by Molly Schecter ‘27

As the country moves further away from the brief era of virtual learning during the covid pandemic, MCPS has rolled back county-wide grading policies that once offered students additional support. This year, semester grades depend solely on the average of the two quarter grades. This adjustment has made report cards accurately represent the grades that students are earning. This fix to semester grades prevents some students from unfairly getting the same grade for the semester as other students who consistently earned A’s on assignments for the entire semester and not just one quarter of it.

However, MCPS still has not corrected its outdated system for weighted grades in which honors classes get the same 5.0 weight as AP classes. This means that the most rigorous, fast-paced, and conceptually demanding AP classes influence a student’s GPA no more than a lower-level honors course. As a result, students who challenge themselves with advanced coursework risk earning lower grades that can bring down their weighted GPA, without receiving the proportional recognition that AP-level difficulty deserves.

It is unfair that students with schedules filled with high-level AP classes and all honors classes receive the same GPA as another student whose schedule is made up of honors-level courses. Workload, time commitment, and dedication should be accurately measured and represented in a student’s weighted GPA, especially because colleges consider weighted GPA during admissions.

MCPS could resolve this issue by assigning all AP classes a 5. weight, all honors classes a 4.5, and on-level classes a 4. This system is simple and straightforward and ensures that students’ weighted GPAs serve their purpose in representing how well a student is doing academically concerning rigor.
Many colleges and universities continue to implement the test-optional rule implemented after the Covid pandemic, allowing students to apply without submitting SAT or ACT scores. This policy allows colleges to accept and evaluate students based solely on their transcripts, grades, and GPAs. However, with unfair  GPAs that give the same weight to honors and AP classes, college admissions committees would have to dig deeply into students’ transcripts to see which courses students have taken to get an accurate picture of the level of rigor.

MCPS must continue to take strong measures to ensure that grading and county-wide policies favor fairness and challenge students into working hard by making changes to all aspects of the grading policies. These alterations will reward students for taking high-level classes and challenging themselves. Making the adjustment would also benefit students when applying to colleges and taking the next big step in their academic journey.