Changes to Copley High Grading Process Start Next Year

The grading process will change starting in the 2012-13 school year. School board members adopted the changes Wednesday night.

In February, high school Principal Cameron Ryba took a look at the way the students were being graded and determined it was best to make a change.

"The goal of this study was to update the current system of grading and academic recognition to one that is research-based, meets the current needs of our school and community," Ryba said. "As well as allow students to be competitive in terms of college acceptance and scholarship attainment in their post-secondary education in Ohio and across the country."

The following changes will begin in August:

• The grading scale will now use a seven-point range instead of a 10-point range between grades.
  A: 92-100
  B: 83-91
  C: 74-82
  D: 65-73
  F: 0-64
• Students enrolled in honors courses will receive a 0.5 bump in grade point average when they earn a passing grade in that class. Eligible classes include any course with "honors" or "pre-AP" in the course name, as well as Symphonic Band, Concert Chorale and Level IV foreign language classes. Right now there is no incentive to take these courses.
• When students get report cards or transcripts, they will only see percentages, not grades. The semester average on the report card and transcript will still be reported as a letter grade.
• The current system of determining class rank will stay the same, except a salutatorian will also be recognized with the valedictorian and the top 5 percent of seniors.

There will also be no more plus/minus grading, said Superintendent Brian Poe.

"A B+ is not as indicative to parents as a 91 percent would be," Poe said. "When they see that 91 percent, they will know their child was one percentage point away from an A."

Poe added that these changes will have an impact, but it will be for the better.

"It's going to be impactful but it's necessary to level the playing field," Poe said. "We're providing the clearest picture for colleges and universities of how successful our students are."