To determine GPA for graduation, grade points shall be assigned to courses in grades 9–12 according to the level of the course. The levels of courses shall be Advanced Placement (AP)/International Baccalaureate (IB), Honors, Regular, Modified, Applied/Fundamental, and Basic/Developmental.

• AP/IB courses are nationally/internationally recognized for their advanced level of curriculum. Students may have the potential to earn college credit for these courses. District courses in this category, and grade points assigned, are listed in EIC(EXHIBIT).
• Pre-AP and Pre-IB/Honors courses are those courses in which the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are extended and enriched, resulting in an academically rigorous curriculum.
• Regular courses are those courses that provide a challenging curriculum in a variety of offerings based on TEKS.
• Modified courses are those courses in which a student receives a modification to the essential knowledge and skills. This designation denotes a special education grade. A student may receive modifications in a course through an individualized education program (IEP) that is developed through deliberations of the admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee.
• Applied/Fundamental courses are those courses that have more significant modifications to the essential knowledge and skills and have been determined by the ARD committee to be appropriate for the student.
• Basic/Developmental courses are those courses that are taught at the prerequisite level and have been determined by the ARD committee to be appropriate for the student.

 Grade points for grades 9–12 shall be assigned according to the chart below:

Numerical Grade	AP/IB *	Pre-IB / Honors*	Regular	Modified	Applied / Fundamental / Basic / Developmental
97 and Above	5.0	4.5	4.0	3.5	2.5
93–96	4.8	4.3	3.8	3.3	2.3
90–92	4.6	4.1	3.6	3.1	2.1
87–89	4.4	3.9	3.4	2.9	1.9
83–86	4.2	3.7	3.2	2.7	1.7
80–82	4.0	3.5	3.0	2.5	1.5
77–79	3.8	3.3	2.8	2.3	1.3
73–76	3.6	3.1	2.6	2.1	1.1
71–72	3.4	2.9	2.4	1.9	1.0
70	3.0	2.5	2.0	1.5	1.0
Below 70	0	0	0	0	0

* See Identified Courses Below.  

All students receive a cumulative GPA.  To calculate a cumulative GPA, you include final semester grades from all credit-earning courses. 

Beginning with students entering grade 9 in the 2019–20 school year, the calculation of the student's cumulative GPA shall include grades earned in all courses taken for high school credit except in the following:

• student aide;
• independent study;
• correspondence courses;
• online courses;
• Academic Decathlon;
• summer school programs;
• courses taken for no credit;
• college courses (with the exception of courses in the Plano ISD/Collin College Dual Credit Program);
• advanced college courses not offered in the District curriculum course offerings; and through credit by examination.

[See exceptions for Plano Academy High School, below]

In order to receive weighted credit for a Distinguished or Honors level course, a student must be enrolled in the course at the beginning of the semester.

Yes, the all-inclusive cumulative GPA shall be calculated for all high school students and shall appear on student transcripts and will also be available in SchooLinks.

 

 

The ranking GPA is internally calculated solely for the purpose of determining the top 10% of a graduating class.  The ranking GPA will only be calculated and available for those students who are in the top 10% of their graduating class.  *Plano ISD Academy High School does not have a ranking GPA.

The ranking GPA will be calculated for the first time during the fall of a student’s 11th grade year. Only students in the top 10 percent shall have class rank recorded on student transcripts at these specified times:

In grade 11: Fall, February, and June;

and In grade 12: September, February, and following the third grading period.

Final senior rank shall be determined after the third nine-week grading period of the student’s senior year

A student's rank in class shall be determined according to the following:

1. Rank shall be determined after all grades are recorded.
2. Grades earned for all high school credit courses (except as noted below) shall be computed.
3. Final senior rank shall be determined after the third nine-week grading period of the student's senior year.

Determination of rank in class shall include all courses except the following:

• Student aide,
• Independent study,
• Correspondence courses,
• Online courses,
• Credit by examination (with or without prior instruction),
• Summer school programs abroad,
• Courses repeated for local credit,
• College courses (with the exception of courses in the Plano ISD/Collin College Concurrent Enrollment Program and advanced college courses not offered in the District curriculum course offerings).

[See exceptions for Plano Academy High School, below]

English

• English I or English I Honors or English I IH
• English II or English II Honors or English II IH  
• English III or English III Honors or English III Dc or AP English III (Includes American Studies) or IB English III
• English IV or English IV Honors or English IV Dc or AP English IV or IB English IV or Eng IV Substitutions*
• *Two Semesters of English 4 Substitution Courses Can Apply Only When Courses Are Used As a Substitution
• And Include: Literary Genres, Creative Writing, Research and Technical Writing, Oral Interpretation III
• Debate III, Independent Study in Speech, Independent Study in Journalism, Advanced Journalism
• Newspaper III, Journalism Yearbook III.

Mathematics

• Algebra I or Algebra I Honors or Algebra L IH
• Geometry or Geometry Honors or Geometry IH
• Math Models with Applications
• Algebra II or Algebra II Honors or Algebra II IH
• Advanced Quantitative Reasoning (AQR)
• Pre-calculus or Pre-calculus Honors or Pre-calculus Dc or Pre-calculus Ih or Ib Math Studies SL
• Ap Calculus Ab or Ap Calculus Bc or Ib Mathematics Analysis & Approaches SL or HL or IB
• Mathematics Applications & Interpretation SL or HL
• Statistics or Statistics DC
• AP Statistics
• AP Computer Science A or IB Computer Science HL
• Digital Electronics
• Accounting II Honors

Social Studies

• World Geography or World Geography Honors or AP Human Geography
• World History or World History Honors or AP World History (Includes Humanities)
• US History or US History DC or AP US History or IB History of the Americas (Includes American Studies)
• US Government or US Government Blended or US Government DC or AP   Government (Includes American Principles)
• Economics or Economics Blended or Economics DC or AP Economics Micro (Includes American Principles) or
• AP Economics Macro or Ib Economics SL/HL

Science 

• Biology or Biology Honors or Biology IH 
• Integrated Physics and Chemistry (IPC) 
• Chemistry or Chemistry Honors or Chemistry IH
• Physics or Physics Honors or IB Physics SL
• AP Biology + Advanced Bio Lab or IB Biology SL/HLor Biology DC
• AP Chemistry + Advanced Chem Lab or IB Chemistry SL/HL 
• AP Physics C* or AP Physics 1/2** or IB Physics HL
• AP Environmental Science or Ib Environmental Systems Sl Environmental Systems 
• Earth and Space Science 
• Anatomy and Physiology 
• Engineering Science 
• Food Science
• Forensic Science 
• Engineering Design/Prob Solving 
• *AP Physics C Is a One-year Course Consisting of Two Separate Semester Courses (AP Physics C Mechanics and AP Physics C Electricity and Magnetism)
•  **AP Physics 1/2 Is a One-year course Consisting of Two Separate Semester Courses (AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2)

Plano ISD has drafted a letter, which can be viewed here. Students can share this letter to explain the District’s policy to admissions officers. This provides an option for students and parents who would like to communicate about this as part of the admissions process.

Except as required by law, students at Plano Academy High School shall not receive a class rank. No weighted grade points shall be awarded for courses taken at the Plano Academy High School. Grade points shall be awarded at the end of each semester on a 4.0 scale as follows:

• A – 4.0
• B – 3.0
• C – 2.0
• F – 0.0