School Board to Consider Student Ranking Changes

Talks between the Hatboro-Horsham School Board and the district's teacher union are ongoing but no further action was taken at Monday night’s board meeting.

The board members did move on other policy changes, updating language in such policies as its immunization regulations and behavioral support rules.

Dennis Williams, principal of Hatboro-Horsham High School, presented the board with recommendations from a study that began in 2008 on class ranking and GPA calculations, which the board is expected to vote on this spring.

The study, spearheaded by personnel from the high school and Keith Valley Middle School, was conducted to determine the pros and cons of class ranking. The committee conducted focus groups with alumni, researched policies at schools throughout the region and interviewed students and parents.

The committee found that while the majority of students don’t think class rank negatively affects their academic performance, it does promote high competition and can be discouraging to students not in the top tiers. The panel also looked at admission practices at more than 100 colleges and universities throughout the nation, finding that the vast majority of institutions do not think students who are not ranked are at a disadvantage.

Williams presented the board with the committee’s final recommendation that the high school do away with numerical ranking and instead use a percentage system that will allow students to see what bracket they are in, but not the actual numerical order. The percentage would be listed on the student’s transcript but not report cards, although ranking would be maintained internally and given out if needed for academic scholarships.

School Superintendent Curtis Griffin said the district recently completed its special education audit, a process that required the cooperation of faculty, staff, teachers and students and which he said was “extremely intense,” but successful.

“We know that there are some areas for improvement, but I’m very pleased with the effort everyone put in,” he said.

Griffin noted that the winter weather has continued to plague the district and, pending any further winter storms, the board will eventually need to examine the school calendar to reschedule days missed because of snow. Currently, the academic year is scheduled to end June 16, and Griffin suggested several scheduled faculty in-service days planned in the next few months may be moved to the end of June so students can finish the year on schedule.