A weighted Grade Point Average (GPA) is a grade point average based on the grade a student received in a class and how difficult it was. A weighted GPA allows students to earn a GPA ranging between 0-5.0. Cascade High School operates on a traditional GPA, which is 0-4.0.
“[In my opinion,] you should reward the people who take harder classes, and other schools do it. It looks bad when our school does not. It rewards the students who take harder classes. It gives students encouragement to take harder courses,” said Mr. Massey, math and science teacher at CHS.
With a weighted GPA, a harder class has less chance of negatively impacting a student's GPA. There is a common misconception that if a student does poorly in a harder class, it will have a stronger negative affect on their GPA. When taking a harder class, with a weighted GPA, a low grade in a class does not affect the GPA as much as an unweighted GPA.
Having a weighted GPA would allow students taking difficult classes to achieve a 5.0. This is a better way for colleges and universities to recognize a student’s academic abilities in comparison with their peers. When applying to a school, the admissions can see whether the high school attended by a potential candidate had a weighted GPA. However, a weighted GPA shows how well a student did in harder classes. Without a weighted GPA, it shows how well a student did in all classes, whether the class was difficult or not.
Some people believe having an unweighted GPA is better because it shows how a student did in all their classes. Having a weighted GPA shows a school admissions officer how a student did in harder class.
Weighted GPAs show what a student learned on a report card or on a transcript.
Having a weighted GPA would allow high achieving students to compete with college prep schools who have also weighted GPAs.
Some universities will not look at an application under a certain grade point average. Having a weighted GPA would allow students to have a better chance at college acceptance and, in some cases, receive financial support with college.
“Unweighted GPAs, like our school has; are awful. They don't encourage students to try harder [in] classes, because if you do an AP, honors, or college class there is no benefit to your GPA. It should be if you get an “A” in those classes, a smart GPA system would make that more beneficial to you. But because we have an unweighted GPA, it's a punishment if you get an “A-” in those classes because it would lower your GPA,” explained Caden Peterson (11).
Many high achieving students believe that having a weighted GPA for taking harder classes is a benefit for them and their post-secondary school options.
Many teachers also believe that having a weighted GPA is beneficial for students.
“[In my opinion,] you should reward the people who take harder classes, and other schools do it. It looks bad when our school does not. It rewards the students who take harder classes. It gives students encouragement to take harder courses,” said Mr. Massey, math and science teacher at CHS.
Weighted GPAs give students more encouragement to take harder classes because it affects their GPA more.
In addition to a lack of a weighted GPA at Cascade, there is also an issue of grade inflation. At Cascade, to earn an “A” students must get 93.99% or above in a class. At other schools the threshold for an “A” is only 93%. Kodiak students must get an extra one percent to earn the same grade. Without a weighted GPA, having a grade under 93.99% at Cascade, students can only get a 3.9 GPA. With a weighted GPA, a grade under 93.99 (in a harder class) would not affect students’ grades as much as a low grade with an unweighted GPA.
Both students and teachers at CHS believe that having a weighted GPA would be a strong benefit to our school.