New GPA Rules Published in Texas Register

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) submitted new rules for publication in the Texas Register and will meet in early January to consider adopting the rules.

Some of the key highlights of proposed rules are as follows:

• Students entering the 9th grade on or after May 1, 2009 will be affected.
• AP, IB, and dual credit classes will receive an additional weight of 1.0.
• Career and technical education courses aligned with university programs of study will be counted as determined by the GPA Advisory Committee, but a weight has not been specified.
• Pre-AP, Honors, and Pre-IB courses will receive an additional weight of .50, but will be reviewed by the GPA Advisory Committee to determine if changes need to be made to the assigned weight.
• A 15-member GPA Advisory Committee would be established to oversee implementation of the GPA standards and monitor courses included in the calculation, and make adjustments in the GPA calculation as curricula in high schools and universities change. Representatives from public education, higher education, and workforce sectors will comprise the committee. The number of representatives from each sector and the selection process has yet to be determined.
• A grade conversion chart is included in the new proposal.
• Weights for special education courses are not assigned.