need help ...different grading scale used for outside class

[Guest CarolinaMom]

I am in the process of calculating GPA for my 9th grader. He took a class with an outside teacher and earned a 91.7 , which is a B by this teacher's grading scale. He also earned honors credit.

I have always used a different grading scale...90 - 100 being an A.

How do I put this on his transcript? Since it is only 9th grade, and I don't have other years calculated, I could switch my grading scale to the 93 - 100 being an A. But what if he takes another class that uses yet a different grading scale? Also, is the honors credit 5 points for an A, 4 points for a B....etc?

I realize I should stick with one grading scale for high school.

Which grading scale is used more?

 

Thanks

[LaJuana]

...on the transcript, you can report the grade by your standard, not that of the tutor or class. I always put my own grading standard below the class list so that it is clear how the letter grades were derived. You could also list the course scores by number rather than letter, and then use your grading scale to calculate GPA.

 

When you record information on the transcript, you can choose either to report GPA as "weighted" or as "unweighted." If you choose to report a weighted GPA, you may want to add one grade point for AP classes. Standards at colleges vary widely as to how to weight grades. One college one of my children applied to added one point for honors classes and two points for AP or IB classes. The varying methods of calculating weighted GPA is why I chose to report unweighted GPA on my children's transcripts. That way the colleges can change the scores to reflect their own method of calculating weighted GPA, which they will do automatically when they evaluate the student's application.

 

From everything I have read, the most common grading scale in private schools is the one you use, with A's being 90-100, etc. http://privateschool.about.com/od/tools/a/gradepolicies_3.htm

 

A+ 97-100

A 93-96

A- 90-92

B+ 87-89

B 83-86

B- 80-82

C+ 77-79

C 73-76

C- 70-72

D+ 67-69

D 63-66

D- 60-62

F Below 60

 

You can use the pluses and minuses to give more precision to the calculated GPA by assigning fractional points to represent them. So, an A- might be worth 3.8 points rather than 4.0 points, and a B+ might be worth 3.5 points rather than 3.0 points. (High schools and colleges vary in the fractional part of a point they assign for +'s and -'s, too.) So long as you indicate on your transcript how you have arrived at letter grades and GPA, you are free to do whatever is convenient for you and what you think best represents the work your student has completed.

 

When you are writing your student's transcript, you're in the driver's seat. The most important thing is to communicate clearly on the transcript your grading standards.

[mcconnellboys]

Every school is slightly different in their grading, so you really just have to pick a scale and stick with it, I think.

 

At the school my older son attends, this is how grading looks:

 

Regular classes - 93-100 is an A

Honors classes - 89-100 is an A

AP classes - 85-100 is an A

 

Additionally, they weight the GPA by granting something like 1.05 for Honors courses and 1.10 for AP courses (so an A would be 4.20 in an Honors course and 4.40 in an AP course).

 

Many colleges now recalculate GPA's to better level the playing field, so I'm not sure that weighting is really necessary when the college is going to "un-weight" the average before they consider it.....

[kpupg]

You could also list the course scores by number rather than letter, and then use your grading scale to calculate GPA.

 

<snip>

 

From everything I have read, the most common grading scale in private schools is the one you use, with A's being 90-100, etc.

 

Agree and agree. :)

 

The Catholic school my kids used to attend recorded percentages, not letter grades.

 

Also, I recently put in way too much time doing a survey of college and high school websites -- looking at grading scales. Very very very few of them were something other than 90+ for A, etc. It's a very solid accepted standard. :)

 

Karen

[Guest CarolinaMom]

Thanks. You are all so helpful. I think I will put the grade percentage on the transcript, but pick my own grading scale.

As far as weighted and unweighted, I have never dealt with honors before. It seems like recording in as unweighted would be easier because colleges may change it anyway. How do you put it on the transcript? Do you just make sure you have "honors " and "unweighted" written on it? That way a college can see that there was honors credit but extra GPA points were not given? So the unweighted part applies to the entire transcript?

Am I understanding this correctly?

Thank you.