Policy outlining standards to be incorporated into the electronically generated high school transcript

Policy Identification
Priority:  Globally Competitive Students
Category:  Miscellaneous Graduation Policies
Policy ID Number:  GCS-L-004

Policy Title: Policy outlining standards to be incorporated into the electronically generated high school transcript

Other Historical Information: Previous board dates: 12/01/1994, 09/13/2001, 02/05/2004, 07/01/2004, 11/04/2004,06/04/2009

NORTH CAROLINA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Policy Manual

This policy has been adopted by the NC State Board of Education, but is still pending codification in the NC administrative code. all codified rules may be accessed by going to the oah website.

The Department of Public Instruction shall develop a transcript system and the local school administrative units shall use that system to produce standardized transcripts in an automated format for applicants to higher education institutions. The standardized transcript shall include grade point average, class rank, end-of-course test scores, and uniform course information including course code, name, and units earned toward graduation, and credits earned for admission to an institution of higher education. The grade point average and class rank shall be calculated by a standard method to be devised by the institutions of higher education. The system was implemented by June 30, 1995.

SUMMARY OF STANDARDS FOR CALCULATING THE WEIGHTED GRADE POINT AVERAGE AND CLASS RANK OF NORTH CAROLINA PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL TRANSCRIPTS

The calculations are based on a standardization of: (1) academic course levels; (2) grading scales; and (3) the weighting of course grades. The class rank is based on a weighted grade point average in which a single (1) quality point or weight is added to passing grades earned in Advanced/Honors/Academically Gifted courses or two (2) quality points are added to passing grades earned in Advanced Placement courses.

Academic Course Levels and Associated Weights

Basic/Introduction to..../Standard(S)	Course content, pace and academic rigor follow standards specified by the North Carolina Standard Course of Study (N.C.S.C. O. S.) with occasional content enrichment where appropriate. This course provides credit toward a high school diploma and requires the end-of-course test where available.
Advanced/Honors/ Academically Gifted (H)	Course content, pace and academic rigor put high expectations on the student and surpass standards specified by the (N.C.S.C. O. S.) Such courses demand a greater independence and responsibility. The courses provide credit toward a high school diploma and require an end-of-course test where available. The state weighting system adds the equivalent of one quality point to the grade earned in such courses.
Advanced Placement (AP)	Course content, pace and academic rigor is college level as adopted by the College Board or the International Baccalaureate (IB) program and is geared to enable students to pass the AP or IB test. The course provides credit toward a high school diploma and, in cases where the AP/IB course is the first course taken by a student in a subject, an end-of-course test is required if one is offered in the subject. The state weighting system adds the equivalent of two quality points to the grade earned in the AP/IB course.

Grading Scales

High schools use one of two grading scales. – one standard and one augmented. The conversion of grades to quality points is standardized and made equivalent under each option. Implicit in each option is a conversion of percentage grades to letter grades according to the following widely used scale: 93-100=A; 85-92=B; 77-84=C; 70-76=D; ≤69=F. Grades and the corresponding number of quality points are shown below for each of the two options.

Standard Scale

Option 1 – for NC WISE Standard Scale Entry - Letter Grades without Pluses and Minuses:

A=4.0	B=3.0	C=2.0	D=1.0	F=0.0	WF=0.0
FF=0.0	WP=0.0	INC=0.0	AUD=0.0	P=0.0

Option 2 – for NC WISE Standard Scale Entry – Numeric Grades

93% - 100%= 4.0 865% - 92%=3.0 77% - 854%=2.0 70% - 76%=1.0 ≤69%=0.0

WF=0.0 FF=0.0 WP=0.0 INC=0.0 AUD=0.0 P=0.0

Augmented Scale

Option 1 -for NC WISE Augmented Scale Entry – Letter Grades with Pluses and Minuses

A+=4.000	A =4.000	A-=3.67	B+=3.333	B =3.000	B-+2.667	C+=2.333
C =2.000	C-=1.667	D+=1.333	D =1.000	D-=0.667	F =0	WF=0
FF=0.000	WP=0.000	INC=0.000	AUD=0.000	P=0.000

Option 2 -for NC WISE Augmented Scale Entry – Numeric Grades

96%-100%=4.000	91%=3.375	86%=2.750	81%=2.125	76%=1.500
95%=3.875	90%=3.250	85%=2.625	80%=2.000	75%=1.375
94%=3.750	89%=3.125	84%=2.500	79%=1.875	74%=1.250
93%=3.625	88%=3.000	83%=2.375	78%=1.750	73%=1.125
92%=3.500	87%=2.875	82%=2.250	77%=1.625	70-72%=1.000
				≤69%=0.000
FF=0.000	WF=0.000	WP=0.000	INC=0.000	AUD=0.000
P=0.000	F=0.000

Courses That Are Eligible for Weights

Courses eligible for weights include 9th grade (except Algebra I) and high-level courses that fall into one of the following seven categories:

1. Honors/AIG sections of standard level academic courses including NC Virtual Public School courses and on-line courses, that are in accordance with the philosophy, rubric, procedures, guidelines, and standards for curriculum, instruction and assessment, as described in the North Carolina Honors Course Implementation Guide. Such courses are assigned to category H (1 point); it is not necessary to have a standard level of a course to offer an honors level.

2. Pre-calculus (advanced mathematics 2070), non-AP/IB calculus, mathematics courses beyond the level of calculus, and foreign language courses beyond the second year level. Such courses are considered to be inherently advanced and are assigned to category H

(1 point);

3 Arts education courses that are in the third or fourth year course component of a numerical sequence of courses in any discipline area of arts education meeting the standards for music honors, dance honors, visual arts honors, and theatre arts honors (1 point);

4. All AP/IB and higher-level college courses (2 points).

5. Grades in community college courses that have been approved for the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA) will receive one quality point. This list includes courses that have been reviewed and approved for transfer by the Transfer Advisory Committee (TAC).

6. Independent colleges and universities and UNC campuses may also have any of the CAA courses (lower division courses typically taught in the freshman or sophomore year of college) taught by their colleges receive quality points in the same way as provided in #5 for the community colleges.

7. Project Lead the Way (PLTW) courses approved for college credit are eligible for AP weight.

Remedial courses are not eligible for weighting.

An honors review process is to be followed as outlined in the latest edition of the North Carolina Honors Course Implementation Guide.

NC Grading Scale – Elementary/Middle Schools

Elementary schools and middle schools are allowed to use grading systems approved by their local boards of education. It is recommended that local boards of education base their grading scales on the conceptual framework of a grading scale representing 93% -100% = A; 85% -92%=B; 77%-84%=C; 70%-76%=D; ≤69%=F.

Grades for Elementary/Middle Schools

S (Satisfactory) N (Needs Improvement) U (Unsatisfactory)

PR (Promoted) RE (Retained)