Class Rankings, Valedictorian, and Salutatorian

For the purposes of establishing class rank and determining valedictorian and salutatorian honors, the following definitions shall apply:

Grade Point Average (GPA): The numerically calculated average of all grades earned based on a 4‑point scale (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0) and the credit value of the course.

Quality Point: A multiplier used to recognize the more rigorous academic standards demanded by courses designed as Advanced Placement (AP), Advanced, or Honors (H). College Credit Plus courses in core subject areas may have AP or honors weighting.

Quality Point Average (QPA): The numerically calculated average of all grades earned based upon the grade point achieved on a 4-point scale, the use of any quality point multipliers, and the credit

For purposes of establishing class rank, the following procedures shall apply:

1. Grade point average and quality point average will be computed for all students using final grades for all courses on an ongoing basis.

2. Grades for honors, advanced, CCP, and/or AP courses shall be calculated to reflect the more rigorous academic standards demanded by such courses. Assigning quality points to the grades earned in the aforementioned courses as follows shall create the calculated factor:

A. The value of the grade in an honors/advanced course shall be multiplied by 1.1

B. The value of the grade in an AP or CCP course shall be multiplied by 1.2

C. The value of the grade for an honors/advanced course or an AP course, after being enhanced by the quality points calculation, shall be computed into a quality point average (QPA) for purposes of determining class rank. QPA is not used to determine Honor Roll.

3. To compute the grade point average, only courses for which credit counts toward graduation are to be considered.

4. Foreign exchange students shall not be considered in computing class rank and, therefore, will not be eligible for academic honors.

For purposes of determining valedictorian and salutatorian honors, the following procedures shall apply:

1. To be eligible for valedictorian or salutatorian honors, a student must be enrolled at NHS prior to, and continuously following, the tenth school day of the student’s senior year.

2. To compute the grade point average, only courses for which credit counts toward graduation are to be considered.

3. The valedictorian shall be the student with the highest grade point average as computed at the end of the eighth semester of the senior year. QPA will not affect this determination.

4. The salutatorian shall be the student with the second highest grade point average as computed at the end of the eighth semester of the senior year. QPA will not affect this determination.

5. For the purpose of identifying prospective valedictorians and salutatorians for the newspapers, television stations, valedictorian speeches at graduation, etc., we will be using the following procedure:

A. Final grades for all courses taken during the first seven semesters

B. All final third quarter grades of the senior year

C. The first semester and third quarter average of yearlong classes of the senior year

6. Foreign exchange students shall not be considered in computing class rank and, therefore, will not be eligible for these particular academic honors.