Honors Designations for Graduates Tabitha Broadway, Director of Secondary Education Board of Education Meeting June 5, 2017

In January 2015, the North Carolina State Board of Education passed GCS-L-004. This policy makes drastic changes to our current practice of calculating Grade Point Average for students who entered high school in 2015-2016.

Changes in North Carolina Board Policy Affecting Students Who Enter High School in 2015-2016 and Later 10 Point Grading Scale A student who makes a 90 in a course earns the same quality points toward Grade Point Average as a student who makes a 100.

Changes in North Carolina Board Policy Affecting Students Who Enter High School in 2015-2016 and Later The differentiation in additional weighting between courses is smaller: Standard to Honors is now .50, not 1.0 Honors to AP is now .50, not 1.0

Changes in North Carolina Board Policy Affecting Students Who Enter High School in 2015-2016 and Later AP courses and Career and College Promise courses will now carry the same additional weight toward Grade Point Average

Implications of these Changes These changes will complicate the practice of academic recognitions that rely upon class rank. Many of our current 10th grade students have identical Grade Point Averages. It is likely that these identical Grade Point Averages will remain and perhaps even increase, making it impossible to identify one student as Valedictorian and one student as Salutatorian.

Implications of these Changes The following represents the current status for 10th grade students in our district: We have 3 traditional high schools each with 3 students tied at the #1 rank. In all 6 of our traditional high schools, we have multiple students tied at the next GPA rank. School A has 4 School B has 4 School C has 10 School D has 2 School E has 14 School F has 2

Rank Student # Name GPA 1. 840732 Adams, Hunter Ryan 4.4583 963660 Loflin, Erin Benson 836084 Sturdivant, Madison Tate 4. 837121 Baker, Tabitha Octavia 4.4167 838173 Broadway, Mason Lee 870348 Cantwell, Brianna Marie 835872 DeWald, Tori Jewel 842379 Grondy, Maggie Jeanne 840032 Long, Maurice Jordan 1505817 Miramontes, Sara Elizabeth 831664 Mull, Amanda Gail 576743 Musgrave, Trevor Garrett 899567 Nichols, Adam David 899563 Nichols, Allie Emerson 838500 Owen, Julia Nicole 835883 Whitley, Megan Blair 831640 Young, Elizabeth Marie 18. 838202 Carrick, Drake Ward 4.375 837084 Hedrick, Emory Abbigail

Implications of these Changes Information was collected from 46 North Carolina districts. The following summarizes this information: DCS is one of three districts (out of the 46) that recognizes Valedictorian/Salutatorian and Latin honors (Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude and Cum Laude). 23 of the 46 districts no longer recognize a Valedictorian or Salutatorian 18 of the 46 districts recognize a Valedictorian and Salutatorian, but some reported they are reviewing their policies as well due to the changes from the state level

Additional Honors Recognitions for Graduates in DCS High Schools NC Scholars CTE Academy Honors Cords Finance Microsoft IT Medical Science Architecture & Construction Biotechnology Spanish Honor Society National Honor Society National Technical Honor Society National Art Society Governor’s School JROTC Honors Tri-M Music Honors Mu Alpha Theta

6.8.4 DIFFERENTIAL WEIGHTING OF HIGH SCHOOL COURSES

Thank you. Request Approval for Policy 6.8.4 Revision at June 29, 2017 Board of Education Meeting Thank you. The vision of Davidson County Schools is to graduate all students future ready and globally competitive. Board of Education Meeting June 5, 2017