When I go on school site visits and students have an opportunity to speak freely, one truth eventually rises to the surface. Students who get the most attention are those for whom the game of school comes naturally, those for whom it doesn't, and athletes. Kids in the middle, who make up the majority often report they feel left out of conversations, opportunities and certain relationships. This divide is often reinforced through ceremonial graduation practices, where the earners of the top Grade Point Averages are recognized through medals, dinners and special speeches.
This arbitrary hierarchy based on arbitrary GPA calculations is bad curriculum for our youth. It reinforces scarcity over abundance, competition over collaboration, not to mention what it tells our youth about their own worth. I'm not saying we shouldn't recognize the amazing things kids have accomplished over their four years of high school at special pre-graduation events; I am saying that GPA is not the right indicator.
I really loved the elementary school my two oldest attended. It is a small school, less than ninety kids K-5. There are pros and cons to small schools, and the attention each child can be afforded is one of the pros. I'm not sure if this is still a practice at the school, but at my daughter's fifth grade celebration, each child was celebrated for their unique selves through a short personalized message from one member of the staff who chose them. The message was printed for them and was also spoken aloud. Each child's worth as a human being and contribution to the school community was recognized.
Now, I know it's not feasible to do this sort of thing at most high schools, AND by highlighting some kids in ultra special ways through exclusive dinners, speeches or even yard signs, we're over valuing some humans over others based not on quality things they've done, but a GPA, a manufactured number.
"But a GPA does represent quality things they've done." To this I say, maybe, AND not in all classes all the time in a majority of our systems.
I can hear another arguments for keeping "top ten" events..."not everyone deserves a trophy." Ok, AND trophies should connect to something meaningful, who gave a lot, who grew a lot, who created, who overcame.
And for the top tens who feel they might lose something, check out this Valedictory speech from The King's Academy 2019 graduation ceremony.
In NH, we haven’t fully embraced Competency Based Education because we're unwilling to leave practices like the GPA behind. If we truly want kids to focus on the learning and not the grade, we have to start celebrating evidence of learning and not a number.