BETHPAGE HIGH SCHOOL GRADE POINT AVERAGE AND SELECTION OF THE VALEDICTORIAN AND SALUTATORIAN 

The Board of Education of the Bethpage Union Free School District has accepted the recommendation of the Site Based Committee to eliminate class ranking commencing with the Class of 2000, except for purposes of selecting the High School’s Senior Class Valedictorian and Salutatorian. The criteria listed below will be used to calculate student averages in the High School, and to determine the Valedictorian and Salutatorian. 

1. Grade Point Average is based on the weighted average of final grades in all courses in the academic areas of English, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science and World Languages, college and all AP courses. 

2. The grade weighting system was revised in 1987 by students, teachers and administrators to compensate for the varying difficulties in different levels of academic courses. Although the actual grades on the transcripts remain unchanged, the grade values are weighted according to the following formula: 

Advanced Placement (AP) Courses _______________________are factored by 1.15

Honors and College (H) Courses__________________________are factored by 1.10 

Regents (R) Courses ____________________________________are factored by 1.025

Non-Regents Courses ___________________________________are factored by 1.00

3. Although a weighted and unweighted average will be developed, only the weighted average will be entered on all official transcripts sent to colleges. 

4. The weighted average will be used for purposes of identifying the student with the highest overall average and the student with the second highest overall average in the Senior Class of the High School. 

5. The determination of which students possess the highest and second highest overall averages, will be made at the end of the 3rd marking period of the Senior year. 

6. A new entrant must have entered Bethpage High School at the start of his/her Sophomore year to be eligible to be the High School Senior Class Valedictorian or Salutatorian.