Texas and GPA Issues

According to the Education Week, Texas is considering creating a uniform GPA formula for schools across the state. According to the article, "The proposal would require schools to compute GPAs by including only courses in English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and foreign languages. Grade point averages would have to be calculated on a four-point scale, with an extra point given only for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and dual-enrollment courses, which can permit college credit." The point of all of this is to help make standards for admissions equal. However, many are complaining about this decision, feeling that students would no longer choose to take more rigorous courses since they do not positively affect their GPA. Most public schools in Texas and in Florida where I live provide students with extra quality points for honors courses. However, if these were removed then many, many students would choose to take the regular courses since their would be no incentive to take the honors courses. This is just a fact of life. Sure in a perfect world, students would choose to go with honors for their own edification. However, in our society today when students are given the option and not told which courses they must take, many would definitely go with the easiest route.

Looking at this from another perspective, the result of such a decision could be seen in a situation that occurred within my own extended family recently. A student who had attended an exclusive private school her entire life was getting ready to enter ninth grade. She decided not to continue with the private school which did not offer quality points for honors courses and instead change to the local public schools because they did. Her belief after speaking with admissions counselors for top notch universities was that the difference in bottom-line GPA could be the difference between getting in and not getting into their school. Since she has her sights on a college with strict admissions, she decided to hedge her bets and go to public school. This story is not meant as a judgment one way or another on her actions. However, the point is that even a very good student with her sights on an ivy league school makes decisions based on GPA. If she was offered the ability to take Economics or Honors Economics, both with the same bottom line result, she might very well take the easier course leaving her more time to study for the four AP courses in which she is currently enrolled.