Credits and Grade Points Towards GPA
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Teachers report grades numerically in electronic grade books, on report cards and on the cumulative folders. Teachers evaluate student academic performance in grades 6-12. Upon early indication of a student’s unsatisfactory performance, parents should be notified of the student’s deficiency.
Report cards are issued to parents each six weeks. Semester grades are computed as follows:Multiply each six week’s grade by 2
Add the semester final
Divide by 7
Example:
Math 89, 90, 87 x 2= 532
Semester final 90 + 532= 622
622/7 = 89 semester grade
Students in grades 9-12 will receive credits and grade points by semester average. Each semester of satisfactorily completed work will count as a 1/2 unit, except in career and technology education work-based learning programs in which a greater credit is granted, and in extended Algebra I-IV (see course description for guidelines). These units are recorded on report cards, permanent record cards, and cumulative folders by semester. Each semester of work failed (below 70) in a required course must be repeated.
An adequate number of grades must be taken to evaluate the student fairly. A semester exam will be administered as part of each semester grade. Students may be eligible for semester examination exemptions as described in the student handbook. All high schools will administer a written semester examination in every course offered in the curriculum except as provided by the exemption policy.
A student’s grade in academic areas will not be altered because of his or her behavior. Behavior will be marked under Citizenship on the grade report form. The following symbols will be used to reflect citizenship:
- E = Excellent
- S = Satisfactory
- N = Needs Improvement
- U = Unsatisfactory
The secondary student’s citizenship or conduct grade will be based on the following:
- acceptance of responsibility
- courtesy of speech and manners
- dependability
- respect for the rights of others
- promptness
- care of property
- good use of time
- following directions
- observation of rules
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Grade Average and Rank In Class
Students will be officially ranked at the end of the 5th six-week period of the senior year. Semester grades for grade levels nine through twelve will be computed in determining class rank. Although students may earn high school credits in middle school, grades received in those courses will be included in averaging for ranking purposes. Courses receiving two or three credits per year will be included respectively in the semester average.
All students in grades nine through twelve will be included in computing the grade average and rank in class except for Foreign Exchange students. For students coming from within the United States, numerical grades will be recorded exactly as they appear on the transcript and alphabetical grades will be given the numerical equivalent according to the grade scale of the sending school. If no grade scale is provided by the sending school, then the following conversion scale will be used:
- A+ = 98
- A = 95
- A- =92
- B+ = 88
- B = 85
- B- = 82
- C+ = 78
- C = 75
- C- = 72
- D+ = 68
- D = 65
- D- = 62
- F = 50
Additionally, for students coming from state accredited schools within the United States, if a grade of 60- 69 is indicated as passing, credit will be given. If alphanumeric grade(s) that are presented can be verified by school officials, then ÒÀÒÀÉçÇø will accept the numeric grade.
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Averaging Grades for Determining Rank in Class
For students in the graduating classes of 2019, 2020 , 2021, and 2022, courses in all content areas shall be included in the averaging of grades for determination of honor graduate students, including valedictorian and salutatorian, and rank in class. Weighted courses in all content areas shall be weighted according to set scales.
Beginning with the graduating class of 2023, only courses in the content areas of English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Economics, World Languages and all Advanced Placement (AP), Pre-AP, Honors, and Dual Credit course, regardless of the subject shall be included in the averaging of grades for determination of honor graduate students, including valedictorian and salutatorian, and rank in class. Weighted courses in all content areas shall be weighted according to set scales.
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Weighted Courses
For determination of grade point average (GPA), rank in class and honor graduate status (including valedictorian and salutatorian), the semester grade for each course specified in the core curriculum areas will be multiplied by the following weighting standards:
Course Type
Multiplier
Advanced Placement Courses
1.15
Pre-AP Courses, Dual Credit Courses, and Honors
1.10
Advanced Courses (Precalculus, Academic Decathlon)
1.05
Regular
1.0
Weighted grades will not be shown on the academic achievement record (transcript) or report card; nor will they be used to establish eligibility in extra-curricular activities.
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Grades Received Outside the Standard Method
For students entering grade nine in 2009-2010 and thereafter: grades earned in correspondence, virtual learning courses, on credit by examination for acceleration, credit by examination (with prior instruction) or alternative education instruction shall be included in the computation of grade average, class rank, and honor graduate status.
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Highest Ranking Students
The following will be used to calculate the numerical grade average, rank in class, and determine the honor graduates:
- Semester weighted grades earned during the ninth, tenth, and eleventh grades; and high school courses taken at middle school
- The first semester weighted grades of the twelfth grade
- The average of the fourth and fifth six-weeks weighted grades of the twelfth grade.
The valedictorian and salutatorian will be named at the end of the fifth six weeks in the twelfth grade year. In the event of a tie, the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) will be used to determine valedictorian and salutatorian. The student with the highest SAT score on a single administration of the test will be declared valedictorian; the student with the second highest score will be named salutatorian. If the SAT scores are tied, the students shall be declared co-valedictorians. SAT tests taken after January of the senior year shall not be used to break a tie. The American College Test (ACT) shall not be used to break a tie.
To be eligible for valedictorian or salutatorian, a student must have been enrolled in the same high school in the Birdville Independent School District for all of the last two years in high school as well as have completed the requirements of the State Board of Education. Highest honor graduates who do not meet the residency requirements will be unofficially ranked. An estimated rank in class will be provided upon request from a college or university.
Effective with the graduating class of 2015, the District shall recognize at the graduation ceremony, in addition to the valedictorian and the salutatorian, the next ten highest ranking students. To be eligible for such recognition, a student must have been continuously enrolled in the same high school in the District for the entire two school years immediately preceding graduation.
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Calculation of Class Rank
Includes the calculation of class rank semester grades earned in ALL high school credit courses taken at any grade level, unless stated in policy EID (Local). This includes online courses.
Graduating Classes:
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
Includes the calculation of class rank semester grades earned in high school credit courses taken at any grade level: ELA, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Economics, Languages other than English, and any course designated at Advanced Placement, Pre-AP, honors, and dual credit, regardless of the subject. This includes
online courses.Graduating Classes
- 2023 and all subsequent graduating classes.