See the new GPA & Rank Policy beginning with the Class of 2025 listed below
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GPA and Rank Policy Beginning with the Class of 2025
At the Dec. 17, 2020 Leander ISD Board of Trustees meeting, Board members approved changes to the method used to calculate weighted GPA and the reporting of class rank beginning with the class of 2025 (students entering grade nine in the 2021-2022 school year). The intent of the change is to allow students to select courses and pathways of study based on their individual interests and personal pathways of study.
A committee of Leander ISD students, parents, teachers, counselors, campus and district administrators, and board members met over the course of several months to review the current GPA and rank policy and make suggestions for changes. The three main themes which emerged from the committee meetings were:
- Student Choice
- Focus on the Whole Child
- Well Rounded Graduates
The intent of the new policy is to allow students to select courses and pathways of study based on their individual interests instead of selecting courses solely for the intended GPA boost.
The complete language to the change can be seen in Policy EIC (Local), but significant changes are highlighted below.
Courses Included in the Calculation of Weighted GPA
A student’s weighted GPA will be used to calculate class rank. Courses included in the calculation of the weighted GPA will be from the following areas:
- Up to eight semesters in English/language arts;
- Up to eight semesters in mathematics;
- Up to eight semesters in science;
- Up to eight semesters in social studies; and
- Up to four semesters in languages other than English (LOTE).
If a student completes more than the number of semesters listed within the five categories specified above, the student’s weighted GPA used for class rank shall be calculated using the student’s grades within each category with the highest grade point value. Courses are being reviewed and will be finalized in January 2021.
The district shall convert semester grades to grade points and shall calculate a weighted GPA in accordance with the following chart:
Level I, II & III Courses
Level I, II and III courses will be published annually in the Leander ISD High School Course Catalog. For the class of 2025, the following courses will be used to calculate the weighted GPA.
| Level III: 6.0 Scale | Level II: 5.5 Scale | Level I: 5.0 Scale |
| English | ||
| English III AP English III IB English IV AP English IV IB | English I Advanced English I QUEST English II Advanced English II QUEST | English I English II English III English IV |
| Math | ||
| Calculus AB AP Calculus BC AP Math: Analysis & Appr IB SL Math: Analysis & Appr IB HL Math: Application & Int IB SL Math: Application & Int IB HL Statistics AP | Algebra I Advanced Algebra II Advanced Geometry Advanced Pre-Calculus Advanced Pre-Calculus OnRamps Pre-Calculus IB Prep | Algebra I Algebra II Algebraic Reasoning College Prep Math Geometry Math Models Pre-Calculus Statistics |
| Science | ||
| Biology AP Biology IB SL Biology IB HL Chemistry AP Chemistry IB SL Chemistry IB HL Environmental Science AP Physics 1 AP Physics 2 AP Physics C: Mechanics AP Physics IB SL Physics IB HL | Biology Advanced Chemistry Advanced | Biology Chemistry Environmental Systems Earth & Space Science Integrated Physics and Chemistry Physics |
| Social Studies | ||
| European History AP History of the Americas IB Human Geography AP Macroeconomics AP Microeconomics AP Psychology AP Psychology IB U.S. Government AP U.S. History AP World History AP | Investigations in Psychology | An American Experience Economics New Testament Bible & Amer Civ Old Testament Bible & Amer Civ Personal Financial Literacy Psychology Sociology U.S. History U.S. Government, World Geography, World History |
| World Languages | ||
| Chinese IV AP French IV AP French IB SL French IB HL Latin IV AP Latin IB SL Latin IB HL Spanish IV AP Spanish V AP Spanish IB SL Spanish IB HL | Chinese II Advanced Chinese III Advanced French II Advanced French III Advanced French V Advanced Latin II Advanced Latin III Advanced Spanish II Advanced Spanish III Advanced | American Sign Language I, II, III, IV Chinese I, II, III, IV French I, II Latin I, II Spanish I, II, III |
The district shall convert semester grades to grade points and shall calculate a weighted GPA in accordance with the following chart:
| Grade/Percentage | Level III | Level II | Level I |
| 100 | 6 | 5.5 | 5 |
| 99 | 5.9 | 5.4 | 4.9 |
| 98 | 5.8 | 5.3 | 4.8 |
| 97 | 5.7 | 5.2 | 4.7 |
| 96 | 5.6 | 5.1 | 4.6 |
| 95 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 4.5 |
| 94 | 5.4 | 4.9 | 4.4 |
| 93 | 5.3 | 4.8 | 4.3 |
| 92 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 4.2 |
| 91 | 5.1 | 4.6 | 4.1 |
| 90 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| 89 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 3.9 |
| 88 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 3.8 |
| 87 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 3.7 |
| 86 | 4.6 | 4.1 | 3.6 |
| 85 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| 84 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.4 |
| 83 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.3 |
| 82 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.2 |
| 81 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.1 |
| 80 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 3.0 |
| 79 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 2.9 |
| 78 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 2.8 |
| 77 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 2.7 |
| 76 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 2.6 |
| 75 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 2.5 |
| 74 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 2.4 |
| 73 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 2.3 |
| 72 | 3.2 | 2.7 | 2.2 |
| 71 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 2.1 |
| 70 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 2.0 |
| Below 70 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
GPA and Rank Calculation Schedule
Cumulative GPA and rank in class shall be calculated and communicated to students as specified below:
- Grade 9: following the second semester grading period (June) of the academic year.
- Grade 10: following the second semester grading period (June) of the academic year.
- Grade 11: following the first semester grading period (January) and following the second semester grading period (June) of the academic year.
- Grade 12: following the first semester grading period (January) and the final class rank for seniors at the end of the fifth six-week grading period of the senior year; the average of the fourth and fifth six-week grades shall be used as the final semester grade for this purpose.
Reporting Class Rank
Class rank will only be reported for the top ten percent of each class. After each calculation period, students in the top ten percent will be told their exact class rank in accordance with administrative procedures.
The lowest weighted GPA of students in the top ten percent, the first quartile, the second quartile, and the third quartile shall be communicated to all students in the class after each calculation period. The district shall include on the official transcript of each student in the top ten percent the student’s specific numerical rank out of the specific total class size.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is GPA?
Grade Point Average (GPA) is a conversion of grades earned in high school into a single numerical average. In Leander ISD students receive an unweighted and weighted GPA.
- The unweighted GPA includes all courses taken in grades 9-12 on a 4.0 scale.
- The weighted GPA only includes certain courses (listed above) on a Level I, II and III scale.
- Level I courses are weighted on a 5.0 scale
- Level II courses are weighted on a 5.5 scale
- Level III courses are weighted on a 6.0 scale
Why do some students receive a class rank?
The state of Texas requires public schools to publish rank for the top 10 percent of students in each class. In Texas, students who are in the top 10 percent of their graduating class receive automatic admission to any public university or college in Texas, with the exception of The University of Texas. Although it can change for each graduating class, currently the University of Texas automatically admits students ranked in the top 6 percent of their class.
What if I am outside the top 10 percent?
Students who fall outside of the top 10 percent of their class will not receive a class rank. Students will be notified of the lowest weighted GPA of students in the top ten percent, the first quartile, the second quartile, and the third quartile.
Will this affect college applications?
As part of the committee work, Leander ISD staff contacted other school districts and institutions of higher education for feedback on the proposed policy changes. Other districts with similar policies reported no negative impacts to their students and their college applications. Universities will holistically review the student’s application for admission taking into consideration the courses available to the student as well as the courses the student completed. This information is available on the student transcript and the published school profile.
Why are advanced courses weighted differently than AP/IB?
Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses require a comprehensive, nationally recognized end of course exam. Based on the results of the exam, students have the potential to earn college credit.
While advanced level courses can be rigorous and prepare students for AP/IB level course work, they do not require a nationally recognized exam and do not have the potential to earn college credit.
Why not weight dual credit courses?
Excluding dual credit courses in the weighted GPA calculation was a difficult decision. Because these courses are not taught by a Leander ISD staff member and students only receive a final letter grade, the decision was made to exclude dual credit courses. The committee reviewed different weighting options and each scenario penalized students who took dual credit courses. Because one of the main goals of the committee was to promote student choice, the group believed including dual credit courses would have the potential to limit a student’s ability to create a personal academic plan of study.
