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GRADING PROCEDURES MANUAL
South Carolina Uniform Grading Policy

South Carolina Uniform Grading Scale
All report cards and transcripts will use numerical grades for courses carrying Carnegie units. Grades in courses carrying Carnegie units will be converted according to the Grade Point Conversion Table. The table below shows numerical breaks for letter grades and the weighting of grades for specified courses.
 
Average Grade College Prep/
Tech Prep		 AAP Advanced Placement/
International Baccalaureate

100

A

 4.87 5.37 5.87
99 A 4.75 5.25 5.75
98 A 4.62 5.12 5.62
97 A 4.50 5.00 5.50
96 A 4.37 4.87 5.37
95 A 4.25 4.75 5.25
94 A 4.12 4.62 5.12
93 A 4.00 4.50 5.00
92 B 3.87 4.37 4.87
91 B 3.75 4.25 4.75
90 B 3.62 4.12 4.62
89 B 3.50 4.00 4.50
88 B 3.37 3.87 4.37
87 B 3.25 3.75 4.25
86 B 3.12 3.62 4.12
85 B 3.00 3.50 4.00
84 C 2.87 3.37 3.87
83 C 2.75 3.25 3.75
82 C 2.62 3.12 3.62
81 C 2.50 3.00 3.50
80 C 2.37 2.87 3.37
79 C 2.25 2.75 3.25
78 C 2.12 2.62 3.12
77 C 2.00 2.50 3.00
76 D 1.86 2.36 2.86
75 D 1.72 2.22 2.72
74 D 1.57 2.07 2.57
73 D 1.43 1.93 2.43
72 D 1.29 1.79 2.29
71 D 1.14 1.64 2.14
70 D 1.00 1.50 2.00
69 F 0.87 1.37 1.87
68 F 0.75 1.25 1.75
67 F 0.62 1.12 1.62
66 F 0.50 1.00 1.50
65 F 0.37 0.87 1.37
64 F 0.25 0.75 1.25
63 F 0.12 0.62 1.12
0-62 F 0.00 0.00 0.00
 
Conversion Process for Letter Grades
Following is the process for converting letter grades into a student's record. The conversion process is applied when transcripts are received with letter grades reported from out-of-state schools or from other than public schools or for converting letter grades used prior to 2000-2001.

Unless numerical averages are provided by the sending institution, the following conversion system will apply:  A = 96; B = 88; C = 80; D = 73; F = 65

Grades lower than 70 received from another school, but which are indicated as a passing grade from the sending institution, will be converted to a 73 numerical grade on the new scale.

A grade of "P" (passing) received from another school will be converted to a numerical designation based on information secured from the sending institution as to the approximate numerical value of "P". The receiving school will make the final determination regarding the conversion of a grade P into the uniform grading scale. 

If information is unavailable from the sending institution, the P will be converted to a 96 average, and an F will be converted to a 65 average.

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AAP/Pre- IB, AP/IB, and Dual Credit Courses
AAP or pre-IB courses are intended for students exhibiting superior abilities in the course content area. AAP or pre-IB courses should not encourage a student to graduate early, but should extend course opportunities at the high school level. Transcripts will reflect honors designation for any honors course (AAP or pre-IB) taken. 

The Grade Point Conversion Table on page 6 assigns a standard weight to college prep and tech prep. AAP, pre-IB, and dual credit courses receive an additional .5, and Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses receive an additional 1.0.

Dual credit courses, whether the course is taken at the school site or off campus, are defined as those courses for which the student has received permission from his/her home school to receive both Carnegie units and credit at another institution. No correspondence or internet-based courses can be given the .5 additional weighting. This applies to courses taken over the internet for dual credit courses. However, courses taken on the internet for advanced placement credit (e.g., APEX for AP courses) will receive a weight of 1.0.

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Determining Grade Point Ratio
The uniform grading scale and system for figuring grade point ratio (GPR) and class rank will apply to all courses carrying Carnegie units, including units earned at the middle school.

Grade point ratios will be figured uniformly in all schools using the following formula. Computations will not be rounded to a higher number.

GPR = sum (quality points x units)/sum of units attempted

Student A Grade Weighted GPR/Quality Points Unit
English I CP 91 3.75 1
Algebra I CP 87 3.25 1
Physical Science CP 94 4.12 1
World Geography Honors 83 3.25 1
Physical Education CP 92 3.87 1/2
French I CP 84 2.87 1
 

Computation:
3.75 X 1 = 3.75
3.25 X 1 = 3.25
4.12 X 1 = 4.12
3.25 X 1 = 3.25
3.87 X 1/2 = 1.935
2.87 X 1 = 2.87

Sum of quality points x units = 19.175

Sum of quality points x units 19.175 . 5.5 = 3.486363

Divided by sum of units attempted

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Class rank will be determined using the following procedures:

  1. Calculate the sum of quality points times units attempted just as in the example above for computing GPR (sum of quality points x units = 19.175).
  2. Students within a class will be ranked from highest to lowest using the results of the calculation.
  3. Carnegie unit bearing courses taken in middle school may be retaken in grade nine, and only the results of the ninth grade course will be used to calculate class rank. (See Retaking Courses on page 9.)

Additional District Procedures for Determining Class Rank

 

A. Class rank for the seniors graduating in the spring of 2001 (2000 - 2001 school year) will be figured using the system developed prior to full implementation of the SC Uniform Grading Policy.

B. All high schools will use the same procedure for ranking students.

C. Ranking of students will be completed as a report from OSIRIS.

D. The guidance counselors in each high school will be responsible for recording grade point ratio (GPR) and class ranks of students. Counselors will also be responsible for computing the averages and class ranks for students when computer rankings are not available.

E. Seniors will be ranked at the end of the first term (18 weeks on 4X4 schedule) of the senior year by OSIRIS for the purpose of transcripts, college admissions, and scholarship applications. Then guidance counselors will compute by hand the rank for seniors at the end of the year to determine top honor graduates.

F. The grade point ratio will be expressed as five decimal places. Ties will be left as ties.

G. Special Education students (self-contained or resource) who are working in the regular curriculum toward a high school diploma (as indicated on their IEP's) will be included in the ranking process. Students not working for a diploma will not be included.

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Withdrawal from Class
With the first day of enrollment as the baseline, students who withdraw from a course within 3 days in a 45-day course, 5 days in a 90-day course, or 10 days in a 180-day course will do so without penalty.

Students who withdraw from a course after the specified time of 3 days in a 45-day course, 5 days in a 90-day course, or 10 days in a 180-day course shall be assigned a WN, and a 62 will be calculated in the student's overall grade point average/ratio.

The 3-, 5-, and 10-day limitations for withdrawing from a course without penalty do not apply to course or course level changes initiated by the administration of a school.

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Retaking Courses
Students may retake courses to improve their grades:

  • Only courses in which a grade of a D or F was earned may be retaken.
  • The course in which a D or F was earned may only be retaken during the current academic year or no later than the next academic school year. Both the D or F earned and the grade earned in the retake will be figured into the overall grade point ratio.
  • The student's record will reflect all courses taken (including units earned at the middle school) and the grade earned with the following exceptions:

Students taking courses for a Carnegie unit prior to their 9th grade year may retake any such course during their 9th grade year. In this case, only the 9th grade retake grade will be used in figuring the student's GPR and only the 9th grade attempt will show on the transcript. This rule will apply whether the grade earned is higher or lower than the pre-ninth grade attempt.

All courses retaken to earn a higher grade prior to the 2000-2001 school year will be reflected on the transcript. The higher grade from only one of the two courses will be used in determining GPR and class rank.

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