GUSD may remove students’ class rankings

Glendale school officials will likely remove students’ class rankings from transcripts, due to certain colleges and universities automatically turning students away for not falling within the top 10% of their class, even though those kids still attained a high GPA.

Many colleges allow students to apply even if no class rank was included on the transcript, said Glendale Unified Supt. Dick Sheehan.

“We are disallowing some of our students to advance in the college application process sheerly by including the class rank,” he said, adding that not all school districts include students’ rank on transcripts.

Officials say there is no noted disadvantage for excluding the number on transcripts.

The school board did not take any formal action to remove the rankings this week, and high school principals will continue to discuss them, said Lynn Marso, assistant superintendent of educational services.

For now, the Glendale school board welcomed the idea of removing them from transcripts.

“If somebody wants it, they can have it, but otherwise, nobody needs to know,” said school board President Mary Boger.

Students’ rankings would still be available to colleges, parents and students if requested.

“All we have to do is push a button, and then we can provide it,” Sheehan said.