UNIFORM GRADING POLICY
The State Board of Education adopted a uniform policy for South Carolina's public schools in December 1999. That policy, which applied to all students who first enrolled in the ninth grade in the 2000-01 school year, has now been revised. The particulars of the state's revised uniform grading policy are set forth in the information to follow.
The uniform grading scale and the system for calculating grade point averates (GPA's) and the class rank will be effective for all students. Recalculations will be limited to the use of the three-decimal-place conversion factors specified in the South Carolina uniform grading policy's grade point conversion chart. Increased quality points for dual credit courses and full credit for dual credit courses will not be figured into recalculations.
Grade Point Conversion Chart South Carolina Uniform Grading Scale Conversions |
Numerical Average | Letter Grade | College Prep | Honors | AP/IB/ Dual Credit |
100 | A | 4.875 | 5.375 | 5.875 |
99 | A | 4.750 | 5.250 | 5.750 |
98 | A | 4.625 | 5.125 | 5.625 |
97 | A | 4.500 | 5.000 | 5.500 |
96 | A | 4.375 | 4.875 | 5.375 |
95 | A | 4.250 | 4.750 | 5.250 |
94 | A | 4.125 | 4.625 | 5.125 |
93 | A | 4.000 | 4.500 | 5.000 |
92 | B | 3.875 | 4.375 | 4.875 |
91 | B | 3.750 | 4.250 | 4.750 |
90 | B | 3.625 | 4.125 | 4.625 |
89 | B | 3.500 | 4.000 | 4.500 |
88 | B | 3.375 | 3.875 | 4.375 |
87 | B | 3.250 | 3.750 | 4.250 |
86 | B | 3.125 | 3.625 | 4.125 |
85 | B | 3.000 | 3.500 | 4.000 |
84 | C | 2.875 | 3.375 | 3.875 |
83 | C | 2.750 | 3.250 | 3.750 |
82 | C | 2.625 | 3.125 | 3.625 |
81 | C | 2.500 | 3.000 | 3.500 |
80 | C | 2.375 | 2.875 | 3.375 |
79 | C | 2.250 | 2.750 | 3.250 |
78 | C | 2.125 | 2.625 | 3.125 |
77 | C | 2.000 | 2.500 | 3.000 |
76 | D | 1.875 | 2.375 | 2.875 |
75 | D | 1.750 | 2.250 | 2.750 |
74 | D | 1.625 | 2.125 | 2.625 |
73 | D | 1.500 | 2.000 | 2.500 |
72 | D | 1.375 | 1.875 | 2.375 |
71 | D | 1.250 | 1.750 | 2.250 |
70 | D | 1.125 | 1.625 | 2.125 |
69 | F | 1.000 | 1.500 | 2.000 |
68 | F | 0.875 | 1.375 | 1.875 |
67 | F | 0.750 | 1.250 | 1.750 |
66 | F | 0.625 | 1.125 | 1.625 |
65 | F | 0.500 | 1.000 | 1.500 |
64 | F | 0.375 | 0.875 | 1.375 |
63 | F | 0.250 | 0.750 | 1.250 |
62 | F | 0.125 | 0.652 | 1.125 |
0-61 | F | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
61 | FA | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
61 | WF | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
--- | WP | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
COMPUTING GRADE POINT AVERAGES
GPA's already earned by students will be recalculated on the basis of the revised policy's three-decimal-point scale. The following formula will be used to compute all GPA's:
sum(quality points x units)
GPA = ----------------------------------------
sum of units attempted
STUDENT EXAMPLE
Course Taken | Numerical Average | Quality Points | UNIT |
English I | 91 | 3.750 | 1 |
Algebra I | 87 | 3.250 | 1 |
Physical Science | 94 | 4.125 | 1 |
World Geography, Honors | 83 | 3.250 | 1 |
Physical Education | 92 | 3.875 | .5 |
French I | 84 | 2.875 | 1 |
COMPUTATION
Quality Points | | Units | | | |
3.750 | x | 1.0 | = | 3.750 | |
3.250 | x | 1.0 | = | 3.250 | |
4.125 | x | 1.0 | = | 4.125 | |
3.250 | x | 1.0 | = | 3.250 | |
3.875 | x | .5 | = | 1.9375 | |
2.875 | x | 1.0 | = | 2.875 | |
sum of units attempted | 5.5 | | 19.1875 | sum of quality points x units |
sum of quality points x units divided by sum of units attempted | 19.1875 / 5.5 = 3.488636 student's GPA |
Computations will not be rounded to a higher number.
The establishment of criteria for determining honors graduated, including the valedictorian or salutatorian, is a local decision. Local boards may establish earlier cutoffs (e.g., the seventh semester of high school, the third nine weeks of the senior year) when ranking students for any local purpose. However, class rank for LIFE Scholarships is determined at the conclusion of the spring semester of the senior year.
The uniform grading policy passed by the state legislation is provided above. Numerical breaks for letter grades, weightings for specified courses, and a conversion chart for computing grade point ratio are shown in the chart.