Posted on 05/29/2008 7:39:13 PM PDT by Lusis
Grapevine High School senior Anjali Datta holds the highest grade-point average of the 471 students graduating from Grapevine High School this year.
In fact, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD officials believe her GPA of 5.898 may be the highest in the high school's history.
It's still not enough to make her the valedictorian, which brings a one-year college scholarship from the state.
Her closest competitor's GPA is 5.64. No one disputes that she's the top student in her class numerically. The problem rests with another number entirely.
Anjali rocketed through high school in only three years.
But a school district policy states: "The valedictorian shall be the eligible student with the highest weighted grade-point average for four years of high school."
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
“the letter of the law brings death...”
And common sense has been thrown out the window!
GPA 5.898????? Talk about grade inflation!
In the real world, 4.0 was it, and very few (if any) achieved it.
Well, with the prospect that the 5.64 mom will sue so her child gets the scholarship, it’s pro’ly important that they look at the letter of the law. Chances are that both of the students will have plenty of scholarship offers but if mom #2 is already grumbling, common sense takes a back seat when lawyers enter the picture.
Call the two top students co-valedictorians. Problem solved...
I hate to say this but rules are rules, as stupid as some may be.
I think they should be bent in this instance though
Why have rules if their not to be followed.
i doubt very seriously that this person will every have to pay a dime for a damn good education.
With those kinds of grades she can pick and choose where she wants to go and what she wants major in.
The student will be in high demand so I do not feel sorry for her.
However, the school could make her an honorary covaldictorian.
isn’t this the same kind of stunt Harvard pulled on AlGore?
Looks like the golden opportunity for the ersatz valedictorian to do the right thing and step aside, bureaucrats be damned.
Happened to dh. Long term consequences - zero.
I guess thats what being a strict constructionist is with regards to school policy.
will every have s/b ever
i doubt s/b I doubt
wants major in s/b wants to major
I will now slither off to bed before writing more mistakes.
This is probably a student who took a large number of Advanced Placement (AP) courses, and those courses are weighted higher. For example, a student taking a second semester college level physics or calculus course should get more credit that a student taking algebra I and non-college prep physical science.
If they didn't weight the harder courses, you'd get higher grades by taking easier courses.
I’m not familiar with Grapevine’s grading schedule, but our local schools (Fairfax VA) add .5 to the grades for AP courses, thus a straight A student who has taken a number of AP classes will have a GPA above 4.0.
Fairfax for the past several years has also required students taking AP classes to take the AP exam to get that extra credit. Before that requirement, the scam was to take an AP class but not the exam so the student got the extra credit without having to prove s/he could actually pass an AP exam.
I can’t imagine how many AP classes would rack up a 5.898 here, tho.
If both Grapevine students took comparably rigorous courseloads, the school system’s 4 year v. 3 years excuse is pathetic.
Well, I don’t want to sound too much like bill clinton, but it depends what the meaning of “4 years” is.
It seems to me that if she succeeded in doing a full 4 years worth of work in just 3 years, that that should certainly qualify her for the scholarship. If she didn’t do the full amount of work, then why is she being graduated?
There’s some system gaming gong on here. The only way to get a GPA that high is by avoiding non-AP classes. PE, for example. By finishing in three years taking only the core classes needed to graduate, those non-AP classes can be skipped.
The rule is the rule. No need whining about it. I would rather cut a year off high school than win the silly prize, anyway.
clearly the intent was that the school work take not longer than 4 years.
3 years is better.
so, ok.
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