MPCHS makes changes in class ranking, grade-point average calculations

Mt. Pleasant Community School District directors approved changes to the method of grade-point average (GPA) calculation and class rank at the high school.

The changes were approved at the Jan. 13 school board meeting and first presented to the board during the December meeting. Although the changes have been published twice in The News, here they are for a third time for anyone who may have missed them.

Changes will go into effect immediately for the classes of 2015 and beyond. The Class of 2014 will not be affected by the changes.

? A student?s GPA will be computed using a four-point scale where an A earns four points, a B earns three points, etc.

? All classes a student takes while enrolled at MPCHS will be used in this calculation. This includes all MPCHS courses and any college courses a student enrolls in through MPCHS.

? After the student?s GPA is determined on the four-point scale, .021 grade points will be added to the student?s GPA for each semester of each advanced placement (AP) course a student completes. If a student completes one AP course for the semester, he/she will earn .021 extra GPA points. A student completing two AP courses during a semester will have .042 points added to his/her GPA.

? The student with the highest GPA will be class valedictorian. The student with the second-highest GPA will be the class salutatorian. If there is a tie for the highest GPA, the student with the highest ACT composite score will earn the honor. If the ACT composite scores are the same, both students will be honored.

? The valedictorian and salutatorian will deliver addresses at graduation unless they have violated the student code of conduct. If one of these individuals has a code of conduct violation, students in the top 10 percent of the class will have the opportunity to submit a speech for consideration. A faculty committee will select the speech to be given from the speeches that are submitted.