How are middle school grades incorporated into the GPA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After each semester of high school, the school will issue a Student Grades and Graduation Credit Report (I think that’s what it’s called? SGGCR?), which is kind of a shorthand version of their current transcript. It usually shows up in the Documents area of ParentVue a few weeks after semester report cards are issued.

This document shows the current GPA (both weighted and unweighted) including the most recent semester, lists all the HS courses they’ve taken so far, and indicates which ones are weighted. It also shows the standardized tests required for graduation and notes which ones they’ve taken/still need to take, and also their progress on SSL hours.

The HS-level courses from middle school will be listed under the relevant subject area, and there’s a set of symbols that will indicate which ones are included in/excluded from that student’s GPA. It will also indicate whether the course is weighted. So (assuming they passed the class) the credit for those courses will always count toward graduation requirements, but each semester’s grade will only be included in the cumulative GPA if it doesn’t bring it down.

So my kid, for instance, had an A in algebra one semester, so that one counts for four points toward their GPA (MS Algebra 1 is unweighted). They had a B the second semester, which is not counted in their GPA because it would bring it down. If their HS grades had been lower, that B might be included in the GPA because it could help maintain or raise it.

Honors Geometry taken in 8th grade would be weighted (assuming the grade is included in a student’s GPA). My kid’s language classes from MS weren’t weighted, but you’d need to check your own kid’s SGGCR to find out about their particular HS-level courses.

(Sorry—I think I conflated the OP’s question with a different one—sounds like you already knew all this! But maybe it will help someone else.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After each semester of high school, the school will issue a Student Grades and Graduation Credit Report (I think that’s what it’s called? SGGCR?), which is kind of a shorthand version of their current transcript. It usually shows up in the Documents area of ParentVue a few weeks after semester report cards are issued.

This document shows the current GPA (both weighted and unweighted) including the most recent semester, lists all the HS courses they’ve taken so far, and indicates which ones are weighted. It also shows the standardized tests required for graduation and notes which ones they’ve taken/still need to take, and also their progress on SSL hours.

The HS-level courses from middle school will be listed under the relevant subject area, and there’s a set of symbols that will indicate which ones are included in/excluded from that student’s GPA. It will also indicate whether the course is weighted. So (assuming they passed the class) the credit for those courses will always count toward graduation requirements, but each semester’s grade will only be included in the cumulative GPA if it doesn’t bring it down.

So my kid, for instance, had an A in algebra one semester, so that one counts for four points toward their GPA (MS Algebra 1 is unweighted). They had a B the second semester, which is not counted in their GPA because it would bring it down. If their HS grades had been lower, that B might be included in the GPA because it could help maintain or raise it.

Honors Geometry taken in 8th grade would be weighted (assuming the grade is included in a student’s GPA). My kid’s language classes from MS weren’t weighted, but you’d need to check your own kid’s SGGCR to find out about their particular HS-level courses.

I don’t see these symbols on the document…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After each semester of high school, the school will issue a Student Grades and Graduation Credit Report (I think that’s what it’s called? SGGCR?), which is kind of a shorthand version of their current transcript. It usually shows up in the Documents area of ParentVue a few weeks after semester report cards are issued.

This document shows the current GPA (both weighted and unweighted) including the most recent semester, lists all the HS courses they’ve taken so far, and indicates which ones are weighted. It also shows the standardized tests required for graduation and notes which ones they’ve taken/still need to take, and also their progress on SSL hours.

The HS-level courses from middle school will be listed under the relevant subject area, and there’s a set of symbols that will indicate which ones are included in/excluded from that student’s GPA. It will also indicate whether the course is weighted. So (assuming they passed the class) the credit for those courses will always count toward graduation requirements, but each semester’s grade will only be included in the cumulative GPA if it doesn’t bring it down.

So my kid, for instance, had an A in algebra one semester, so that one counts for four points toward their GPA (MS Algebra 1 is unweighted). They had a B the second semester, which is not counted in their GPA because it would bring it down. If their HS grades had been lower, that B might be included in the GPA because it could help maintain or raise it.

Honors Geometry taken in 8th grade would be weighted (assuming the grade is included in a student’s GPA). My kid’s language classes from MS weren’t weighted, but you’d need to check your own kid’s SGGCR to find out about their particular HS-level courses.

I don’t see these symbols on the document…

DP. These are the symbols I can see:

(#): Grade at the time the course was dropped; no credit awarded.
(*): Course taken outside of MCPS
(^): COVID-19
(~) Course taken in middle school excluded from GPA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After each semester of high school, the school will issue a Student Grades and Graduation Credit Report (I think that’s what it’s called? SGGCR?), which is kind of a shorthand version of their current transcript. It usually shows up in the Documents area of ParentVue a few weeks after semester report cards are issued.

This document shows the current GPA (both weighted and unweighted) including the most recent semester, lists all the HS courses they’ve taken so far, and indicates which ones are weighted. It also shows the standardized tests required for graduation and notes which ones they’ve taken/still need to take, and also their progress on SSL hours.

The HS-level courses from middle school will be listed under the relevant subject area, and there’s a set of symbols that will indicate which ones are included in/excluded from that student’s GPA. It will also indicate whether the course is weighted. So (assuming they passed the class) the credit for those courses will always count toward graduation requirements, but each semester’s grade will only be included in the cumulative GPA if it doesn’t bring it down.

So my kid, for instance, had an A in algebra one semester, so that one counts for four points toward their GPA (MS Algebra 1 is unweighted). They had a B the second semester, which is not counted in their GPA because it would bring it down. If their HS grades had been lower, that B might be included in the GPA because it could help maintain or raise it.

Honors Geometry taken in 8th grade would be weighted (assuming the grade is included in a student’s GPA). My kid’s language classes from MS weren’t weighted, but you’d need to check your own kid’s SGGCR to find out about their particular HS-level courses.

I don’t see these symbols on the document…

DP. These are the symbols I can see:

(#): Grade at the time the course was dropped; no credit awarded.
(*): Course taken outside of MCPS
(^): COVID-19
(~) Course taken in middle school excluded from GPA

I see it now! I didn’t realize there were two legends in the document. Thanks so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was a change in policy a few years ago so I’m pretty sure that the class of 2023 and 2024 are under a different set of rules.

That change was simply that parents could ask for grades in HS classes taken during MS could be removed from the transcript if they didn't favor the student GPA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was a change in policy a few years ago so I’m pretty sure that the class of 2023 and 2024 are under a different set of rules.

That change was simply that parents could ask for grades in HS classes taken during MS could be removed from the transcript if they didn't favor the student GPA

No, "could be removed from the transcript" was never an option. The classes stay listed on the transcript no matter what. The grades are included in the GPA if they help, excluded if they hurt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was a change in policy a few years ago so I’m pretty sure that the class of 2023 and 2024 are under a different set of rules.

That change was simply that parents could ask for grades in HS classes taken during MS could be removed from the transcript if they didn't favor the student GPA

The ask was for the grades to be excluded from the GPA, but they stayed on the transcript regardless. I had to fill out the form for my class of 2025 kid for the first HS level class they took.

But after that, MCPS changed their policy, and figured those grades in whatever way best favored the GPA. I’ve only had to fill that form out once, that first time, so the change must have come between 7th and 8th. According to the transcript they’ve excluded a couple of my kid’s Bs in subsequent HS courses taken in MS, without me having to ask, but included the As.

Guess they realized everyone was doing that anyway, so they could save themselves a lot of time and energy and do it automatically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was a change in policy a few years ago so I’m pretty sure that the class of 2023 and 2024 are under a different set of rules.

That change was simply that parents could ask for grades in HS classes taken during MS could be removed from the transcript if they didn't favor the student GPA

No, "could be removed from the transcript" was never an option. The classes stay listed on the transcript no matter what. The grades are included in the GPA if they help, excluded if they hurt.

Yes, sorry, that's what I meant.

[Anonymous]

So let's say this is a straight A student. Would MS non-honor classes with A grade, by default included or not-included in GPA calculations?

[Anonymous]

I was told they're now included whether they help or hurt. This was by high school counselor during an IEP meeting for a class of 2027 kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was told they're now included whether they help or hurt. This was by high school counselor during an IEP meeting for a class of 2027 kid.

That's not true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was told they're now included whether they help or hurt. This was by high school counselor during an IEP meeting for a class of 2027 kid.

That's not true.

It's all very frustrating. I asked specifically about this in my kid's high school articulation meeting and we were told it goes into high school GPA in exact same way as any other grade earned while in high school (for good and bad).

[Anonymous]

This is the language in the MCPS regulation:

For students who entered Grade 6 during or after the 2016—2017
school year, the final grade and credit earned for high school courses
successfully completed while in middle school will be reported on
the high school transcript, but will not be calculated into the
cumulative GPA/WGPA, unless the grade earned improves the
student’s cumulative GPA/WGPA. If the course grade for a high
school course taken in middle school improves the student’s
cumulative GPA/WGPA, it will be applied automatically by MCPS.
Parents/guardians may opt out of the automatic calculation by
contacting the school counselor.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/ikcra.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they are high school credit classes taken in middle school, they are included on the transcript. The grades for those classes are only included in the GPA if they improve the average, otherwise they're excluded.

Did that change? Definitely wasn’t the case a few years ago. All HS grades in MS counted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they are high school credit classes taken in middle school, they are included on the transcript. The grades for those classes are only included in the GPA if they improve the average, otherwise they're excluded.

Did that change? Definitely wasn’t the case a few years ago. All HS grades in MS counted.

Yes, it was revised in 2022.