Various changes in GPA and ranking systems are taking effect this school year, after rankings for students outside of the top 10 percent were ended last year. Juniors and seniors, starting with the Class of 2021, are eligible to cancel one athletics or fine arts course, all of which are considered on-level classes, from counting towards their GPA.

Junior Urja Joshi appreciates the change, seeing the class drop option as a way to pursue her love for dance and harp without sacrificing her GPA.

“I really want to have a high GPA, but I also want to do orchestra and drill team,” Joshi said. “I’ve been doing orchestra since freshman year, so I think that it’s really nice that I can drop off a share from my GPA, because it’s not always easy, and it does lower my GPA when I don’t get hundreds. It’s nice that I can continue to pursue playing the harp and being part of orchestra without having to worry about the tests and if I don’t do well, it’ll lower my GPA.”

Meanwhile, the weight given to different courses will change for the Class of 2023, with new International Baccalaureate (IB) courses getting a 6.0 weight, and pre-AP courses being moved down to a 5.5 weight.

“These changes support Frisco ISD’s commitment to being student-centered and learning-centered,” Chief Academic Officer Katie Kordel said in a district release. “Frisco ISD offers an exceptional number of high-quality learning opportunities, and a student’s course selections should be based on his or her unique interests, needs, learning goals and college and career aspirations rather than the GPA weight of courses.”