Semester grades are calculated by assigning each nine weeks grade 42.5% and the semester exam 15%.   For  purposes of communicating with college admission offices and scholarship granting agencies, and for determining honor graduates (valedictorian, salutatorian, top 10%), ranking in the senior class is used and is calculated on ALL high school course work.  All students who are enrolled for the entire final semester of the senior year are included in class ranking and in determination of honor graduates and honor recognition as graduating seniors.  

For transfer students, the cumulative GPA on the transcript for transferred work will be used without any recalculation other than conversion to our 4-point scale. Honors and AP courses will be recalculated to match the Williamson County Schools’ scale.  All students who are enrolled for the entire final semester of the senior year will be included in class ranking and in determination of honor graduates and honor recognition as graduating seniors.  The GPA is converted to our 4-point scale in calculating cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) for class ranking purposes.   

Semester and final exams are not required for those high school seniors who have maintained a 91 average, have been absent no more than 6 days (including college visitation days approved in advance by the Principal) during the semester and have not been suspended during the semester. 

The averaging policy for certain courses allows students to pass even though they failed the first semester. This is possible only if the average of both semester grades is a 70 or better.  However, credit will not be given when the second semester grade is the failing grade.  This policy applies only to courses in which a student must master first semester skills and concepts in order to be successful in second semester: Math, Foreign Language, Chemistry, Physics, and Accounting I.

To audit means to take a class for no credit. Usually, a student audits the first-semester of a full-year course when in the previous year the student passed the first semester, but failed the 2^nd semester.  This practice allows the student to be ready to take the 2^nd semester for credit and be successful.  The student is required to complete all work, including tests and the semester exam. The letter grade is recorded on the transcript with no credit. 

Testing for credit is possible for students who have completed work or a course equivalent to a high school level course (except U.S. History).  Students must score 70 or better on the examination in order to receive credit toward graduation.  The course name is entered on the transcript with the notation Credit by Exam. 

Previously home-schooled students who enroll in Williamson County Schools are required to take an exam to receive credit for each course indicated on their transcript.  As an example, the 10^th grade student who was home schooled in the 9^th grade must score a 70 or better in English I, Physical Science, Algebra, and World Geography.

The WCS Summer School Policy offers two sessions in summer school equivalent to two semesters in the regular year.  Summer school is most often remedial, serving to aid the student who has failed a course.  The summer school grade is averaged with the cumulative GPA.  It does not replace the failed grade. Students can earn a maximum of two (2) credits during Summer School.  A maximum of six (6) credits, cumulative throughout the high school career, may be earned in Summer School to be counted for meeting graduation requirements.

Credit Recovery is a computer based program designed to allow students to remediate a failed grade and earn credit in specific classes.  Williamson County Schools have aligned curriculum in the Plato data base with course standards.  These courses are approved credit recovery courses.  Students should see their guidance counselor for information about credit recovery courses and paper work to sign up.   Credit is given for coursework completed through credit recovery but the original grade remains on the transcript 

Students taking high school courses in Middle School (e.g., Algebra, Geometry, languages, physical science, etc.) receive high school credit by passing both semesters of the course (grade 70 or above).  The grade is recorded as Credit or No Credit with no grade point (GPA) value and the course counts as one of the honors courses for the Honors Diploma. 

College courses taken for college credit, even when taken for dual high school/college credit, are recorded as Credit or No Credit with no grade point (GPA) value. 

Correspondence courses may be taken with a maximum of two (2) credits earned during high school.  No on-line courses are approved by the Tennessee State Board of Education.  All correspondence courses require approval by the principal. 

Progress reports are available throughout the year using  the K-12 Planet Program.  

Report cards are mailed home after each Nine Weeks’ Grading Period.   

The Honor Roll is announced and published at the end of each quarter.                       

The grading system for grades 9-12 is as follows: 

The transcript is an historical document of all courses taken at BHS.  Letters, not numbers, are used in reporting grades on the transcript.  All grades, passing and failing are permanently recorded on the transcript.  When a course is failed and then repeated  in WCS Summer School , credit recovery or during the regular school year, the new grade does not replace the failed grade.  The course and grade are added to the transcript and averaged into the cumulative GPA.

*Williamson County Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicap, or age.