During the August board meeting meeting, the Sevier County Board of Education voted to adopt a high school grading system that features a weighted GPA along with the Latin Honors System beginning with the class of 2030 (this year’s ninth grade students). We believe that this will bring Sevier County Schools into alignment with other school districts across the state and offer our graduates a more equitable footing when competing for college admissions and scholarship opportunities.
The new weighted GPA allows students to earn up to 5.0 quality points (rather than the traditional 4.0) based on the rigor of the course they complete. Additional weight will be awarded as follows: Honors courses may earn up to 4.5 quality points; State and Local Dual Credit may earn up to 4.75 quality points; and Advanced Placement or Dual Enrollment may earn up to 5 quality points. The new weighted grading system encourages students to challenge themselves by enrolling in more rigorous coursework while knowing that the additional weight recognizes the increased academic demands of advanced courses and can help protect their GPA even when they earn less than an “A.” Teachers would also be encouraged to increase the rigor of their courses, providing stronger preparation for postsecondary education while recognizing that students can remain academically competitive without earning a perfect grade in every advanced course.
Paired with the weighted GPA, we are also adopting the Latin Honors System to recognize student achievement. Honors will be based primarily on weighted cumulative GPA, with graduates earning the following distinctions: Summa Cum Laude (Highest Honor) for 4.0 or higher; Magna Cum Laude (Great Honor) for 3.8-3.99; and Cum Laude (with Honor) for 3.6-3.79. This recognition will replace previous designations like valedictorian, salutatorian, top ten percent, or other honorifics based on class rank, recognizing the efforts of a broader range of high-achieving students while complementing the weighted GPA system and encouraging students to pursue rigorous coursework. We earnestly believe that Latin Honors will allow schools and parents to celebrate the accomplishments of even more students than are recognized under the current system.
