Academics

  • Grading Changes Renew Academic Rigor
     
    In a coordinated effort to raise the bar academically for our students and reward them for their notable achievements, the grading policy has been aligned to the College Board Grading Scale.  Coursework is now evaluated with a number system that reflects a greater scope of possible scores, and a threshold that aligns to college expectations.  It also provides students and colleges greater transparency, and a streamlined transition in factoring GPA’s.  Included in this change is the elimination of the 'mercy 50' practice, which rounded all student quarter grades to a minimum grade of a 50. 
     
    With the change to the grading scale, Delaware Valley has also revised the criteria for the Academic Awards to truly validate the successes of our students.  Grades and Awards are not retroactive for past years.  In order to earn Honor Roll or Distinguished Honor Roll in any given marking period, a student must score at least an 83 (B), or a 93 (A), respectively, in every course.  This change simplifies former criteria and adds much more substance to a student’s significant accomplishment. 
     
    Additionally, to earn a permanent place in Delaware Valley’s Academic Hall of Fame, which historically marks four years of Distinguished Honor Roll status, a student must earn a final grade of 90 (A-) or above in every course they’ve completed during high school.  In essence, if a student has received straight A’s in their academic career, they will be immortalized with a plaque hung in the Academic the Hall of Fame – a tangible mark of momentous achievement.