Our Iceberg is Melting 4/5/16 Mission Statement - Pequea Valley School District will create an environment that inspires each individual to excel.

 All too often people and organizations don’t see the need for change.  Often they do not identify what to do and what steps to take.

 We believe as a school district with the support of the board and superintendent we have made some drastic changes in the way we go about the business of educating students at Pequea Valley.

 We believe we will need to continue to make changes at Pequea Valley to best serve our students and community in meeting the mission of the school.

Grading & Competition vs. Learning, Student Achievement and M.C.L. Proposed for 2020

Current System The grading system is as follows: A , 4.3 A 92-97, 4.0 A , 3.7 B , 3.3 B 82-87, 3.0 B , 2.7 C , 2.3 C 72-77, 2.0 C , 1.7 D , 1.3D 62-67, 1.0 D , 0.7 F 59 & Below, 0 Students seeking credit for course work taken outside of the Pequea Valley School District must have such credit approved by the P.V.S.D. Students (grade 9-10) are required to carry a full schedule each semester. The principal has the authority to establish procedures for determining grades when students are enrolled in other schools and transfer into Pequea Valley High School.

Weighted Grades A weighted grade system is in place for AP, Advanced Science Research and Dual Enrollment courses. The weighted grading system uses the following point scale. A+ = 5.3 B+ = 4.3C+ = 3.3 A = 5.0 B = 4.0 C = 3.0 A- = 4.7B- = 3.7 C- = 2.7

Valedictorian & Salutatorian Eligibility for recognition of valedictorian or salutatorian honors shall be limited to students who are continuously enrolled at Pequea Valley High School for three or more school years immediately prior to the date of graduation. Students who are approved for, and accept early admission, to a college or university program in their senior year, shall not be eligible for these honors. The Valedictorian and Salutatorian shall be selected according to the following procedure: The Valedictorian shall be the student with the highest grade point average as computed at the end of the 3rd marking period of senior year work. The Salutatorian shall be the student with the second highest grade point average as computed at the end of the 3rd marking period of senior year work. In case of a tie for valedictorian, co-valedictorians shall be honored. In case of a tie for salutatorian, co-salutatorians shall be honored.

The Primary Purpose The primary purpose for grading To communicate with students and parents about their achievement of learning goals Practices vary among teachers in the same school A grade is a symbol that summarizes student achievement

Problems with Current System & M.C.L. Many paths to alternative credit options Discourages academic exploration and interest based classes

College View of GPA Valedictorian and Salutatorian

The Role of GPA in College Admissions College admissions and decisions are made prior to selection of Valedictorian/Salutatorian Scholarships are awarded prior to selection of Valedictorian and Salutatorian Valedictorian and Salutatorian status is not considered in the college admission process The difference between top students is mathematically insignificant GPA Scales vary widely among high schools Colleges recalculate to their own scale GPA is only important in the context of the High School Profile

Key College Selection Criteria Strength of curriculum (AP, Honors) and grades in those courses Student performance in the context of their High School Profile Student enrichment and involvement Potential to contribute to the college community, service projects Challenges undertaken or courses that pertain to field of study (ex: Ag-Tech-World Language)

Admissions Counselors F&M, Millersville, Elizabethtown

F&M Dedicated to the holistic review of each candidate They analyze each student in his/her own context If GPA/class rank are no longer on the transcript (many schools don’t include it anymore), they use different aspects to evaluate. Perfomance in rigorous coursework is always #1 In short, not including this on a transcript would not affect the review of a student.

Millersville Does not require class rank/GPA They are getting away from using this information to evaluate candidates They use performance in rigorous coursework and SATs (SAT-1000 combined) to make decisions Currently, the only application that includes class rank/GPA are scholarships Students who do not have this information, are assessed using the SAT scores

Elizabethtown Class rank (valedictorian/salutatorian) is not necessary AP weighted grades are looked at when choosing students for merit scholarships

A New Approach Collegiate Used by some districts in PA and throughout the United States Cum Laude-3.5 to Magna Cum Laude-3.8 to Summa Cum Laude

Why? Opportunity to recognize more students Reporting of class rank can have unintended and unhealthy consequences for the students in the school Relieves student pressure and unhealthy competition and maximizes the ability to use Mass Customized Learning at PVHS

Possible Options Option #1: o Maintain current policy and procedures o Select Valedictorian and Salutatorian at the end of the 3 rd marking period o Continue to keep current weighting as is Option #2: o Valedictorian and Salutatorian selected by a committee based on academics, character, service, leadership, work ethic, honors from Summa Cum Laude students. Option #3: o Eliminate Valedictorian and Salutatorian o Use College Approach of Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude and Summa Cum Laude