GPA Configuration

Overview

Schools often have different definitions for their GPA, which requires us to create custom GPAs for each school. Review the information below to configure a custom GPA for your school.

GPA Setup

To add a GPA, a new record must be created in the GPA configuration table. Each GPA record in the table needs to have definitions for the below fields in order to define how the GPA should be calculated. Generally speaking, GPAs are calculated in a process that consists of collecting all the grade records to be included in the calculation, transforming each individual grade score into a grade-point value, and then dividing GPA points earned by points attempted to get the final value. The GPA configuration table includes settings that control the calculation for each of these steps.

General Settings

Description

The description is a title for the GPA that will be the field name for this specific GPA. It is helpful to give a description that defines what the GPA is calculating (e.g., Weighted Report Card GPA).

Scale

• Numeric – Indicates if this GPA should be on a 100 point scale
• Point – Indicates if this GPA is on the traditional numeric scale from the grade conversion GPA points (ex: traditional 4.0 scale)

To set one GPA version as numeric and one as points, separate GPA records should be created.

GPA Type

• Multiple School Years (Cumulative) indicates if this GPA is cumulative for all years based on the the Min/Max Grade Level specified.
• Single School Year indicates if this GPA includes grade records only for a specific year
• Single Grading Period indicates if this GPA includes grade records only for a specific grading period (e.g., S2-only, vs. a Single School Year GPA reporting on S2 but that includes both S1 and S2 grades)

Settings that determine which grade records are included:

Minimum Grade Level

The grade level for which the system should begin calculating this GPA for a student. For example, if this is a GPA that applies to US students only, Grade 9 should be the Minimum Grade Level. This defines the lower boundary for cumulative GPAs.

Maximum Grade Level

The last grade level for which the system should calculate this GPA for a student. For example, if this is a GPA that applies to US students only, Grade 12 should be the Maximum Grade Level. This defines the upper boundary for cumulative GPAs.

Grading Period Selection

Indicates the Grading Period(s) for which the GPA calculation should include

Classification Filter

If the GPA should only calculate grades from a certain subset of courses, a Course Classification can be specified so that only the classes/courses with that classification are included in the GPA. This might require the creation of new course classifications to use specifically for a GPA. Learn more about the Course Classification tags.

If no Classification Filter is indicated, the GPA will not consider course classifications when collecting grade records to include in the calculation.

Data Source

• Report Card indicates if the grades used in this GPA are Posted Grades as seen on Report Cards. GPAs using Posted Grades will look at Term Credit Hours on the class/course in the calculation so be sure to set those appropriately (see additional configuration below).
• Transcript indicates if the grades in this GPA are Transcript Item Grades as seen on Transcripts. GPAs using Transcript Item Grades use Credits Earned and Attempted in the calculation, which are driven from Term Credit hours on the class/course, so be sure to set those appropriately (see additional configuration below).
• Custom indicates that this GPA uses a custom configuration of grades, not just Report Card or Transcript Grades (e.g., a combination of both).

Include Transfer Grades

Indicates whether or not Transfer Grades should be included in this GPA calculation. Transfer grades are indicated with the “Transfer” flag on the transcript item record and therefore should only be checked if the Data Source for the GPA is Transcript or Custom.

Settings that determine the value of an individual grade record:

Weighted

Defines whether or not this GPA should include GPA bumps for weighted classes.

Minimum Grade for Bumps

Defines the lowest grade a student can receive and still receive the GPA bump for the class (e.g., 60)

Honors Bump

Defines the GPA point bump to be added for courses flagged as “Honors” (e.g., 0.5). Note the bump should correspond to the GPA scale being used (4.0 vs. 100 point).

AP Bump

Defines the GPA point bump to be added for courses flagged as “AP” (e.g., 0.5). Note the bump should correspond to the GPA scale being used (4.0 vs. 100 point).

Additional GPA Configuration

The following must also be configured in order for the GPAs to calculate correctly.

Grade Conversion

Configure the Grade Conversion table to have the proper GPA point equivalent to each numeric grade possible on the scale.

Grade Status

Configure each grade status (Pass, Fail, Incomplete, etc.) to factor into GPA calculations as needed.

• Include in GPA indicates if the status is included in the GPA calculation.
• GPA Points indicates the GPA point credit the status should receive.
• Earns Credits indicates if the status should earn credit.

Course

Configure each course to indicate how it should factor into GPA calculations as needed.

• Include in GPA indicates if the classes within this course are included in the GPA calculation.
• Default Term Credit Hours indicates how many credits per term each class within this course should receive if given a passing grade.
• Classification is only for GPAs that use the Classification Filter (see above). If used, courses should have the appropriate classification to indicate that they should be included in the GPA.

Display Format

The decimal precision of each GPA is configurable on a per-GPA basis (between zero and four) by changing the display format on a per-school basis for each of the GPA fields.