the second semester average for ranking purposes. Grades shall be averaged to the fourth decimal point or to the next decimal place in case of a tie (up to six decimal places may be used). This shall determine the valedictorian, salutatorian, and other academically recognized graduates. The following guidelines shall apply to graduates with academic recognition and to the top 20 graduates: 1. A student must graduate under the foundation program with the distinguished level of achievement and must meet all TEA requirements. In order to meet local requirements, all four core content courses must be taken while enrolled in grades 9 12. As part of the four-credit requirement, students must successfully complete an AP or CC mathematics and science course during their senior year, which may include Precalculus Advanced and Anatomy/Physiology. 2. A student must successfully complete a minimum of eight courses designated as Pre-AP, AP, or college-level courses, including Precalculus Advanced or Economics Advanced. 3. A student must successfully complete a minimum of two credits designated as AP or college-level courses in each of the last two years of high school. DATE ISSUED: 8/20/2018 3 of 7 -X
4. A student must meet criteria for the Dual Credit Performance Acknowledgment of at least 12 hours of college academic courses with a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale in each course or an associate degree. 5. A student must have been enrolled in a high school for at least three years. 6. A student must have been a full-time student at the same District high school for both his or her junior and senior years on or before the snapshot date. Full-time enrollment includes instruction for college courses taken on or off campus for either college credit and/or dual credit during regular school hours. In the event of a tie for the top 20 positions, a tiebreaker shall be utilized as follows: 1. The student with the greatest number of Pre-AP, AP, or college-level courses shall be selected. 2. The higher average of the Pre-AP, AP, or college-level courses shall be used if the students have the same number of Pre-AP, AP, or college-level courses. 3. Grades shall be averaged to the fourth decimal point or to the next decimal place in case of a tie (up to six decimal places may be used). Valedictorian / Salutatorian The valedictorian and salutatorian of the freshman class of 2014 15 and thereafter shall: 1. Have successfully completed a minimum of three AP and/or college-level courses during the junior year and a minimum of three AP and/or college-level courses during their senior year; 2. Have successfully completed a minimum of ten courses designated as Pre-AP, AP, or college-level; 3. Have been enrolled in a high school for four years and be a foundation program with the distinguished level of achievement graduate; dual credit performance acknowledgment must be completed by December of their senior year; and 4. Have been enrolled full-time at the same District high school for their entire junior and senior years. Full-time enrollment includes instruction for college courses taken on or off campus for either college credit and/or dual credit during regular school hours. DATE ISSUED: 8/20/2018 4 of 7 -X
Note: The following provisions shall apply to students beginning with the graduating class of 2022. Applicable to Graduation Class of 2022 and Thereafter Weighted GPA Class Rank Calculations Beginning with the graduating class of 2022, students graduating under the foundation program with the distinguished level of achievement shall be ranked prior to students graduating under the foundation program with an endorsement. Students graduating under the foundation program without an endorsement shall be ranked thereafter. The following guidelines shall apply: 1. To be eligible for priority ranking, a student must have successfully completed the criteria for top 20 graduates. 2. Only core area courses and any courses designated as AP, Pre-AP, or concurrent enrollment that count toward state graduation credit shall be included in the GPA. 3. It shall be optional for non-required courses taken beyond state graduation credit requirements to be included in the GPA. 4. Credit for successfully completed college course(s) shall be earned in one-half credit increments per semester. 5. Grades earned in summer school core courses and high school courses taken at the middle school shall be averaged when determining class rank. Only designated Advanced, Pre-AP/AP, and college-level courses shall be weighted before averaging according to the following provisions adopted for each course-level designation. The following shall apply: 1. A regular course shall receive the numerical grade awarded. 2. Any dual enrollment CTE course shall receive three additional 3. Pre-AP courses shall receive four additional points per semester numerical grade. 4. An AP course or college-level course shall receive ten additional All high school students shall be ranked at the end of each school year. Senior students shall be unofficially ranked for graduation at the end of the first semester of the senior year. At the end of the fifth DATE ISSUED: 8/20/2018 5 of 7 -X
six-week grading period, the grades for the fourth and fifth sixweek periods shall be averaged to determine the second semester average for ranking purposes. Grades shall be averaged to the fourth decimal point or to the next decimal place in case of a tie (up to six decimal places may be used). This shall determine the valedictorian, salutatorian, and other academically recognized graduates. Valedictorian, Salutatorian, and Top 20 The following guidelines shall apply to graduates to determine valedictorian, salutatorian, and top 20 recognition: 1. A student must graduate under the foundation program with the distinguished level of achievement and must meet all TEA requirements. In order to meet local requirements, all four core content courses must be taken while enrolled in grades 9 12. 2. A student must successfully complete a minimum of 12 courses designated as Pre-AP, AP, or college-level courses, including UT On Ramps courses. 3. A student must successfully complete a minimum of three credits designated as AP or college-level courses, including UT On Ramps courses, in each of the last two years of high school. 4. A student must meet criteria for the Dual Credit Performance Acknowledgment of at least 12 hours of college academic courses with a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale in each course or an associate degree. 5. A student must complete dual credit performance acknowledgment requirements by December of his or her senior year. 6. A student must have been a full-time student at the same District high school for grades 9 12 on or before the snapshot date. Full-time enrollment includes instruction for college courses taken on or off campus for either college credit and/or dual credit during regular school hours. In the event of a tie for the valedictorian, salutatorian, or top 20 positions, a tiebreaker shall be utilized as follows: 1. Grades shall be averaged to the fourth decimal point or to the next decimal place in case of a tie (up to six decimal places may be used). 2. The student with the greatest number of Pre-AP, AP, or college-level courses shall be selected. DATE ISSUED: 8/20/2018 6 of 7 -X
3. The higher average of the Pre-AP, AP, or college-level courses shall be used if the students have the same number of Pre-AP, AP, or college-level courses. DATE ISSUED: 8/20/2018 ADOPTED: 7 of 7 -X