AACPS Makes Decision On Class Rank Policy

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — High school students enrolled within Anne Arundel County Public Schools will now have the option to view their class rank.

The change came down late Wednesday in a 7-1 vote by the Board of Education of Anne Arundel County.

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Board member Dana Schallheim, the longest-sitting official on the panel, was the sole "no" vote.

The policy effectively ranks students based on their weighted grade point average.

Supporters say the measure makes students more competitive on college and scholarship applications, whereas critics say it's not only outdated but could harm students' mental health.

"I think it's dreadful to add this to a student's plate in terms of their mental health and the social comparisons," Schallheim said of the policy. "Class rank is a social comparison."

"It's not the same as a GPA, it's not the same as a magna cum laude or summa cum laude, it's not the same as a quartile or percentile."

Until the Wednesday vote, the school district operated without the policy since 2019.

A proposal to reinstate the measure was filed in February. Dawn Pulliam, who represents the 7th District, led the push for its return.

Ahead of the vote, she described class ranking as a tool that could be used by students to advance their educational goals.

"Not one of our test scores should be a key indicator; it's really the toolbox. It's that compilation of what people are asking," she said.

There are no plans in place to give students immediate access to the rankings, as the process largely depended on how the board voted.

Once a plan is put in place in the coming weeks, AACPS will begin tracking to see how the rankings are used by requesting students. This study will be carried out over the course of a year.