Current AP Students’ Opinions on the Proposed New Grading System
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Aadhitya Balaji
With the prospect of a new grading/ranking system change for Hamilton High School, students are beginning to become doubtful of the effectiveness of the presented Laude system. Many current AP students have strong opinions about the possibility of the new system and what it could hold for future students. Compiled below are multiple students’ ideas and opinions when given a prompt regarding aspects of the proposed changes.
What is your view on the new system?
“I don’t like the prospect of the new system. It creates an environment where a high-achieving student who gets an A- in AP Chemistry will be valued less than a student who gets an A in normal Chemistry in this new system, which is far from ideal. Also, this new system will give much less motivation to students to take AP classes, which could potentially earn them college credit and save them thousands of dollars. I wouldn’t reap any benefits for this new system, and I believe Hamilton should keep the old one.” - Dylan Elberson (Student has taken AP Calculus and AP Physics 1)
How do you think the new system will affect HHS students?
“I think it will hurt HHS students’ enrollment in AP classes, which can be detrimental to future success in college settings. AP classes have immense value in the sheer amount of attainable knowledge and critical thinking skills. However, with a steep learning curve, most students need an extra push to consider enrolling in these classes. The extra push that was the weighted grading system was attractive for a lot of students who were on the fence of participating in the academic challenge. It provided a safety net for them if they were at all lacking confidence in their ability to succeed in these difficult classes. By removing the safety net, fewer students will be inclined to enroll in AP classes due to the significant risk it would hold on ranking. Fewer students would have a taste for college-level courses and/or a further developed work ethic that would be beneficial to their college education. While taking easier classes, students may have short-term gains in class rank and GPA, but there could be long-term effects on adaptability and work ethic.” - Aadhitya Balaji (Student has taken AP Human Geography, AP U.S. History, AP Language and Composition, and AP Physics 1)
How do you feel about the prospect of this system being implemented?
“With the potential implementation of this grading system, I feel completely let down by the very people who are supposed to encourage academic excellence and learning. In addition, I am incensed that my sister, who will be impacted by these proposed changes, will not be provided with the same opportunities for academic success by the Hamilton School District that I have had under the customary grading scale. This new scale completely disincentivizes challenging oneself and instead settles for the opposite of what I believe should be held at the core of any successful institution: promotion of hard work and preparation for the next level. Removing the incentive that is intrinsically attached to taking an Advanced Placement course will most likely result in lower participation within the aforementioned courses. I know this because this incentive is what encouraged me to push myself and strive for excellence by taking these courses. In return, these courses have led me to develop both effective study and time management habits, as the rigor of AP courses demands it. The potential for a lower percentage of the future student body to possess these skills is an entirely preventable tragedy. I fear that this proposed grading scale will result in a student body less inclined to push themselves and instead result in more students doing the bare minimum.” - Nolan Doherty (Student has taken AP U.S. History and AP Biology)
What are your thoughts on AP classes holding the same weight as any other class?
“AP classes are much more vigorous and highly demanding compared to regular classes. Most students expect to get a grade lower than one they may get in a regular class. With an increase in difficulty, there should be a curve that helps mitigate the damage that a lower grade does to one’s GPA. If not, there would be less motivation for AP enrollment.” - Karthik Anem (Student has taken AP Human Geography, AP U.S. History, AP Psychology, and AP Chemistry)
What do you think would differ in your academic career if you had gone through high school with the new system?
“If I went through high school with this proposed system, I would not have taken nearly as many AP classes, regardless of their difficulty, due to the disincentivization that this scale sets on taking such classes.” - Nolan Doherty (Student has taken AP U.S. History and AP Biology)
Do you think the new system’s recognition levels are as rewarding as the current class rank system?
“No, it’s not as rewarding. It focuses more on the students who do not take AP classes. The system will apply more stress on the students who are trying to push themselves and take harder classes to earn college credit. In the current system, students who take AP classes are rewarded by getting a weighted GPA on the 5.0 scale, meaning a B would still be a 4.0. Now, with the new system, that same B in an AP class would be recognized as a 3.0. That takes away any value of trying to take harder classes. The decrease in AP enrollment will not only hurt the class rank system but also the teachers who teach those subjects. In an ideal system, there is a balance between risk and reward. The new system shatters the rewards and enhances the risk.” - Asher Roth (Student has taken AP Human Geography, AP U.S. History, and AP Biology)
In your eyes, do you think there needs to be a change in the current system?
“No, I don’t believe so. I feel that the current grading system, while it may be tough, offers incentives to attempt to take harder classes. It allows for students to stand out more and to separate themselves from the pack of students that sit at a 4.0. The proposed new system is ridiculous because it offers no incentive to take harder classes or to try to overachieve and do better. It will ultimately end up killing AP enrollment because, without the weighted GPA system, many students are going to choose to not take a harder course when they could achieve the same result with a significantly easier class. I have taken AP classes and plan to take more because the weighted scale allows me to improve my GPA. I can honestly say that if there were no incentive, I wouldn’t have taken some of those classes.” - Tate Webb (Student has taken AP Human Geography and AP U.S. History)
