Information about Graduates with Highest Honors
Excerpt taken from the Catoosa County Public Schools Student and Parent Handbook Pages 45-46
GRADUATES WITH HIGHEST HONORS PROGRAM
The criteria for Graduates with Highest Honors are reviewed, annually. Graduates from Catoosa County High Schools will be recognized as Graduates with Highest Honors if the following criteria are met:
1. The Graduates with Highest Honors program of study requires that students achieve at least 28 credits for graduation. Of those 28, 6 credits must be in courses designated as Honors or Advanced Placement. Any academic dual enrollment course counts as Honors level. One full-credit non-academic from a technical college may count as Honors level. Starting with the graduation class of 2029, of those 28 credits, 6 credits will change to 8 credits.
2. The graduate must maintain a 90 or higher cumulative numeric grade point average in the Hope core classes. The HOPE scholarship courses are the core classes; these include any course designated as English, mathematics, social science, science or foreign language, whether taught through traditional or virtual instructional delivery methods. Common mathematical rules of rounding will apply; cumulative numeric grade point averages will be rounded as follows: An 89.5 – 89.99 will be rounded to a 90; an 89.49 will be considered an 89.
3. Cumulative numeric grade point averages will be computed after the 3 rd Nine Weeks grading period, including those grades in the computation. Courses taken through virtual instructional delivery methods, including those in the Catoosa Online Academy and any online courses (free or paid by student) where credit is to be issued on the transcript, will have grades computed at 3 rd Nine Weeks by using the progress report grade rather than quality of work grade. All grades, including those received from dual enrollment courses, will be calculated with a maximum score of 100. Class Rank will be determined at this time. Students achieving Graduate with Highest Honors will wear school-designated academic honor regalia during the graduation ceremony.
4. The student with the highest numerical average from the category “Graduates with Highest Honors” after the 3 rd Nine Weeks of the senior year will be recognized as the Valedictorian of the senior class. The student with the second highest numerical average from the category “Graduates with Highest Honors” after the 3 rd Nine Weeks of the senior year will be recognized as the Salutatorian of the senior class.
5. Foreign Exchange students who attend for only the senior year are not eligible for Graduates with Highest Honors; Home School students or student transfers from a non-accredited high school are not eligible for Graduates with Highest Honors unless all challenge tests have been met, and the student has attended a Catoosa County High School the entire senior year.
6. Student transfers from an accredited high school must attend Catoosa County Public Schools their entire senior year to be eligible for Valedictorian or Salutatorian status. If the student does not attend his/her entire senior year, he/she may still be eligible for Graduates with Highest Honors status, provided all criteria are met.
7. Students that complete the requirements for high school prior to their senior year are eligible for Graduates with Highest Honors. Their cumulative numeric grade point average will be calculated against their walking class for Graduates with Highest Honors, Valedictorian, and Salutatorian.
8. There will be no other designation of class rank for recognition purposes at the school level other than the 12 th grade year, using the procedures in place for Graduates with Highest Honors.
9. Grades for high school courses earned prior to a student-starting grade 9 will NOT be averaged in the GPA for graduates with Highest Honors. This also includes the grades posted on the transcript for credits earned through the state “Test Out” option with the End of Course assessment, if that option was utilized prior to the start date of grade 9.
The criteria for Graduates with Highest Honors are reviewed, annually. Graduates from Catoosa County High Schools will be recognized as Graduates with Highest Honors if the following criteria are met:
1. The Graduates with Highest Honors program of study requires that students achieve at least 28 credits for graduation. Of those 28, 6 credits must be in courses designated as Honors or Advanced Placement. Any academic dual enrollment course counts as Honors level. One full-credit non-academic from a technical college may count as Honors level. Starting with the graduation class of 2029, of those 28 credits, 6 credits will change to 8 credits.
2. The graduate must maintain a 90 or higher cumulative numeric grade point average in the Hope core classes. The HOPE scholarship courses are the core classes; these include any course designated as English, mathematics, social science, science or foreign language, whether taught through traditional or virtual instructional delivery methods. Common mathematical rules of rounding will apply; cumulative numeric grade point averages will be rounded as follows: An 89.5 – 89.99 will be rounded to a 90; an 89.49 will be considered an 89.
3. Cumulative numeric grade point averages will be computed after the 3 rd Nine Weeks grading period, including those grades in the computation. Courses taken through virtual instructional delivery methods, including those in the Catoosa Online Academy and any online courses (free or paid by student) where credit is to be issued on the transcript, will have grades computed at 3 rd Nine Weeks by using the progress report grade rather than quality of work grade. All grades, including those received from dual enrollment courses, will be calculated with a maximum score of 100. Class Rank will be determined at this time. Students achieving Graduate with Highest Honors will wear school-designated academic honor regalia during the graduation ceremony.
4. The student with the highest numerical average from the category “Graduates with Highest Honors” after the 3 rd Nine Weeks of the senior year will be recognized as the Valedictorian of the senior class. The student with the second highest numerical average from the category “Graduates with Highest Honors” after the 3 rd Nine Weeks of the senior year will be recognized as the Salutatorian of the senior class.
5. Foreign Exchange students who attend for only the senior year are not eligible for Graduates with Highest Honors; Home School students or student transfers from a non-accredited high school are not eligible for Graduates with Highest Honors unless all challenge tests have been met, and the student has attended a Catoosa County High School the entire senior year.
6. Student transfers from an accredited high school must attend Catoosa County Public Schools their entire senior year to be eligible for Valedictorian or Salutatorian status. If the student does not attend his/her entire senior year, he/she may still be eligible for Graduates with Highest Honors status, provided all criteria are met.
7. Students that complete the requirements for high school prior to their senior year are eligible for Graduates with Highest Honors. Their cumulative numeric grade point average will be calculated against their walking class for Graduates with Highest Honors, Valedictorian, and Salutatorian.
8. There will be no other designation of class rank for recognition purposes at the school level other than the 12 th grade year, using the procedures in place for Graduates with Highest Honors.
9. Grades for high school courses earned prior to a student-starting grade 9 will NOT be averaged in the GPA for graduates with Highest Honors. This also includes the grades posted on the transcript for credits earned through the state “Test Out” option with the End of Course assessment, if that option was utilized prior to the start date of grade 9.
