Grading and Ranking

COURSE GRADING

A numerical average is used to determine and report marking period and final grades. Each marking period will count as 22.5% of the final grade for a full year course, and the final exam is worth 10% of the final grade. A floor grade of 50 is used for each marking period. Letters will no longer be reported, however, when necessary, BHS converts numerical grades to letters as follows:

Numerical Equivalent Grade

95-100 A+

90-94 A

85-89 B+

80-84 B

75-79 C+

70-74 C

65-69 D

50-64 F+

0-49 F

Numerical grades are not converted to letter grades for the purpose of grade reporting.   Final grades are based on numerical averages.

RANKING AND GRADE POINT AVERAGE

Students have a weighted grade point average based on a 4.0 scale. Students are ranked on the weighted grade point average using deciles. Grade points are generally the product of values assigned to a particular passing grade multiplied times the number of attempted credits in a course. All courses are included in GPA calculation, including electives, Phys Ed, and Health.

Note: Classes taken outside of BHS while enrolled at BHS are excluded from GPA calculations. Summer school and credit recovery classes are also excluded.

WEIGHTED GPA

Weighted Grade Point Average (GPA) is the total of the final grade points of all appropriate courses divided by the total potential credits. Only Weighted GPA is used for ranking. Weighted grade points are the product of the points assigned to an earned grade, the level of the course, and the number of credits. The grade point average is created by dividing the total number of grade points by the total number of attempted credits.

COURSE WEIGHTING FOR GPA

College Preparatory courses are used as the standard for grade points. Honors courses are weighted 12.5% more than College Prep, and AP courses are weighted 25% more than College Prep. Note that the grade points are weighted, not the grade in the course.

The following chart displays GPA values for all passing grades in College Prep, Honors, and AP courses:

ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT FOR GRADUATION

Students are required to sit for the NJ GPA exam in English/Language Arts and Math. Students who fail to meet a passing score on either or both sections may still be able to meet the graduation requirement with passing scores from other tests, such as SAT, PSAT, Accuplacer, and ASVAB. Please contact the school for the most current passing scores for these exams.

EXAMINATIONS ADMINISTERED AT BHS

In addition to the required NJSLA exams, optional examinations may be given at Bloomfield High School as a service and convenience to our students, but are not guaranteed to be offered in any given year. Students should check with counselors if they intend to take any of these exams. These include:

SAT Examinations (fall & spring)

PSAT/NMSQT Exam (fall)

Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)

Accuplacer

ACT

GRADE REPORTS

Parents and students are essentially required to create and use an account in our current student information system, PowerSchool. With this account, there is real time access to grades and attendance in all classes. Students and parents can check grades on a weekly basis or even more often using this account. Printed report cards are no longer issued. If you need help creating or accessing your account, please contact your school counselor, who can help with the account, as well as give information about student progress.

To access the login screen for PowerSchool accounts go to: https://bloomfieldnj.powerschool.com

Access to the parent and student portal is also available via the PowerSchool app. Please search the app store associated with your device. Directions for using the app can be found on the district website.

HONOR ROLL

The Honor Roll is designed to recognize students who have achieved academic status by superior performance in their course of study. Outstanding students are recognized by high honors, honors, or honorable mention depending on their grades for each marking period.

High Honors: Minimum of 5 courses with grades from 90-100, maximum one course not lower than 70

Honors: Minimum of 3 or 4 courses with grades from 90-100, maximum one course not lower than 70

Honorable Mention: Minimum of 5 courses with grades from 80-100, sixth course not lower than 70

Students must take at least five courses including Physical Education. Courses which do not meet five days each week are excluded from consideration. Work experience and time share grades may be doubled or tripled depending on the number of credits assigned to the course.

PROMOTION

To be considered promoted to the next grade level, students must complete the following number of credits:

Grade 9 Promotion from 8th Grade

Grade 10 Minimum of 30 Credits

Grade 11 Minimum of 60 Credits

Grade 12 Minimum of 80 Credits and a plan to complete all graduation requirements by the end of the year

SUMMER SCHOOL

Students who fail courses during the school year must have at least a 50 average in order to be eligible for summer school. Bloomfield High School will not accept credit from outside summer schools unless the student had at least a 50 average for the course at Bloomfield High School during the academic year. Students may enroll concurrently at a community college for a course while they are attending Bloomfield High School if they have acquired at least 90 credits at BHS.

In some cases, it is possible for students to take courses for initial credit during the summer. Students must seek approval from the appropriate subject supervisors prior to the end of the school year for courses in the following summer. The details of the approvals will vary, depending upon the course(s). Students must fully understand the requirements and be approved prior to applying to any summer school program, or else risk earning no credit for the course(s).