Lincoln-Way West

Grading and GPA

 Report cards will be processed electronically. Along with this service will be the computing of academic indexing, honor roll. Parents can view grades online. There will be two reporting periods: End of First Semester and End of Second Semester. All grade reports will contain the total number of days absent. All grades will be automatically duplicated for permanent recording in the office.

A student’s GPA will be determined by a weighted system of one additional point for each Honors or Advanced Placement (AP) course completed with a C- or better.

GRADE POINT AVERAGE INDEXING

Lincoln-Way has established a system for indexing grades that affects the Grade Point Average (GPA) of students taking indexed courses. Generally, indexed courses are “Honors” and “Advanced Placement” (AP) courses. To initially enroll in one or more indexed courses the freshman year, incoming students must meet one or more of the following entrance criteria: (1) placement in approximately the top 20% of the incoming freshman class as measured by the appropriate portions of the PSAT 8/9 Test, or other appropriate standardized tests recognized by Lincoln-Way; (2) teacher recommendation; and (3) parental consent. Incoming students who do not otherwise qualify for an indexed course may initially enter with a parent/student waiver. An invitation to enroll in an indexed course may include qualifying requirements such as a written essay, portfolio, prognosis tests, and evidence of a high degree of self-motivation.

To benefit from the indexed grades, a student must earn a grade of C- or higher in an indexed designated course.

ACADEMIC AWARDS

 One of the highest academic honors that can be achieved at Lincoln-Way is a place on the quarterly or semester honor roll.

Based on full-time attendance, all students who earn 3.5 or above are granted high honors; students who earn a grade point average of 3.0 or above and below 3.5 are granted honors. Indexing does not affect semester GPA. The index is applied to cumulative GPA. The index does not affect work of one specific grade period, but of all cumulative grade periods.

All grades will be evaluated in proportion to the amount of credit given for the course.

At the conclusion of a student’s 7th semester:

Summa Cum Laude – GPA of 4.5 or above
Magna Cum Laude – GPA of 4.2-4.499
Cum Laude – GPA of 4.0-4.199

Indexed Courses

• AFJROTC: AFJROTC Honors
• Ag/IT: Welding 3 Honors
• ART: AP Studio Art – Drawing, AP Studio Art – 2D Design, AP Art History
• BUSINESS: Honors Accounting, AP Computer Science Principles
• ENGLISH: English I Honors, English II Honors, AP English Language, AP English Literature
• WORLD LANGUAGES: French 3 Honors, French 4 AP, German 3 Honors, German 4 AP, Spanish 3 Honors, Spanish 4 AP, Spanish 5 AP, Mandarin Chinese 3 Honors, AP Chinese Language & Culture
• MATHEMATICS: Algebra 1 Honors, Geometry Honors, Algebra 2 & Pre-Calculus Honors, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics, AP Computer Science
• MUSIC: AP Music Theory, Orchestra Honors, Wind Ensemble, Chorale
• SCIENCE: Biology Honors, Chemistry Honors, Physics Honors, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics 1 & 2, AP Environmental Science, Human Anatomy & Physiology Honors, Human Anatomy & Physiology Medical - Honors
• SOCIAL SCIENCE: World History and Geography Honors, AP U.S. History, AP Psychology, AP Government/Politics, AP Macroeconomics, AP European History, AP Comparative Government & Politics, and AP Human Geography

F Failing
I Withhold- Conditional
WP Withdrawn Without Penalty
WF Withdrawn Failing

“WP” and “I” grades are not figured in computing grade point averages.
“WF” grades are figured the same as an “F” grade when computing grade point averages.

Final grades are determined by one semester grading period, and the final exam grade. The percentages for each component of the final grade are;

a) Each Semester = 80%
b) Semester exam grade = 20%