PSD counselors propose scrapping confusing 'adjusted' GPA and switching to weighted GPA with decile ranks; plan targets class of 2029

Poudre School District counselors presented a proposed change to the district’s GPA and class‑ranking system during the June 10 board meeting, saying current measures are inconsistent across schools and create stress and gamesmanship among students.

Presenters Jennifer Smela (Boltz Middle School), Chris Savage (Fossil Ridge High School) and the district’s counselor coordinator (Beth Green) described a years‑long counselor‑led effort to align transcript reporting. They recommended three primary changes to take effect for students who enter ninth grade in fall 2025 (the class of 2029): remove the district’s “adjusted cumulative GPA,” make a single fully weighted GPA (full point for qualifying AP/dual‑enrollment/IB credits) an official board policy, and replace the current exact position-based class rank (valedictorian/salutatorian) with decile ranking based on the weighted GPA.

Counselors said the “adjusted” GPA used in PSD has produced lower numeric GPAs than comparable weighted systems used in other districts and has created confusion for college admissions and scholarships. They argued that exact ranking incentivizes students to prioritize weighted courses for rank advantages and can limit students from taking coursework aligned to personal interests. Counselors cited student testimony (written by a Fossil Ridge student) describing mental‑health impacts, and reported outreach to selective colleges — Oberlin, West Point, University of Chicago and Brown — that counselors said indicated students would not be disadvantaged by decile or other non‑exact ranking systems.

Board members asked detailed implementation questions: timing, IT and transcript programming, whether to preserve Valedictorian/Salutatorian for several years while adding magna/summa-style recognition, and how to align grading practices and rubrics districtwide. Counselors and the superintendent said a phased approach is preferred to avoid disrupting students already midway through high‑school career tracks; the team proposed applying the change to the incoming freshman cohort and returning to the board in the fall with implementation specifics.

Key clarifying details presented: the proposal targets the class of 2029 for implementation; the district would keep an unweighted cumulative GPA on transcripts; the fully weighted GPA would become the official policy metric; class rank would move to deciles (top 10%, next 10%, etc.) rather than a single exact position; and individual schools would be asked to expand recognition (e.g., magna/summa or GPA cutoffs) to honor more high‑achieving students. Counselors also emphasized parallel work on equitable grading, common assessments and rubrics as future steps.

The item was presented as an information item; the board asked to receive further implementation details and communications plans before any policy change.

Excerpts of student testimony and the counselors’ materials will remain in the public board packet as part of the record of this discussion.