Ditching valedictorian: Another Hamilton County school is no longer ranking students
No longer will one student be heralded as valedictorian of the graduating class at Noblesville High School.
Next year, Noblesville will become the latest district in Hamilton County to ditch the traditional ranking system in an attempt to refocus high-performing students on bettering themselves, not competing with their peers. Carmel Clay and Westfield-Washington schools both dropped the tradition years ago.
Rather than identifying one student with the highest grade-point average, the schools are using a method similar to how universities recognize top students — placing them in levels of distinction.
The old system unfairly compared students across schools or even across years, said Noblesville High School Principal Jeff Bryant. At some large schools, there could be so much competition that a student with a high GPA may not rank in the top 20.
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The system was further confused when high schools began offering advanced, college-level classes that are weighted heavier toward a student's GPA than standard classes. With regular classes, all As would equate to a 4.0, and a mix of As and Bs would equate to a 3.0. But a B in an Advanced Placement class would count as an A, for example. That means a 4.0 is no longer the best students can do; they could earn a 5.0 with As in AP classes.
This could cause some students to prioritize weighted classes to boost their GPA, perhaps over art or band, Bryant said. Other students may choose a class that seems easier over one they are interested in to try to boost their GPA.
"We want them to choose what courses to take based on their interest level and what is going to best prepare them for college," Bryant said.
Next year Noblesville, like Carmel, will offer a flexible schedule for seniors. They will be able to to take fewer than the full load of seven classes if they are taking at least four college-level courses. The ranking system could have deterred interested students.
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Under the new system, a Noblesville student with a 3.5-3.74 GPA will graduate cum laude, a 3.75-3.99 GPA will be magna cum laude and a 4.0 or higher GPA will be summa cum laude.
Westfield starts its honors at a higher level. There, students with a 4.2 GPA are "graduates with honors," and 4.3 or higher GPA are "distinguished graduates."
At Carmel High School, students earn points for different achievements, including GPA, but also participation in clubs or sports. About 100 students who earn the highest points are recognized as "Distinguished Graduates."
Carmel High School counselor Melinda Stephan said this typically doesn't cause a problem for students when applying to college. Most applications allow students to specify that their high school doesn't rank students, she said.
"If it's there, we certainly consider it," said Megan Dorton, an admissions counselor at Purdue University. "We also have recognized the trend in students not having a class rank. If it's there, great. If it's not, it's not a problem, either."
Ditching the valedictorian has become a national trend over the past five years. Last June, a school in Wake County, North Carolina caught heat from Rush Limbaugh, after proposing doing away with valedictorians, the News & Reporter reported.
Bryant said Noblesville can still give a student their rank if an application or scholarship requires it. He said parents expressed concerns at first, especially about how colleges would react. But he said former top students were in favor, and he remains supportive of the change.
"We live in this society where competition is valued in a lot of ways," he said. "If you can get past the idea that competition in this case was probably for the wrong reasons ... there's not a lot to argue about."
Call IndyStar reporter Emma Kate Fittes at (317) 513-7854. Follow her on Twitter: @IndyEmmaKate.
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