Honors and Awards

Superintendent Scholars

Link to full superintendent scholar guidelines: HERE

The Superintendent Scholar award is one of the highest honors in the district and awards students a special white stole for graduation. Superintendent Scholars are awarded in the weeks before graduation and include students recognized as:

• • National Merit Semi-Finalists and Commended

  • FWISD Hispanic Scholars

  • FWISD African-American Scholars

  • AP Scholars

  • OnRamps Scholars

Graduation Cords

Graduation cords are given to graduating seniors during end-of-year awards ceremonies. Those include:

• Onramps Cord (Orange and Gold)- for any student who completed a UT OnRamps course at any time during their high school career.

• Gold Seal Program of Choice Cord (Gold) - given to students who graduated under a program of choice.

• Other club and organization cords - vary depending on the club or organization.

Academic Sweatshirt Award
The Academic Sweatshirt Award is awarded during the junior year and was created to acknowledge students who complete their sophomore year with a weighted GPA of 3.8 or higher. Students who earn the Academic Sweatshirt Scholar distinction receive a special sweatshirt that features the school name, the academic banner, and the student’s monogram on the sleeve. These are generally awarded at a ceremony in December of 11th grade at no cost to the students.

Valedictorian and Salutatorian
The valedictorian and salutatorian are the eligible students with the highest and second-highest rankings, respectively, at the end of the fifth six-weeks grading period during their senior year. To be eligible for this recognition, a student must:

• • Have completed the Foundation Program with meeting the distinguished level of achievement;

  • Have completed 19 credits before the first day of the school year in which graduation requirements are completed; and

  • Have been continuously enrolled in the same high school in the district for the two school years immediately preceding graduation.

In case of a tie in either the weighted GPAs or the weighted numerical grade averages after calculation of the thousands place, the district shall recognize all students involved in the tie as sharing the honor and title.
Please note that once final grades are calculated, the rankings may have changed from those calculated at the end of the fifth six-weeks grading period. However, if this occurs, this will not change the awards.

Latin Honors
These graduation recognitions are awarded based on class rank, as follows:

• • Summa Cum Laude: the top highest 2 percent of the graduating class

  • Magna Cum Laude: the next highest 3 percent of the graduating class

  • Cum Laude: the next highest 5 percent of the graduating class