Plainfield School District 202 families were recently informed the district’s high school grading system will be changing.

Beginning with the fall semester, the district will transition from its current 5.0 unweighted grading scale at the high school level to a standard 4.0 unweighted grading scale.

“Most trade schools, colleges, and universities across the country, including all top 20 institutions Plainfield students applied to this year, utilize a 4.0 scale,” Kate Morris, high school director of curriculum & instruction, and Paula Sereleas, assistant superintendent of curriculum & instruction, said in a letter. “Moving to this standard system will provide several benefits for our students, including clarity in the college admissions process for students, families and post-secondary institutions.”

They noted that many students face confusion when converting their 5.0 GPA to a 4.0 scale for college and scholarship applications.

“This change ensures our students can accurately compare their academic standing with college admission profiles,” they said.

Despite the change, district officials said they remain committed to recognizing rigorous coursework. Honors, Advanced Placement and Dual Credit courses will continue to be weighted.

Students earning a “C” or higher in these courses will receive an additional point toward their GPA (an ‘A’ in an AP course will be worth 5.0 points).

In addition, the percentage ranges for letter grades will not change (A=90-100, B=80-89, C=70-79, D=60-69, F=0-59).

“Our goal is to simplify the transition to post-secondary education and ensure that our students’ academic achievements are clearly understood by recruiters and admissions officers,” Morris and Sereleas said in the letter.