ASS
GPA & CLASS RANK
Overall GPA
The District calculates grade point averages for all senior students by two different methods, for different
purposes. The overall grade point average (GPA) for each student shall be the cumulative average of all
courses taken.
Class Rank: Valedictorian, Salutatorian, and Historian
For the purpose of determining District honors, an index score reflecting a student’s grade point average
earned in the core curriculum courses shall be used to designate the valedictorian, salutatorian, and historian.
The class rank determination shall be made at the end of the fifth six-weeks grading period prior to
graduation; the final official ranking shall be made following completion of the second semester.
For ranking purposes, a school year begins on the first day of school and ends on the last day of summer
school.
To be eligible for the honors of valedictorian, salutatorian, and historian, a student must have been in
attendance at the District high school for their last two years.
To qualify to give the valedictorian or salutatorian speech, a student, during his or her last two semesters, must
not have engaged in any serious misconduct violation of the Student Code of Conduct that resulted in
removal to the disciplinary alternative educational program (DAEP), a three day suspension, or expulsion.
Breaking a Tie
In case of a tie among the top ranking students, the following method shall be used to determine who shall
be recognized as valedictorian, salutatorian, or historian:
The student with the most AP courses shall be ranked highest.
If, however, a tie still remains, the tie shall be broken by calculating the highest numerical grade average of AP
courses taken by the students who are tied.
Honor Graduates
Recognition will be earned in one of two ways. The designation of “highest honors” will be extended to
those students who graduate in the top 10% of the class. Seniors who maintain a cumulative GPA of 90 or
above in the core classes will be given the distinction of graduating with “honors.”
Computing Class Rank:
Only grades earned in core curriculum courses shall be used to determine honors and class rank. The core
curriculum shall consist of grades earned in:
English
4 years
Math
4 years
Science
4 years
Social Studies
3 years
Students earning a Foundation diploma without an Endorsement will be ranked after
Distinguished/Foundation with Endorsement diploma students have been ranked.
Grades earned through correspondence courses or credit recovery shall not count toward class rank. A
student who takes more than the required number of courses in the core curriculum discipline shall have his
or her highest grades counted.
Weighted Courses:
For purposes of honors and class rank, the following courses shall be weighted:
1. Accelerated courses shall receive five points per semester.
2. Pre-AP, AP, and Dual Credit courses shall receive ten points per semester.
3. Blended Pre-AP Math I, II, and III courses shall receive thirteen points per semester.
For the overall GPA only, Spanish III and French III shall receive ten points per semester.
Transfer Courses:
A student who transfers into the District who has taken courses comparable to weighted courses offered in
the District shall receive the weighted value offered by the District. However, a transfer student shall not
receive credit for a weighted grade that is not available at the District high school.
Students who choose to repeat a course will not receive duplicate credit and only the grade for the first time
taken will count in Rank in Class GPA
Early Graduates:
A student’s class ranking shall be determined within the graduating class of the school year in which the
student completes all requirements for a diploma, regardless of the number of years the student has taken to
complete graduation requirements.