Class Rank Procedure

Proposal to Change the Class Ranking/Valedictorian and Salutatorian Selection for MPCHS.

Rationale for the Change:  Last spring it was discovered that our current selection method does not fairly award extra points to students that take AP coursework.  All students are awarded one extra grade point for each semester of AP coursework they complete.  The inequity came in when the point was divided by different numbers, depending on how many credits the student had earned.  Students with more credits earned less reward for completing AP courses than those with less credits.  We believe the proposed method of selection will address the issues of equity.

Proposal for approval:

1.        Using all of a student’s coursework (HS and college), a student’s GPA will be computed on a straight 4 point scale.  Then.021 will be added to their cumulative GPA for each semester of AP coursework completed.  College coursework would start being included for all work completed in the Spring semester of 2014 and beyond.

2.       The top ranked student would be the valedictorian and the second ranked student would be the salutatorian.  If a tie exists, the student with the highest cumulative ACT score would earn the position/rank.  If a tie still existed, both students would earn the honor.

3.       If one of the top two ranked students had a good conduct violation in high school they would not be allowed to speak at graduation.  In their place anyone in the top ten percent of the class that wished to give an address would be given the opportunity to write a speech and a faculty committee would choose which speech was given at graduation.

4.       This selection method will be used for the class of 2015 and beyond.