By Anthony T., Teen Portal Staff Writer
Over the course of just one week, my grade point average (GPA) jumped a tenth of a point. How could this be possible? As a student at Thomas Jefferson High School, which is a part of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), my GPA was boosted as a result of the FAIRGRADE ruling passed by the Fairfax County school board earlier this year.
On January 22, 2009, the Fairfax County school board voted to change the current six-point grading scale to a 10-point grading scale. Under the old scale, an A would be any grade from 94 to 100. Using the new scale, an A would be a grade between 90 and 100; this scale is used in most other area counties including Arlington. The provision would also change the weights of AP/IB and honors classes to one point and half a point, respectively. This new weighting for AP/IB will be retroactive – that is, all AP/IB classes taken throughout any student’s high school career will be bumped up by a point. The scale change won’t take effect until September.
Although the FAIRGRADE ruling has its benefits, I am not completely sold on the new scale. What the scale will lead to, I believe, is grade inflation. Already, this dramatic increase in grades can be seen in my own GPA and only the weights have been changed. This new scale would only shift the entire student grade spectrum; instead of students with GPAs ranging from 3.6 to 3.9, for example, students would have GPAs between 4.1 and 4.4. By shifting the scale in this manner, I think that FCPS will be avoiding the real issue: there are more and more competitive students vying for the same number of college and scholarship opportunities.
Although I applaud FAIRGRADE for their gargantuan efforts in effectively coming together to enact a change, I’m not sure if this new scale will live up to the hype of providing students more opportunities. Like I said before, there are an ever increasing number of qualified students applying to college and scholarships.
A student’s GPA is only one of the many different factors (including rigor of classes, SAT scores, extra-curricular activities, service, and honors) that these institutions take into account while making their decision.
Moreover, because there is no uniform grading scale anyway, schools and scholarship suppliers always have to consider this discrepancy anyway. Besides, while GPA is a good way to show your dedication to academics, in the end it is only one element -- nothing more than just one number in your entire profile. To display your true merit to colleges and scholarship programs, you need to transcend this number and illustrate that you’re a passionate, well-rounded individual that deserves their attention.
Some Background
The FAIRGRADE ruling was based upon a largely parent-driven, grassroots effort to change the old grading scale to one that was more utilized throughout the country. According to FAIRGRADE’s website, the old grading scale limited scholarship opportunities to the county’s students and hurt them in the college decisions process. Using comparisons with neighboring counties and college admissions statistics, the group concluded that the six-point grading scale was indeed negatively affecting FCPS students and a change would be advantageous. Although Jack Dale, the FCPS Superintendent, recommended only changing the weights, the school board voted unanimously to completely change the scale.
