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Waukesha committee approves update to class-rank policy to align notifications, transcript notation
Summary
The Waukesha School District teaching and learning committee voted unanimously to update Board Policy 5430 to clarify administrative guidelines, require notifications to students in the top 5% and 10% and to note rankings on transcripts at the completion of 11th grade.
The Waukesha School District Teaching and Learning Committee on April 3 approved an update to Board Policy 5430 on class rank that clarifies administrative guidelines, requires district notification to high-ranked juniors and requires notation of rank on transcripts.
The committee approved the policy change by a 5-0 vote. The update adds a reference to administrative guidelines and specifies that "once the class rank is established for students completing second semester of eleventh grade, the superintendent shall notify each student ranked in the top 5% and the top 10% of the class and shall note the ranking on the student's transcript at the completion of eleventh grade," language presented by district staff.
Committee members and staff said the edits consolidate repetitive language from an earlier draft and better reflect state law. Miss Ryan, a district staff member involved in drafting the update, said the team "took a real close look at the law" and that the policy now explicitly links to administrative guidelines describing how grade point averages are calculated.
Staff noted operational work under way to implement the change. Mr. Leonard, director of student services, and technology staff have prepared a communications draft for junior families and are adjusting the student information system so the rank appears on transcripts. "It's really just a matter of checking a box that we don't have checked right now in Infinite Campus that will show top 20%, top 10%," Miss Ryan said. "So it's just turning that on."
Committee members thanked staff for cross-department collaboration on the policy and the technical setup. The committee did not change the district's stated GPA method in the policy; administrative guidelines will hold the details of GPA calculation, staff said.
Next steps include finalizing the administrative guideline language, completing the Infinite Campus configuration and sending the planned notification to families after the district establishes class rank at the end of the second semester of 11th grade.
