Explain GPA and weighted GPA to me.

[Anonymous]

Two students in the same class get all A's. Same exact courses, same school, same schedule. One has a higher weighted GPA than the other student. Is MCPS keeping track of the quality of grades?

In other words, is one A better than another A? Does the student with 97% who gets an A, scores higher than his classmate who got an A by getting 92%?

[Anonymous]

That can't happen. An A is a 4, a B is a 3, etc. Honors and AP are +1 point. No weighting for pluses and minuses. Did these same kids take classes that count for HS credit in middle school? Or take health or something else in summer school? There must be a difference somewhere if the GPA is different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That can't happen. An A is a 4, a B is a 3, etc. Honors and AP are +1 point. No weighting for pluses and minuses. Did these same kids take classes that count for HS credit in middle school? Or take health or something else in summer school? There must be a difference somewhere if the GPA is different.

Phew! Thanks for the clarification.

The two subjects that would have earned HS credits in MS were - foreign language and maths. Both kids took the same Math courses in MS that earned them HS credits - Algebra 1 and Hons Geometry. Not sure about FL though. If both took FL for three years then only FL -3 in 8th grade would have been Hons level. I know that some students are starting their FL in 9th grade and for the first two years, FL is not Hons. If one student started FL in 7th grade then they would be in FL - 3 by 9th grade and another student would have been in FL-4 by 9th grade, That would account for different weighted GPA.

Neither student took health in summer school. I heard that timing of when you take Health or Tech can actually lower or boost your weighted GPA.

[Anonymous]

How are magnet courses weighted? Are they weighted differently than AP and Hons? Who decides how they should be weighted? Is it MCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How are magnet courses weighted? Are they weighted differently than AP and Hons? Who decides how they should be weighted? Is it MCPS?

Magnet is the same as Honors and AP. I think magnet and AP should be higher than honors..but they did not ask me!