Starting next year, good grades in home economics or shop class will not mean as much for students in the Austin Independent School District. The school board Monday night voted to leave some classes out of the mix when they calculate class rank.
Starting with next year's freshman, only a certain number of courses will determine who's in the top 10 percent of the class. Under the new proposal, a student's rank would be determined based on the four core courses: English, Science, Social Studies and Math, as well as the two foreign languages that they take.
"The impetus behind this is, we heard from parents and students that the current system was unfair and it penalized some students who made choices to take classes like athletics or some other electives that are not weighted," said Christy Rome, AISD's Director of Policy Oversight.
District officials say the concern was not just over the ease or difficulty of the course but the opportunity to take a certain course. They say the new class rank rule helps to level the playing field.
"It provides also an incentive for students to take more rigorous classes, because before, when all classes counted towards that rank, you might not want to take that more advanced science ... but now, its an option for students and if you get a lower grade, it wont count against them. But if they get a higher grade, it could help their rank," said Rome.
Some parents at Monday's meeting applaud the district's effort.
"I have found that both of my children do better when they are challenged, so I like the idea of them having a little bit more of a challenge," said Genevieve Reames, the parent of an AISD student.
But others say the playing field won't truly be leveled because not all AISD schools are on equal footing academically.
"Some of the schools that do poorly, the top 10 percent is much lower than the top 10 percent of a school where all the kids get good grades, so it is really unfair," said Nikki Farkas, the parent of an AISD student.
For many students and their families, a high class ranking is the key to the college of their choice. Right now, a state law guarantees admission to in-state students in the top 10 percent of their class. That accounts for 80 percent of freshmen at the University of Texas. As of next year, though, Texas universities can cap those admissions at 75 percent.
