ATLANTA — The lack of a statewide grading system could cost students across Georgia the HOPE scholarship, some say.
High school junior Sara Rogers, 17, of Duluth, is already looking towards college. She takes Advanced Placement and college courses to beef up her resume. But when it comes to the HOPE scholarship, the AP course could hurt her.
"I got an 81 or 82, so that went down to a D, which counted a lot lower," Rogers told Channel 2's Kerry Kavanaugh.
The explanation is clear on Rogers' HOPE GPA report. Gwinnett County adds 10 points for each AP class. Those are stripped away when calculating the HOPE grade point average.
In Gwinnett and Cobb counties, a 70-73 is in the D range. A D gets one point towards a students' HOPE grade point average.
Kavanaugh checked and learned that in Fulton, Atlanta, DeKalb and Clayton, Rogers' 72 would be a C, earning 2 points.
"It's not fair that someone could have lower scores but a higher HOPE GPA," said Sara's mother, Annette Rogers.
"Our students rise to the challenge," said Gwinnett County Public Schools spokesman Jorge Quitana, who believes changing the grading scale would lower their standards.
"The question is whether the state of Georgia will set a statewide grading scale," said Quintana.
Kavanaugh brought that question to the Georgia Student Finance Commission, which oversees the HOPE scholarship.
"It's a pretty tough political issue," said Executive Director David Lee.
Lee said the state only requires a minimum passing score of 70. He said there are other factors. Students taking AP courses will get a 0.5 added to their GPA, for example.
Lee said a statewide scale is a political hot potato and without it, some students are potentially at a disadvantage.
"The cut point on Cs and Ds can make a difference ... yes," Lee said.
The State Board of Education could establish a standard system for public schools, but not private schools. The state legislature is the only body that can create a standard system for both.
WSBTV
