NCSD Class Rank / Grading

High School (Kelly Walsh, Natrona County, & Midwest) Class Rank    (Administrative Regulation 6410 Updated August 2023)
Each semester, after the completion of the Spring Semester of a student’s junior year, class rank will be determined by NCSD’s weighted Grade Point Average (GPA). Students with a higher GPA will be ranked above those with a lower GPA. 

  1. Seven (7) credits per academic year (28 total) shall be considered in determining final class rank. 
  2. Approved courses qualified for high school graduation shall be weighted. Only weights for credits earned after the completion of a student's eighth grade year will be counted for ranking purposes. Any high school equivalent course being offered at middle school can receive high school transcript credit, however, high school equivalent courses taken in middle school will not count toward NCSD class rank at the high school level (See guidance from NCSD Standard Operating Procedure 6400) 
  3. Any replacement/repeat course will be credited to the year for which the original class was taken and the GPA for that year recalculated. Courses repeated for a higher or passing grade will only count one time toward class rank and credit, but will remain on the transcript and noted as a 'repeated' course. 
  4. Students who wish to pursue credits in excess of 7 per year and more than a 28 credit maximum may do so, but such courses shall not apply to class rank. The seven (7) credits which give the student the highest GPA for that year will be used for ranking computations. 
  5. Exceptions to credits earned and course weighting prior to ninth (9th) grade will be determined collaboratively by the high school head principals.

Alternative High School (Roosevelt) Class Rank
Roosevelt High School does not rank students using the GPA system. Faculty will select the "Most Outstanding" and "Most Improved" male and female seniors. Those identified students will be recognized at the graduation ceremonies. 

Purpose and method to determine Unweighted, NCSD weighted and Wyoming Hathaway Scholarship impacting class rank weighted grade point average
NCSD recognizes three different (3) systems for reporting grade point average (GPA) and grade weighting: 

  1. Unweighted GPA -A grade point average is a number representing the average value of the accumulated final grades earned in courses over time. 
  2. Wyoming Hathaway Scholarship grade weighting 
  3. NCSD weighted GPA - used for NCSD class rank 

Name

Purpose

Calculation

Scale

Unweighted GPA

Communicate performance on all courses qualified for high school that are completed

4.0 scale is used for all courses that assign letter grades

Regular Scale Unweighted
A = 4.0
B = 3.0
C = 2.0
D = 1.0
F / No Credit = 0.0

*Hathaway Weighted GPA

Communicate performance on all courses qualified for graduation (approved for Hathaway) towards attainment of Hathaway Scholarship levels

Per Wyoming Statute 21-16-1301 and WDE Chapter 38. Honors weight is given to all college courses 1000 level. 

 

AP/IB/Honors identification

Hathaway Scale
A = 5.0
B = 4.0
C = 3.0
D = 2.0
F / No Credit = 0.0

NCSD Weighted GPA

Communicate performance on all courses approved for graduation with rigorous courses weighted as honors or advanced. 

 

Determines class rank 

 

Student aide, advisory, or other .25 semester courses will not be calculated into any GPA formats. 

 

The GPA calculation shall not be rounded. Any digits after the thousandths place shall be dropped.

Regular, Advanced, and Honors courses are used for all courses that assign letter grades 

 

Regular, Advanced, Honors scales are used for 28 courses that assign letter grades (7 courses a year).

Regular Scale Unweighted see above.

Advanced Scale
A = 4.5
B = 3.5
C = 2.5
D = 1.5
F / No Credit = 0.0

Honors Scale
A = 5.0
B = 4.0
C = 3.0
D = 2.0
F / No Credit = 0.0

*Definition of Wyoming Hathaway Scholarship Grade Weighting for NCSD
Additional Wyoming reporting is required for all Wyoming students beginning with the class of 2018-19. In 2017 the Wyoming Legislative Session established a grade-weighting policy that accounts for the increased academic rigor of high school courses beginning in the 2018-19 school year. Districts will be required to use a 5.0 weighted Hathaway scale for all AP, IB, and +1000 level and above dual/concurrent courses for all students. Districts will also be required to display the weighted Hathaway GPA on all student transcripts for Hathaway Scholarship awarding purposes. 

Process for Determining Class Rank for Traditional High Schools
Class Rank is determined on the basis of grades earned in courses qualified for high school graduation, excluding any .25 semester courses. 

Courses that are academically rigorous are assigned advanced or honors designations and carry the greatest weights in determining class rank. All levels (regular, advanced, honors/advanced placement) and all letter grades (A-F) are utilized to determine class rank.

Student rankings will be calculated at the end of each Fall and Spring Semester beginning after the end of Spring Semester of the student’s junior year by calculating the GPA for up to seven (7)courses per year qualified for high school graduation. 

Course Substitutions for all NCSD High Schools
The head principal will approve all substitutions under the following circumstances:

  1. High School transfer credits may be substituted for class rank through the 7th Semester. Transfer classes taken to fulfill district graduation requirements must meet Wyoming Content and Performance Standards and NCSD Curriculum. The credit must be earned from an accredited institution.
  2. Students may substitute a high school correspondence course (NON-NCSD Online or Distance Education Course) for applicable graduation courses. Correspondence classes taken to fulfill district graduation requirements must meet Wyoming Content and Performance Standards and NCSD Curriculum and be pre-approved by the high school principal. The credit must be earned from an accredited institution. Correspondence classes will count toward a student's class rank GPA if a letter grade of A-F was earned. 
  3. Students transferring into our district or requesting correspondence course work with S/U grades will be given credit for those classes if the course qualified as a credit class from their previous school. However, the class will not count towards NCSD class rank GPA.
  4. Credit awarded may be adjusted to reflect the instructional time based on the quantity of minutes for each course.
  5. NCSD BOCES courses (Casper College dual or concurrent courses see NCSD SOP 6700-01) and other college/university courses will be weighted as identified through agreement of the NCSD high school principals (See NCSD Standard Operating Procedure 6200-02)
  6. All other extenuating circumstances may only be approved by the head principal

Honor Roll
PRINCIPAL’S HONOR ROLL—Students may earn the “Principal’s Honor Roll” designation by achieving a minimum 4.00 GPA for a nine-week grading period (semester at NCHS) and being enrolled in the minimum of 2.5 credits.

SCHOLASTIC HONOR ROLL—Students may earn the “Scholastic Honor Roll” designation by achieving a minimum 3.5—3.99 GPA for a nine-week grading period (semester at NCHS) and being enrolled in a minimum of 2.5 credits.

ACHIEVEMENT HONOR ROLL—Students may earn the “Achievement Honor Roll” designation by achieving a minimum 3.0—3.49 GPA for a nine-week grading period (semester at NCHS) and being enrolled in a minimum of 2.5 credits.

Grading System
A (Superior) 90-100
B (Above Average) 80-89
C (Average) 70-79
D (Below Average) 60-69
F (Failing) Below 60

National Honor Society Membership Qualifications

  • Must be in 10th-12th grade
  • 3.5 minimum cumulative grade point average
  • Recommendation of two faculty members
  • Participation in community service
  • 2 or more Advanced or Honors courses each year
  • Membership is determined by each school’s National Honor Society charter