Should St. Charles Schools Eliminate Class Rank?

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St. Charles District 303 officials are discussing the possibility of doing away with its class ranking system, the Daily Herald reports.

Both principals from St. Charles high schools and District 303 administrators are recommending joining 14 other area school districts, including Naperville Unit District 203 and Geneva High School, that have abolished class rank, according to the newspaper.

Within District 303, a “B” student would not be ranked among the top half of his or her class and school officials said colleges in Illinois and Ivy League schools do not typically factor in class rank when considering a student during the application process, according to the article.

St. Charles High School North Principal Audra Christenson said students will try to “game” the ranking system by, for example, taking a class that offers a pass/fail grade so they do not see a drop in their class rank, according to the Daily Herald.

The District 303 school board is expected to vote later this month on abolishing the class rank system starting with the 2016 graduating class.

Read more on the Daily Herald

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