^^Pp just say W-L had 260 valedictorians (defined as over 4.0 gpa) in a class of about 500.
I’ve heard similarly about other top VA high schools.

I don't think this is true at ALL schools by far, but at certain schools?

My kid is at a wealthy public school outside of Richmond and in a specialty center within that school, and I would wager to bet around at least 1/3 of his class has a 4.0 or higher. I'm sure that 75% of the kids in his program do.

My kid currently has a weighted 4.42 GPA, and that's not bragging because I doubt he's even in the top 50 of his class. I don't think it's generally because of cheating (although I heard lots of rumors about cheating during online school), and I don't see that his classes are easy. Certainly not easier than I remember my classes being.

I think there is just a lot more pressure now, and I think parents--including myself--contribute to it because we're so freaked out about our kids getting into college. And obviously because honors classes, dual enrollment and APs increase the GPA. I think I took 2 AP classes in high school, back in the early 90s. And that wasn't weird. I might have taken a few more if I'd been good in science and math. There just weren't that many that were offered at my school. My kid will probably have taken 11 by the end of high school--and he did a dual enrollment for Econ, AND almost all of his other classes are honors classes, which are weighted higher too.

You know that most competitive colleges do use unweighted and have a second variable for rigor, right? This is because HS weighting metrics are very varied (and some don't weight at all) so this method is a common denominator. So they already do this.

This is what we've heard.

Anonymous wrote:I think there is some cheating, but my kid has to claw and fight for every "A" he gets and does not cheat--he has said that he catches other kids trying to look at his answers. He goes to a private school, if that matters-- although I think cheating happens everywhere.

He recently turned in a partner project where he did all the work and had to put his partner's name on the final result. I can verify that because he spent an entire weekend stressing/doing the whole thing. I told him "that's life-- you'll have all kinds of people who won't pull their weight, and you just need to learn who they and deal with it."

There is a lot of pressure placed on kids now-- I can imagine why they feel they must resort to cheating.

Group projects always have different levels of contribution to the final project and that is life. I am sure teachers intentionally pair weaker students with stronger for many of these projects..i would do the same. It is a learning opportunity all the way around.

I have seen parent march up to the school and demand that their snowflake be placed with other strong students. Very short sighted approach IMO.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most have OVER a 4.0. AP classes are weighted higher. W-L had 260+ valedictorians last year (in a class of 500ish). Valedictorian being anything over a 4.0.

Sorry to burst the bubble of the cheater posters.

They should use the unweighted GPA.

That is a terrible idea. That just discourages students from taking challenging courses so they can get high grades in easier levels.

You know that most competitive colleges do use unweighted and have a second variable for rigor, right?

This is because HS weighting metrics are very varied (and some don't weight at all) so this method is a common denominator.

So they already do this.

A second variable for rigor is the same as weighting difficult classes. I see no difference in weighting the classes before you send the application off to the admissions committee or if they do it after they get it.

I think there is some cheating, but my kid has to claw and fight for every "A" he gets and does not cheat--he has said that he catches other kids trying to look at his answers. He goes to a private school, if that matters-- although I think cheating happens everywhere.

He recently turned in a partner project where he did all the work and had to put his partner's name on the final result. I can verify that because he spent an entire weekend stressing/doing the whole thing. I told him "that's life-- you'll have all kinds of people who won't pull their weight, and you just need to learn who they and deal with it."

There is a lot of pressure placed on kids now-- I can imagine why they feel they must resort to cheating.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most have OVER a 4.0. AP classes are weighted higher. W-L had 260+ valedictorians last year (in a class of 500ish). Valedictorian being anything over a 4.0.

Sorry to burst the bubble of the cheater posters.

They should use the unweighted GPA.

That is a terrible idea. That just discourages students from taking challenging courses so they can get high grades in easier levels.

You know that most competitive colleges do use unweighted and have a second variable for rigor, right?

This is because HS weighting metrics are very varied (and some don't weight at all) so this method is a common denominator.

So they already do this.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most have OVER a 4.0. AP classes are weighted higher. W-L had 260+ valedictorians last year (in a class of 500ish). Valedictorian being anything over a 4.0.

Sorry to burst the bubble of the cheater posters.

They should use the unweighted GPA.

That is a terrible idea. That just discourages students from taking challenging courses so they can get high grades in easier levels.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It’s because they’re cheating.

My class has scores 20% above what they were before COVID. I thought the cheating would get better when we returned but the kids are still using their group chats. I’m not allowed to take their phones away and the administration doesn’t back me up when I catch them cheating.

- Teacher

This is so unfair to kids who don’t cheat. My son has a difficult science class first period and kids are take screenshots or pictures of the exam during the test. Then they are sharing them with kids who have the class later in the day. My son has been pressured to do the same but refuses. He lost a friend over it who wanted him to get the test question and his friend who give him the math questions since that kid had math earlier in the day. How are teachers not realizing the class average is increasing as the day progresses?

Why would kids help others cheat? I don't get this. The other kids in their grade are their direct competition for college admits. Cheating really harms the ones supplying the test/answers.

Because so many kids are cheating! They feel like if they don’t cheat, they won’t do as well. Kids are making arrangements like I will help you and you help me so we both benefit.

My DD’s school does not have 50% straight As. Not even close. And this is MCPS. 13% have a 4.51 weighted or above. With so many classes being at least honors, straight As would usually be a 4.7 or above.

Such a tempest in a teapot!

All of you so angry because you believe that adcoms won't be able to distinguish all those underserving 4.0s from your truly gifted and deserving child!

Guess what? They can still tell who they want to admit and they are going to admit those kids. And if they are rejected you will never know why and if they are admitted you will only know why if they demand access to the file once enrolled.

So let it go.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most have OVER a 4.0. AP classes are weighted higher. W-L had 260+ valedictorians last year (in a class of 500ish). Valedictorian being anything over a 4.0.

Sorry to burst the bubble of the cheater posters.

Is this true? Good grief.

Well they still could have cheated…
And I thought Valedictorian was an individual with highest GPA - 1 person?

That is the typical way the title is used but the school can make it want they want I suppose. But it does not mean much if they slap it on half the graduating class.

Yes but who will know they use this non common definition?

Well, regional college admissions reps know for one. They know these large high schools in their territory very, very well. They know that valedictorian at high school A means something and the title at high school B means nothing because it's given to 40% of the graduating class.

Can anyone claiming that vast proportions of schools have students with 4.0s name even a single school that does this?

See the study above

Anonymous wrote:Most have OVER a 4.0. AP classes are weighted higher. W-L had 260+ valedictorians last year (in a class of 500ish). Valedictorian being anything over a 4.0.

Sorry to burst the bubble of the cheater posters.

They should use the unweighted GPA.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It’s because they’re cheating.

My class has scores 20% above what they were before COVID. I thought the cheating would get better when we returned but the kids are still using their group chats. I’m not allowed to take their phones away and the administration doesn’t back me up when I catch them cheating.

- Teacher

This is so unfair to kids who don’t cheat. My son has a difficult science class first period and kids are take screenshots or pictures of the exam during the test. Then they are sharing them with kids who have the class later in the day. My son has been pressured to do the same but refuses. He lost a friend over it who wanted him to get the test question and his friend who give him the math questions since that kid had math earlier in the day. How are teachers not realizing the class average is increasing as the day progresses?

Some improvement over the course of the day is inevitable. Teens are biologically more likely to be night owls, so first period is just rougher for them (on average). Also, my teaching improves over the course of the day because I adapt to what worked or didn't work in earlier classes and can better anticipate questions or difficulty students may have with specific concepts.

This is why standardized testing is so important….it provides and objective assessment of intellect. Only the dumbs oppose them.