Grade Point Average (GPA)

Two different Grade Point Averages are calculated and posted on transcripts for each high school student. The High School Academic Guide has a wealth of information to support students' and guardians' understanding of GPA and how it impacts rank. 

Unweighted GPA 

An unweighted GPA is based on a 4.0 scale where all courses are counted equally. Some colleges may use this GPA calculation for admission since it is more easily comparable across multiple districts and states. 

  • Grade points are based on semester grades for courses taken for high school credit. 

  • The unweighted GPA is calculated to three decimal places with the following scale:

    • 90-100 = 4.0 points 

    • 80-89 = 3.0 points 

    • 70-79 = 2.0 points 

    • 0-69 = 0 points

Weighted GPA 

Weighted GPAs are used for ranking purposes. A student’s weighted GPA is based on a 5.0 scale where different courses carry different weights. The High School Academic Guide has a wealth of information on calculating weighted GPAs.

  • Grade points are based on semester grades for courses taken for high school credit.

  • The weighted GPA is calculated to three decimal places.

  • The weighted GPA is utilized to determine the following:

    • if a student is in the top 10% of their class

    • class rank for students in the top 10%

    • the quartile of a student’s ranking in their class

    • Valedictorian & Salutatorian

    • Honor Graduate status

Optional GPA Exclusions

To encourage commitment and retention to a Fine Arts or Athletics program for four years and encourage participation in the upper-level courses in these areas, students can exclude one credit each year in grade 11 and grade 12 from the weighted GPA calculation. This option should only be considered by students with a weighted GPA of 5.0 or greater. 

See the updated list of courses eligible for optional GPA exclusion and process in the High School Academic Guide.

GPA Changes by Graduating Class

Class of 2024 and Beyond

All high school credit courses taken count toward the unweighted GPA and weighted GPA, including: 

  • Frisco ISD summer school courses 

  • World language courses taken concurrently outside normal school hours (must be taken in 7th Grade

  • and beyond to receive credit) 

  • All FISD online courses 

  • FISD online Chinese courses taken during the regular school day 

  • Non-FISD online correspondence courses   

And excluding the following:

  • Concurrent college courses that are not FISD-approved dual credit courses 

  • Local Credits 

  • Courses that are Pass/Fail  

  • Credit by Exam/Exam for Acceleration (CBE/EA) 

Class of 2026 and Beyond

When a student transfers semester grades for courses that would be eligible to receive additional weight under the District’s weighted grade system, the District will assign additional weight to the grades based on the categories and grade weight system used by the District, even if the course is not offered in Frisco ISD. 

Class of 2030 and Beyond

When a student transfers semester grades for courses that would be eligible to receive additional weight under the District’s weighted grade system, the District will assign additional weight to the grades based on the categories and grade weight system used by the District, even if the course is not offered in Frisco ISD. 

  • Tier III - 6.0 GPA scale: Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), dual-credit courses and other designated courses (specified in the FISD Academic Guide)

  • Tier II - 5.5 GPA scale: Advanced courses, Independent Study & Mentorship (ISM), Academic Decathlon and Project Lead the Way

  • Tier I - 5.0 GPA scale: On-level courses 

Historical Timeline

In 2018, FISD made several policy changes to encourage students to choose courses based on their interests and improve their chances of admission to colleges and universities. The adopted policy change was phased in with subsequent graduating classes.

Beginning with the Class of 2023
FISD adjusted the weight given to specific types of courses.

  • The 6.0 scale moved to include Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and other designated courses specified in the FISD Academic Guide.

  • The 5.5 GPA scale moved to include Dual Credit Courses, Advanced Courses, Independent Study & Mentorship, Academic Decathlon and Project Lead the Way.

  • The 5.0 GPA scale moved to include on-level courses.

Beginning with the Class of 2021
Beginning with the Class of 2021, juniors and seniors could designate one athletics or fine arts course each year to drop from the GPA for rank calculation. This voluntary option was designed to encourage students to continue pursuing their interests and passions without worrying about a potential negative impact on their GPA for rank. Eligible courses included athletics (competitive sport, manager, trainer) and fine arts (band, color guards, choir, orchestra, theatre, dance/drill team, cheer)

Beginning with the Class of 2019
Frisco ISD no longer publishes class ranks beyond the top 10% of each graduating class.

Transcripts of students in the top 10% show their position relative to the total class size, their unweighted GPA, which is based on a traditional 4.0 scale, and their weighted GPA, which is used to determine class rank.

Transcripts for the remaining 90% of students show both GPAs but not class rank, so colleges and universities have to consider students for admission based on factors other than class rank. This is especially important when large numbers of students are separated by a tiny fraction of a point in the GPA for rank calculation.

The lowest-weighted GPA of seniors in the top 10%, first quartile, second quartile and third quartile are published in the Student Portal after each calculation period, so students generally know where they fall in relation to their peers. Information for juniors, sophomores and freshmen are published only in January and June.

Frequently Asked Questions