Grading Systems in Texas

Most school systems in Texas tend to use grading mechanisms that incorporate both letter as well as numerical/percentile values. These grades are then used to compile or evaluate grade-point average scores that appear on student records and are investigated by colleges or universities. For the most accurate information on a particular Texas school system, you must contact your local board of education as rules vary from city to city or town to town.

Considerations

While there are state guidelines as they pertain to grading, they are not necessarily adopted by all school systems throughout Texas either partially or wholly. While one school may follow state guidelines from grades two through eight, another may apply a different one entirely. The other problem is that higher-learning institutions will often use their own systems, ones that apply certain rules to one department or internal school and another to the next.

Basics

The statewide grading system for assigning letter values to numeric ranges is mostly conventional in Texas. An "A" is designated as resting between 90 and 100 percent. A "B" is assigned to scores ranging between 80 and 89 percent. The next ranges are where Texas standards may differ from other locales. A "C" is only between 75 and 79 percent whereas 70 to 74 percent requires a "D" marking. Anything lower than 70 is considered an "F" or a failing mark.

Other Interpretations

Certain school systems may designate or use plus and minor grade evaluations such as A- or C- in their chosen system. This may lead to complications, however, when comparing it to a neighboring school system. For example, the state guidelines possess a D mark for those grades between 70 and 74. Plano High School, however, considers all grades between 70 and 79 to be Cs and staggers them on a plus/minus scale. The result is that there is no D in Plano but a drop to F after the grade goes below 70.

GPA (Grade Point Average)

GPA scores can be an important component for advancing in school and for getting into college. This is calculated by adding the points awarded a certain letter grade and then dividing that number by the amount of class hours the student attempted. In this case, different Texas school systems have their own standards. However, high A marks usually gain four points for normal classes while advanced placement (AP) classes may gain five points. The number of points will decrease as you descend toward the 70 mark. Any grade considered failing usually accrues no points for the grade-point average.