MAKING THE CUT FOR ACADEMIC

EXCELLENCE!

PBL FOR EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP (FALL 2019)

PRESENTED BY: TESS SHORT & SHANA GRIFFIN
 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

 Hopewell City is surrounded by

Chesterfield, Charles City, Prince George
and Colonial Heights Public Schools.
 Hopewell City Public Schools is a public
school district located in Hopewell, Virginia.
 There are three elementary schools, one
middle school, one high school and one
alternative school.
 There are approximately 4,292 students
attending Hopewell City Public Schools in
grades K-12.
 Additional Background Information

 Hopewell High School (HHS) serves students in grades

9-12.
 Approximately 1151 students attending HHS.
 253 students represent the graduating Class of 2020.
 103 Seniors with a 3.0 or better.
 69% of the student body is majority African American.
 HHS currently has 120 faculty and staff members.
 HHS has community college partnerships with John
Tyler Community College and Bryant & Stratton
College.
 SCENARIO

Top of Class by Top of Class by Quality

GPA Points
 Please look at the information on the Class Rank Name GPA Class Rank Student Quality Points

card(s) in front of you. 1

2
Doanld Duck
Peter Pan
4.5
4.38
1
2
Winnie-the-Pooh
Doanld Duck
118.5
113

3 Mickey Mouse 4.36 3 Elmer Fudd 112.5

 Now look at the screen, based on the 4 Roger Rabbit 4.34 4 Roger Rabbit
Yogi Bear
112
111
5 Elmer Fudd 4.33 5
quality points you should be ranked as 6 Minne Mouse 4.32 6 Tigger 110
7 Popeye 4.29 7 Peter Pan 109.5
what? 8 Yogi Bear 4.26 8 Mickey Mouse 109

9 Tigger 4.23 9 Superman 108.5

Minne Mouse 108
 Based on the GPA, you should be ranked? 10
11
Tweety
Superman
4.22
4.17
10
11 Sandy Cheeks 105.5
Buggs Bunny 4.14 12 Popeye 103
12
 From the information presented what are 13
14
Speedy Gonzalez
Daffy Duck
4.12
4.09
13
14
Goofy
Scooby Doo
102
101

your thoughts about GPA and Quality 15

16
Winnie-the-Pooh
Goofy
4.08
4.08
15 Buggs Bunny 99.5
16 Speedy Gonzalez 99
Points. 17 Peter Rabbitt
Scooby Doo
4.04
4.03
17 Olive Oyl 98
18 18 Olaf 97.5
19 Spiderman 4.02 19 Peter Rabbitt 97
20 Betty Boop 3.97 20 Pluto 97
21 Olive Oyl 3.92 21 Spiderman 96.5
22 Sandy Cheeks 3.91 22 Batman 93.5
23 Olaf 3.9 23 Tweety 93
24 Batman 3.89 24 Betty Boop 91.5
25 Pluto 3.88 25 Daffy Duck 90
And the SURVEY says….
 HOW DO WE FIX THE PROBLEM?

• Step 1: Researched honor systems

from different school districts.

• Step 2: Conducted student and

teacher interviews.

• Step 3: Action steps.

• Step 4: Final Thoughts

 Step 1:
INFORMATION FROM RESEARCH

In 2018, Virginia Beach Public Schools

adopted the Latin Honor system instead
of using the traditional valedictorian and
salutatorian.
Article for Latin Honor Society
 STEP 2:
Results for Interviews
Question #1: Did you know using quality points instead of
GPA can change a students class rank?
Responses: 27% Yes 59% NO 14% I DON’T KNOW
Question #2: Would up open to trying a new honor system,
similar to the Latin Honor System to recognize more
students for academic excellence?
Responses: 99% Yes 0% NO 1% I DON’T KNOW
Question #3: How do you feel about only the top
12 honor graduates being recognized from the
your graduating class?
Responses:
“ I would like more seniors recognized.”
“ I never looked at it that way.”
“My sister was #13 and did not get recognized,
she was pretty upset”.
“ I think that is an old way of thinking and it
needs to be changed”
“That is so unfair. I work hard too!”
“Unbelievable.”
“Whose idea was that?”
 Step 3:
Action Plan
 Honor Cords will be used for distinction for
GPA’s 3.0 and above.
 Cords will be for:
*All graduates earning a 3.5 GPA are
awarded the Cum Laude designation
*All graduates earning a 3.76 GPA are
awarded the Magna Cum Laude designation
*All graduates earning a 4.0 GPA are
awarded the Summa Cum Laude designation

 This year the we will have a valedictorian and

salutatorian.
 Step 4:
Final Thoughts

 We enjoyed the PBL!

 We are glad we will be able to
recognize more outstanding students.
 We can’t wait to see the end results on
Saturday, June 6, 2020@ 1:00PM at
Virginia State University.
 REFERENCES

Brown, L. (2019, October 13). Personal interview.

Cherry, L. (2019, September 6). Personal interview.

Davis, M. (2019, October 13). Personal interview.

Debeary, T. (2019, October 13). Personal interview. (n.d.). Hopewell City Public Schools. Retrieved from
https://www.hopewell.k12.va.us/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=380388&type=d
Hill, R. (2019, October 13). Personal interview.
&pREC_ID=863961

Jones, I. (2019, October 13). Personal interview.

(n.d.). Pilotoline (Virginia Beach Public Schools). Retrieved from

Mallory, M. (2019, October 13). Personal interview. http://www.pilotonline.com/news/education/article_aeb1a7b2-481d-11e8-87c8-

07db7c3a1c88.html
Murdock, K. (2019, October 13). Personal interview.
Poe, S. (2019, September 6). Personal interview. 

Scott, T. (2019, October 13). Personal interview.