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Magnolia ISD reviews proposed class‑ranking overhaul to include dual credit, shift to 100‑point scale
Summary
District leaders proposed replacing the existing 5/6‑point ranking system with a 100‑point scale and a four‑tier weighting structure that would include eligible dual credit and provide safeguards so electives do not hurt rank; the change would apply to the class of 2029 and be brought back for a July vote.
District leaders told the Magnolia ISD Board of Trustees they plan to recommend changes to class‑ranking policy (EIC local) that would move ranking calculations to a 100‑point scale, incorporate eligible dual credit courses and adopt a four‑tier course weight system. The board heard the proposal for review; trustees did not vote and staff said they plan to return with final policy language for a July vote.
Doctor Garza, presenting the proposal with Doctor King, said the current policy—established in 2013—uses two GPA scales (a six‑point scale for honors/advanced courses and a five‑point scale for regular courses) and excludes dual credit and certain other courses from ranking GPA. Garza summarized community input from a recent ThoughtExchange that showed parent priorities: include dual credit in ranking, provide extra weight to the most rigorous courses, and create a system that is easy to understand.
The proposed change would: move to a 100‑point ranking scale; create four tiers of courses (tier 1: regular courses, no additional points; tier 2: selected advanced/remediation dual credit courses, +3 points; tier 3: most dual credit and eligible AP/IB/UT OnRamps, +6 points; tier 4: AP/IB and certain advanced courses tied to IB diploma, +12 points); and limit ranking calculations to classes identified in those tiers so electives and CTE courses would not harm a student’s ranking GPA. Garza illustrated a sample junior schedule showing how tier adjustments would change a course’s ranking value and gave the example that a course graded 90 in a tier 4 course would become 102 for ranking purposes under the proposal.
Implementation and scope: district staff said the revision would apply to the incoming freshmen class of 2029 (current eighth graders). The change would not alter the overall transcript GPA; it would change the separate ranking GPA that determines class rank and recognition such as top 10% or highest‑ranking graduate. Staff said they will list tiers explicitly in the course catalog so students and families can see which courses count toward ranking and how many points are added.
Questions from trustees focused on practical effects: how the tier assignment will appear in the course catalog, whether current eighth graders will be able to change course requests, how CTE courses will be treated, and whether teachers were included in feedback. Garza and King said high‑school principals, associate principals and advanced academic deans were involved in drafting the proposal and that students entering ninth grade will be notified and given the opportunity to revise course selections under the new policy.
Next steps: staff asked trustees to review the draft policy and said they plan to bring a formal policy revision to the board in July to implement the change for the 2025–26 school year for the class of 2029. No board vote occurred during the meeting.
Ending: the proposed policy seeks to encourage dual credit and elective participation while preserving weighted recognition for rigorous coursework; trustees and staff will continue stakeholder communication before a July vote.
