FILE NO. IKC
GRADE POINT AVERAGE, VALEDICTORIAN AND SALUTATORIAN
Grade Point Average (GPA)
The Grade Point Average (GPA) will be determined by calculating averages from the
unweighted scale. All students will have a GPA to determine a grade point average (GPA),
Washington County Public Schools will use the unweighted scale: A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D =
1.0.
The GPA will be used to determine graduation honors for the senior class. Graduation
honors will be as follows: Summa Cum Laude (4.0); Magna Cum Laude (3.800-3.999); and
Cum Laude (3.500-3.799). Calculations will be carried out three decimal places. The GPA will
not be used to determine class rank.
Any Carnegie credit earned towards graduation in the 8th grade will be included in
calculating the student's GPA. Students who enroll in advanced placement and dual enrollment
classes, which have the potential to award college credit, will be graded on a ten-point grading
scale.
Students who complete an accepted high school math (high school Carnegie Credit), a
Foreign Language, and/or a social studies course in middle school earn one (1) Carnegie Credit
toward graduation for each course passed. State Board of Education regulations grant students
an option to omit from their transcript any of these grades, with the student "dropping" credit for
the course. This request must be made in writing on the appropriate form and must be made
prior to the end of the Fall Semester of the senior year. (See Chapter 131, Standards of
Accreditation, Virginia Department of Education, 8VAC-20-131.90).
At the beginning of each school year, principals will make parents and students aware of
the procedures used to determine GPA.
Valedictorian and Salutatorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the highest ranked student(s) within the
graduating class of each high school.
Salutatorian is the academic title conferred upon the second highest ranked student(s)
within the graduating class of each high school.
The following are the criteria for determining Valedictorian and Salutatorian standing:
A. Students Who Transfer:
1. Students who transfer within the Washington County Public School System will
not receive an advantage in Valedictorian/Salutatorian standing.
2. Students who transfer from outside the Washington County Public School
System must earn a minimum of eleven (11) credits from a Washington County
Public School to be included in Valedictorian/Salutatorian standing.
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FILE NO. IKC
GRADE POINT AVERAGE, VALEDICTORIAN AND SALUTATORIAN
3. In order to meet graduation requirements, a student who lacks no more than two
(2) Carnegie units for graduation may, with the principal’s prior approval, enroll in
a college as a full-time student and transfer back to the high school four (4)
Carnegie Units for an Advanced Studies diploma (24 semester hours). A student
taking advantage of this particular option is considered enrolled at the high
school and will be allowed to participate in senior activities, provided the
established criteria is met.
B. Course Load:
Students are required to take a class load that yields seven (7) or more academic
credits. Only the principal can recommend, and the Division Superintendent
approve, a class load of six (6) or fewer credits because of extreme hardship.
C. Graduation Speakers:
The principal and staff will determine the number of students who will speak at
graduation to include at least the top four (4) ranking students at the end of the
second semester of grade twelve.
D. The Class of 2010 – 2013:
1. The Valedictorian/Salutatorian selection process will begin when a student
earns a Carnegie unit given in the 9th grade as high school credit for the first
time and begins a sequential course of study toward graduation. .
2. Valedictorian/Salutatorian, standing is determined by the cumulative total of
academic points. The use of a cumulative total of academic points to
determine Valedictorian/Salutatorian standing encourages student enrollment
in eight (8) credit classes and the most challenging courses in the secondary
school curriculum.
3. All classes which are offered as a part of a school's secondary curriculum or
have approval from the principal as a transfer credit from an institution of
higher learning, shall be included when determining Valedictorian/Salutatorian
standing. Students may include a maximum of eight (8) credits per academic
year. If taking more than eight (8) classes, a student must state in writing by
the end of the first nine (9) weeks which class he/she intends to EXCLUDE
from quality points calculations.
4. Academic points are accumulated based on the final grade in each class, for a
potential total of 32 points each year.
5. Students may only accumulate the academic points that are available in the
secondary school from which they graduate.
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FILE NO. IKC
GRADE POINT AVERAGE, VALEDICTORIAN AND SALUTATORIAN
Academic points will be accumulated in the following manner:
a. Final class grade: A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1
b. Students who enroll in Advanced Placement (AP) classes
and take the AP National Examination will receive an
additional 1.00 point per Advanced Placement (AP) class
to their total academic points
c. Enrolling in a summer school class on any campus will not
allow a student to accumulate academic points toward
Valedictorian/Salutatorian standing.
E. The Class of 2014 and Beyond:
Valedictorian/Salutatorian standings will be determined by the following
criteria.
1. The student(s) with the highest GPA will be designated Valedictorian(s);
the student(s) with the second highest GPA will be designated
Salutatorian(s).
2. To be eligible for either designation, a student must have earned one of
the Advanced Studies Diploma(s) as defined by the Virginia Department
of Education and;
3. Student(s) must have completed 18 credit hours of college level
coursework earning a “C” or better and;
4. Twelve of the eighteen earned credit hours must be Advanced
Placement or Dual-Enrollment credit hours in courses that meet
graduation requirements in the areas of Math, English, Science or Social
Studies.
5. Advanced Placement courses will be valued as six hours of college
credit for Washington County Public Schools Valedictorian/Salutatorian
determination only.
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FILE NO. IKC
GRADE POINT AVERAGE, VALEDICTORIAN AND SALUTATORIAN
Requirements for Advanced Studies and Advanced Technical Diplomas
Beginning with the Graduating Class of 2014
as Per the Virginia Department of Education (July 2009 Approved).
Standard Units – Standard Units –
Discipline Area Revised Advanced Advanced Technical Verified Credits (Same
Studies Diploma Diploma for All)
English 4 4 2
Mathematics 4 4 2
Laboratory Science 4 4 2
History and Social 4 4 2
Sciences
Health & Physical 2 2
Education
Foreign Language 3 3
Fine Arts or CTE 1 1
Economics & 1 1
Personal Finance
CTE 3
Electives 3
Student Selected 1
Total 26 26 9
ADOPTED: November 24, 1986
REVISED: August 15, 1994 April 20,
REVISED: 1995
REVISED: March 17, 2003
REVISED: February 4, 2008
REVISED: December 7, 2009
REVISED: July 18, 2011
REVISED: September 19, 2011
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