THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 1, 1996 TAG: 9602280156
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY VANEE VINES, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 92 lines
It's hard to let go of tradition.
At its retreat last weekend, the School Board embraced the custom of naming a senior class valedictorian and salutatorian while giving the nod to part of a recent proposal to honor more graduates.
Under the proposal, the district also would recognize the brightest students with summa cum laude, magna cum laude and cum laude labels - beginning next school year in all three high schools. The proposal had called for the district to ditch the naming of a valedictorian and salutatorian, however.
In their push to be named valedictorian or salutatorian, students often shy away from classes that carry less weight when grade-point averages are calculated, but classes that still help them become well-rounded, Superintendent Richard Trumble said, as one of his arguments for doing away with the two labels.
But several board members said eliminating the custom would not go over well in the community. At its March meeting, the board is expected to vote on the revised plan, which adds the three groupings and still keeps the valedictorian and salutatorian designations.
Administrators previously said one of the proposal's main goals was to find a way to recognize more academically talented students. The plan was crafted by a committee of educators, student representatives, parents and coaches - with a nudge from Trumble.
The two senior class graduates with the highest and second-highest grade-point averages traditionally are named valedictorian and salutatorian. In the past, seniors with a GPA of 3.0 or above also graduated with ``honor status.''
Board member Louise G. Walden, echoing a sentiment shared by several board members Saturday, said the district should embrace the old and some of the new.
The board came up with a combination platter of sorts. These are key parts of the revised plan:
The student with the highest GPA would be named valedictorian; the second-highest, salutatorian.
Grade-point averages ultimately would be rounded to one place. A 4.12 average, for example, would be rounded to 4.1; a 4.37 average would be rounded to 4.4. Two students with the same GPA after rounding would be co-valedictorians.
If the number five or above were in the hundredths column - before rounding - the GPA would be rounded up; if it were four or below, the GPA would be rounded down. Example: 3.44 would round to 3.4; 3.45 would round to 3.5.
Because some math systems call for numbers to be rounded up if the figure in the hundredths column is four or higher, the superintendent would make the final call if two students vying for valedictorian had nearly the same GPA before rounding and one of the averages had a four in the hundredths column, and the other a five. Example: 4.15 and 4.14.
Students graduating with a GPA above 4.00 would be named summa cum laude; 3.75 to 4.00, magna cum laude; 3.50 to 3.74, cum laude; 3.00 to 3.49, ``honor'' graduate.
A student could not expect to have his GPA rounded to meet the minimum GPA required for one of the groupings. A 2.99 GPA, for example, would not be rounded to a 3.0 to fall into the ``honor'' graduate category, the board said.
The system of assigning a class rank to each student, based on the GPA, would be maintained. The student with the highest GPA, for example, still would receive the rank of No. 1 in the class.
Another part of the committee's proposal called for the district to change parts of its grading scale. Doing so would level the playing field for scholarships and college admission, students and parents have said.
Portsmouth's grading scale, considered one of the region's toughest, now tops out with an A grade assigned for scores of 95 to 100. In other area districts, an A is assigned for minimum scores ranging from 90 to 94, for instance.
While the new grading scale would lower the bar for some grades, it still wouldn't perfectly match any of the nine scales the committee reviewed.
Several board members said they could live with the proposed change, which was crafted after the committee surveyed students, parents and educators; and also reviewed grading scales in surrounding districts. The board will consider the following changes at its March meeting:
An A would be assigned for scores of 94 to 100. Current grading scale: 95 to 100.
A B grade, 84 to 93. Current scale: 86 to 94.
A C grade, 74 to 83. Current: 76 to 85.
A D grade, 68 to 73. Current: 70 to 75.
An F grade, 67 and below. Current: 69 and below.
At the February meeting, the board delayed its decision on the committee's entire proposal.
KEYWORDS: PORTSMOUTH SCHOOL BOARD by CNB