Grade Weighting Policies Jim Walsh Anderson Brown Aldridge

Grade Weighting Policies Jim Walsh, Anderson, Brown, Aldridge & Gallegos, P. C.

Why It Matters l l l Class rank is more important than ever. Valedictorian, salutatorian, top ten percent, scholarships. Prestige and money on the line.

Where to Look l Policy EIC and EIC Local

EIC l l This is mostly about the top ten percent rule. Must be displayed in offices and explained by counselors to students. Specific notice to seniors of their status. Class rank shall be determined by the school or district from which the student graduates.

EIC Local: District A l l l Calls for weighting of AP, pre-AP and accelerated courses. AP courses get a weight of 1. 10 Pre-AP and accelerated courses get a weight of 1. 05. Everything else weighs 1. 0. No mention of modified content courses.

EIC Local: District B l l l IB and AP semester grades get 12 additional points. If your grade was a 75, you get an 87. Pre-AP, pre-IB, honors, college credit courses: 10 additional points. Honors: 8 additional points. Enriched: get 5 additional points. No mention of modified content classes.

EIC Local: District C Has a 6 -point GPA system. l With a grade of 100…. Advanced Regular Modified Content l 6. 0 5. 0 4. 0

EIC Local: District C “…courses that have been modified by the student’s ARD committee as to the required content of the TEKS and reflected in the student’s IEP shall not earn the same number of grade points as regular courses; however, courses modified as to methodology shall earn the same number of grade points assigned to regular courses. ”

The Law Weighs In l l Courses can be given less weight when CONTENT has been modified. It does not matter WHERE the course was taken (regular classroom, resource, self contained). It does not matter that accommodations in method of teaching were provided. What matters is academic content and rigor.

Bottom Line A policy that gives more credit for tougher courses should give less credit for courses with modified content. Failure to do so likely puts students who have taken modified content courses in the top ten percent inappropriately. It’s a zero sum game.