GF High School panel mulls pros & cons of ending GPA class ranking

By Gordon Woodworth, Chronicle News Editor

A “Class Rank Committee” made up of Glens Falls High School teachers, administrators and parents has met twice and will meet again on Monday, April 29, at 3:15 p.m. in the high school library to “explore the current practices at GFHS regarding Class rank,” according to meeting materials obtained by The Chronicle.

A PowerPoint presentation listed the “Committee Objectives,” that include:

• “To determine the pros and cons of our current system.
• “To explore if current and any newly proposed class rank practices align with our District mission.
• “To determine if any changes to current practices are warranted and how to best meet our obligation to all students, and
• “To decide a timeline and implementation strategy if changes to current practices are recommended.”

District, Board: No position taken

We reached out to Trent Clay, assistant superintendent for curriculum, via e-mail to talk about the committee’s work.

He replied, “Our High School Principal, Mrs. [Tammy] Silvernell, and I would be happy to meet with you at some point after our next scheduled meeting on this subject which is scheduled for April 29th.

“The district and our Board of Education has taken no position on the class rank discussion. We are simply trying to promote a community of learning through a book study and discussion based on Dr. Thomas Guskey’s book, “On Your Mark.”

 
“The context for our discussion and inquiry into this subject comes from our district efforts to improve student engagement and our graduation rate.

 
“Additional forces include the New York State Education Department’s initiatives around Social Emotional Learning to encourage safe, supportive school communities in which all young people are valued.”

We also e-mailed Superintendent Paul Jenkins, who said, “I haven’t been a part of the meetings so I don’t have any info to share with you…Once they gather info and have the discussions, they will come to me if there is going to be a decision for a change.”

The current procedures and practices, as spelled out in the PowerPoint presentation, are announcing class rank in the third marking period, rank is based on grade-point average for all courses except physical education, and all college-level courses get an extra 10% weight.

Additionally, “no student who has been at Glens Falls High School for fewer than four semesters can replace a student in the Top Ten.”

Study says college criteria shifting

The PowerPoint presentation cites a 2015 State of College Admissions report from the National Association of College Admission Counselors that said “79% of colleges cite the #1 reason for admission is the ‘grade in college prep courses and the strength of the program and curriculum’.”

It adds, “In 2017, Class Rank fell to 11th out of 18 factors colleges considered important to their decision for admitting students.”

The PowerPoint says the study found that “going back as far as 2006, colleges are placing less value each year on class rank (a reason high schools are moving from individual rank to methods like decile rank or achievement-based recognition).”

The PowerPoint presentation lists the pros and cons of “moving towards an achievement-based recognition system.”

The “pros” listed include:

• “Recognizes high-achieving students by a standard and not by comparison to each other.
• “Places emphasis on personal achievement and best results and allows students to more heavily focus on learning — this is an emerging trend with colleges and universities.
• “Students are not harmed by collaborating: ‘A rising tide raises all ships’ and harms none.
• “Has no limit on numbers for distinction level (e.g. no students just miss the Top 10). Any student who achieves a standard can be recognized with distinction.
• “Addresses concerns about intense mental/emotional pressure that comes with class rank competition,” and
• “Cuts down on students selecting or avoiding courses to raise class rank.”

The “cons” listed include:

• “A significant shift in traditional practices at Glens Falls
• “While this is a current educational trend being adopted by some schools, it requires colleges and scholarship committees to adjust to applicants who have a school that does not rank. This is already accommodated on many college applications
• “Will it decrease student motivation?”

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