Dear Dr. Adamowski,
We the students and parents of Norwalk High School ask that the Norwalk Board of Education please review the currently proposed method of calculating the Norwalk Early College Academy students into the ranking system with the rest of the NHS student body, as it is inequitable. We propose separate ranking and recognition for each of these great programs at NHS. Here is why:
- NHS (non-NECA) students receive an additional quality point in their grades and 1 full credit for a year long AP course. NECA students receive the same credit and grade weight for a semester length class as the traditional track students receive for an entire year of work. This permits an unfair doubling of quality points for the calculation of GPA, and thus, class rank for NECA students.
- Norwalk High students are allowed to take courses at NCC, but those courses are not included on that student's transcript because the credit does not contribute toward the student's high school diploma. Instead, they receive a separate transcript from the college. Additionally, if an NHS student takes a course at UCONN or any other college these are not included in their high school transcript. NECA students are allowed to count all their courses at NCC, including summer courses, as part of their NHS GPA, which are opportunities not provided to non-NECA students.
- A straight "A" student in the traditional Norwalk High School program willing to take a full load of honors and AP courses cannot compete mathematically with a similar straight "A" student in the NECA program. Comparing these two programs numerically leads to rankings that are not equitable.
- These two programs at NHS are not the same. It seems only fair that the students in the NECA program should be recognized and ranked separately from the traditional track Norwalk High students. It is possible for a student to choose the regular path at NHS and participate in a high level and rigorous program of courses, but they will not be recognized as equal to their NECA peers due to the current system of calculating GPA.
- Throughout the past four years at Norwalk High School, students in the traditional track have worked diligently for their class ranking, which did not include the additional weight of NECA students' NCC courses. It was not until midway through this year that this change was made, which has since inflated the NECA students' GPAs, and shifted the rankings from only months ago.
We thank you for taking the above into consideration, and addressing this issue before the first NECA class graduates from NHS.
Sincerely,
Those who have signed this petition
