Dist. 128 schools may drop class ranks

Libertyville and Vernon Hills high schools could be the next suburban campuses to give up class rankings.

Under a plan being drafted by Libertyville-Vernon Hills Area High School District 128 officials, students no longer would be ranked by their grade-point averages.

The move would eliminate the traditional valedictorian honors for the graduating seniors with the top averages at each school.

Supporters of the change said it will help get more high-school graduates into college. Class rankings, which traditionally appear on academic transcripts sent to college admission offices, can hurt the chances of students who earn good grades but can't crack the top echelon of their graduating classes, they said.

"We believe it would help some students ... to not have that rank on there," said Deb Larson, the district's assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.

Warren Township, Stevenson, Barrington, Naperville North and Naperville Central are among the suburban high schools that have done away with class rankings.

Other schools have bucked the trend. Mundelein High School reinstated valedictorian and salutatorian recognitions in 2004 after a nine-year absence.

District 128 administrators and teachers have discussed making the change for more than a year, Larson said.

If the administration implements the change - it doesn't require board approval - it would be effective for all students starting with the Class of 2011, officials said.

Seniors in the Class of 2010 would be allowed to choose whether to include their class rankings in their transcripts. Seniors in the Class of 2009 still would be ranked by grade-point average.

The District 128 board's program and personnel committee reviewed an early draft of the proposal during a public meeting this week. It faced no opposition, said board member and committee leader Ellen Mauer.

The move would encourage colleges to judge applicants on their individual merits, rather than how their grades compared with the grades of their peers, Mauer said.

Public forums about the proposal are tentatively scheduled for Sept. 11 at Libertyville High and Sept. 18 at Vernon Hills High.

Additionally, parents and students can share their opinions about the plan via an online survey next month.

Although it's not necessary, the administration will ask the board to endorse the proposal, possibly in October, Larson said.