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Old Grading Scale
(prior to 2009-10)
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New Grading Scale
(2009-10 and thereafter)
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| |
Range
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Quality Pts.
|
Range
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Quality Pts.
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|
A+
|
98-100
|
4.5
|
98-100
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4.5
|
|
A
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94-97
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4.0
|
93-97
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4.25
|
|
A-
|
|
|
90-92
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4.0
|
|
B+
|
90-93
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3.5
|
87-89
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3.5
|
|
B
|
86-89
|
3.0
|
83-86
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3.25
|
|
B-
|
|
|
80-82
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3.0
|
|
C+
|
82-85
|
2.5
|
77-79
|
2.5
|
|
C
|
78-81
|
2.0
|
73-76
|
2.25
|
|
C-
|
|
|
70-72
|
2.0
|
|
D+
|
74-77
|
1.5
|
67-69
|
1.5
|
|
D
|
70-73
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1.0
|
63-66
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1.25
|
|
D-
|
|
|
60-62
|
1.0
|
|
F
|
0-69
|
0
|
0-59
|
0
|
 DEFINITION OF THE GRADING SCALE (see chart above):
- Each letter grade will consist of a 10-point range.
- Each letter grade will include a low, middle, and high grade.
- A plus (+) and a minus (-) will be assigned to the high and low end of each letter grade range.
WEIGHTING OF COLLEGE-LEVEL COURSES:
- College-level courses (AP, IB, and DE) will continue to carry an additional 1.0 quality point. Only those dual-enrollment academic core courses that are equivalent to two semesters of college credit will be awarded 1.0 quality points.
IMPACT ON GPAs:
- GPAs would include cumulative grades from both the present scale and the new 10 point scale for the next 4 years approximately. Students in the Class of 2010 will have 75% of their GPA calculated using the previous scale, and each succeeding class will be decreased by 25%. The school profile attached to each college application will include an explanation of these changes.
- Presently, the grades of transfer students are not converted to our grading scale and whatever grades are transferred from the previous school are used to calculate the student’s GPA. This practice will continue with the new grading scale.
- The new grading scale will be implemented starting the first day of the 2009-10 school year (not to include the 2009 summer school).
- Ninth graders in 2009-10 who have taken high school courses in middle school will receive grades based on the previous grade scale. In effect, these students’ GPAs will be largely based on the new 10 point grade scale, except those high school courses taken in middle school during the 2007-08 and 2008-09 school years.
IMPACT ON FIRST SEMESTER LOWEST GRADE:
- Regulation 3601 is changed to set the minimum grade for first semester at 50.
IMPACT ON STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS AND RECOGNITION (to be implemented with entering 9th grade class in Fall 2009):
- Each high school will set 3.8 as the minimum eligibility requirement for NHS which is an increase for most schools.
- The honor graduates GPA will be increased from 3.3 to 3.8, and the distinguished honors graduate GPA will be increased from 3.8 to 4.0.
- The GPA eligibility for Summa Cum Laude division-level recognition will increase from 4.0 to 4.25.
IMPACT ON SOL INCENTIVE PLAN:
The incentive that allows students who pass an SOL test and have an average between 65 and 69 to receive credit will be discontinued in 2009-10; however, the exam exemption incentive for those who pass an SOL test will continue.
TRANSCRIBING GRADES FOR TRANSFER STUDENTS:
Stafford County Public Schools recognizes that different school districts and different states utilize different grading scales. As students transfer to Stafford County Public Schools, official transcripts are requested from the sending school. Grades are transcribed for transfer students based on the letter grade earned at the previous school. This letter grade for the transfer student is used to calculate the grade point average based on the Stafford County Public Schools’ quality point scale that is applicable. Letter grades earned before the 2009-10 school year would use the quality point scale in effect at that time. For example, a student who earns an A during the 2008-09 at his previous school would be awarded 4.0 quality points using the old quality point scale; however, if that A is earned 2009-10 or thereafter, then 4.25 quality points would be awarded. It should be noted, that Stafford County Public Schools does not weight all courses. Transfer students will receive weighted credit for only those Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment or IB courses previously taken for which an equivalent weighted course is offered in our schools.
Grading Scale K-5
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Kindergarten
Standards-Based Grade Scale
|
Grades 1-5
Standards-Based Grade Scale
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*Grades 5
Traditional Grading Scale
|
|
M
|
=
|
Meets standards
|
|
P
|
=
|
Progressing
|
|
B
|
=
|
Beginning
|
|
|
4
|
=
|
Exceeds standards
|
|
3
|
=
|
Meets standards
|
|
2
|
=
|
Works toward standards
|
|
1
|
=
|
Performs below standards
|
|
|
A+
|
=
|
98 - 100
|
|
A
|
=
|
94 - 97
|
|
B+
|
=
|
90 - 93
|
|
B
|
=
|
86 - 89
|
|
C+
|
=
|
82 - 85
|
|
C
|
=
|
78 - 81
|
|
D+
|
=
|
74 - 77
|
|
D
|
=
|
70 - 73
|
|
F
|
=
|
69 and below
|
|
* Grade 5 Traditional Grading Scale only applies to Anthony Burns, Conway, Grafton Village, Moncure, Rockhill, Rocky Run, Widewater, and Winding Creek Elementary Schools for 2009-2010 school year.
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Please click here for information on the 4th and 5th Grade Standards-Based Report Card.jpg)
