Cum Laude Honor Approved by School Board

From AACPS: The Board of Education of Anne Arundel County on Wednesday adopted changes to its grading policy that implements a cum laude honors system and maintains traditional valedictorian and salutatorian honors at all high schools.

Under the cum laude honors system, seniors with a cumulative weighted grade-point average of 4.3 or higher (exclusive of college or dual-credit courses) will receive summa cum laude honors. Those with weighted GPAs of 4.0 to 4.294 will receive magna cum laude honors, and those with unweighted GPAs of 3.4 to 4.0 will receive cum laude honors. The cum laude honors system will be recognized at high school graduation ceremonies this coming spring.

By a 6-3 vote, the Board adopted an amendment to employ both systems instead of phasing out the tradition of honoring valedictorians and salutatorians. The switch had been proposed by Superintendent George Arlotto as a means to honor more deserving students and encourage healthy course selection and other choices by eliminating the pressure that often comes in the pursuit of valedictorian and salutatorian honors.
The amended policy passed by a 7-2 vote.

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