Grading - Grade Scale, Weighting, GPA & Class Rank
100-point scale course grades correlate to letter grades. Final letter grades convert to a 4.0 GPA scale (revised starting Fall 2018). Prior to 2018-19, Honors and AP courses received +1.0 in the weighted GPA. Beginning 2018-19, Enriched (E), Honors (H) and Advanced Placement (AP) courses receive additional GPA weight according to the table below.
Grade point average (GPA) is calculated using the final grades in all courses completed. Un-weighted GPA includes grades in all courses - with no reflection of weight for any course. Weighted GPA includes grades for all courses – with reflections of weight for qualifying courses. As of 2018-19, qualifying courses include those with (E), Honors or AP titles.
While grades for remedial courses are included in the GPA, grades for new credit courses taken during summer school, through virtual schools or through a third party provider are not included. Transfer grades from other schools are converted into the Northern Valley grading scale and included where possible; otherwise, they are awarded P or F based on passing or failing status of each course. These do not calculate into the GPA. Official GPA is calculated at the conclusion of the 4th, 6th, 7th and 8th semesters. Final letter grades are converted to the 4.0 scale (see table).
Weighted values are added for grades earned in (E) level, Honors and Advanced Placement courses according to the table above. For example, a grade of ‘B’ earned in English 2 Honors is calculated as a 4.0 for GPA calculation purposes. '
In the 7th semester, the GPA values for courses in progress are multiplied by half of the potential credits. For example, a course bearing 1.0 potential credit has a credit value of .5 for GPA calculation purposes. Each eligible course’s GPA value is multiplied by the credits earned (half credits for courses in progress 7th semester) to determine quality points.
GPA value is the total quality points earned divided by the total credits attempted (half credits for courses in progress 7th semester).
GPA is reported to the thousandths place (X.XXX) after rounding from the ten-thousandths place. There is no further rounding.
Class Rank
The academic environment at Northern Valley is very challenging, and the majority of our students earn exemplary grades. Comparisons among students inherent in class rank unnecessarily increase competition among students. Further, we believe that our students' levels of achievement are not equitably or fully communicated by this single statistic.
Therefore, beginning with the class of 2017 Northern Valley no longer publishes class rank, percentile or decile.