10-Point Grading Scale Review
Rockingham County Public Schools
Background
Present grading scale was adopted in 1986
Current
10-point
A= 94-100
B= 86-93
C= 78-85
D= 70-77
F= 69 and below
A= 90-100
B= 80-89
C= 70-79
D= 60-69
F= 59 and below
10-Point Grading Scale Review
 Fairfax County Schools Study
 Surveyed 104 colleges with 64 responses
 Spotsylvania County Schools Study
 Madison County Schools Study
Fairfax County Study Review
 10-point grading scale and letter grades
are the most common grading scales of
college applicant pools.
 Fifty-five (55) percent of colleges do not
recalculate GPAs.
Fairfax County Study Review
 Eighty-nine (89) percent of the respondent
colleges compare applicants to all other
students in the applicant pool.
 Colleges use a variety of methods to account
for different grading policies. However, when
evaluating candidates for merit scholarships
and honor programs, SAT scores and GPA
scores are the two most important factors.
Fairfax County Study Review
 Competition and rising higher education
costs have raised concern nationwide
about grading policies for college
admission, receipt of merit-based
scholarships, and placement in honors
programs.
Fairfax County Study Review
 At the local level, grading policies are
being reviewed. 75 out of 78 school
divisions that have reviewed their
grading policies made the decision to
change to a 10-point grading scale.
Fairfax County Study Review
 In FCPS the mean increase in GPA when
changing to a 10-point scale was 0.15;
the largest increase was among
students with GPAs in the 2.25 to 3.50
range, with a mean increase of 0.17.
Fairfax County Study Review
Previous grading scale
Adopted grading scale
A (94-100) = 4.0
A (93-100) = 4.0
A- (90-92) = 3.7
B+ (90-93) = 3.5
B (84-89) = 3.0
C+ (80-83) = 2.5
C (74-79) = 2.0
D+ (70-73) = 1.5
D (64-69) = 1.0
F (below 64 ) = 0.0
B+ (87-89) = 3.3
B (83-86) = 3.0
B- (80-82) = 2.7
C+ (77-79) = 2.3
C (73-76) = 2.0
C- (70-72) = 1.7
D+ (67-69) = 1.3
D (64-66) = 1.0
F (below 64) = 0.0
Fairfax County Study Review
 Higher standards have no significant
effect on educational attainment (i.e.,
high school graduation rates and
college attendance). However,
researchers found they have a negative
effect on graduation rates for Black
Americans and Hispanics. (Betts and
Grogger 2003)
Fairfax County Study Review
 School divisions have just begun to
implement the new grading policies and
data is not available associated with the
results of revising the scales.
Spotsylvania County Schools Study
 Fifty merit-based scholarships were researched
and found that screening for most scholarships
is based on GPA.
 The 10-point grading scale will allow students
to earn a higher GPA, increasing the
opportunity for scholarship eligibility.
Spotsylvania County Schools Study
 Data is not available to empirically
determine if changing the grading scale has
a positive effect on college
acceptance, decrease in failure rate,
increase in graduation rate, etc.
Madison County Schools Study
 20 colleges surveyed indicated that GPA
was the single most important factor in
their admissions policy, followed by class
rank and SAT scores.
School districts recently adopting 10-point scale
Chesapeake
Virginia Beach
Norfolk
Manassas
Manassas Park
Montgomery
Albemarle
Prince William
Orange
Williamsburg/
James City
Madison
Fairfax
Arlington
Loudoun
Warren
Pulaski
Fauquier/Surry Co.
Alexandria
Frederick
Falls Church
Buena Vista
Lee Co.
Charlottesville
Poquoson
Spotsylvania
Stafford
King George
Greene County
Portsmouth
Suffolk
Student Samples
Private School Grading Scales
SCHOOL
A
B
C
D
F
Covenant School
Charlottesville
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
0-59
Episcopal
Alexandria
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
0-59
Fredericksburg
Academy
Fredericksburg
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
0-59
Hunter McQuire
Staunton
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
0-59
Miller School
Ivy
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
0-59
Randolph-Macon
Front Royal
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
0-59
Tandem Friends
Charlottesville
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
0-59
Wakefield
Wakefield
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
0-59
Woodberry Forrest
Orange
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
0-59
Blue Ridge School
St. George (Dyke)
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
0-59
North Cross
Roanoke
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
0-59
Grace Christian
Staunton
92-100
85-91
77-84
69-76
0-68
Benedictine
Richmond
93-100
85-92
77-84
70-76
0-69
Ridgeview
Christian
Stuarts Draft
93-100
85-92
75-84
65-74
0-64
Roanoke
Catholic
Roanoke
93-100
85-92
77-84
70-76
0-69
Collegiate
Richmond
93-100
84-92
75-83
70-74
0-69
Eastern
Mennonite
Harrisonburg
94-100
87-93
76-86
68-75
0-67
Fishburne
Waynesboro
94-100
86-93
78-85
70-77
0-69
Fork Union
Fork Union
95-100
88-94
81-87
75-80
0-74
Benefits of 10-Point Scale
 Equalize opportunities for our students with other school
divisions in Virginia and other states
 Align with grading scale used by most colleges
 Recognize more students through the Honor Roll
 Equalize all grading scales with Dual Enrollment classes and
Governor’s School classes
 Motivate students to attempt more rigorous courses
 Enhance opportunity of RCPS students to obtain merit
scholarships and honor program placement
 Reduce student failure rates
 Decrease drop-out rate
 Increase graduation rate
 Enhance student self-confidence and esteem