The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) has released its draft of new rules to implement a standard method to compute a high school student’s grade point average for admission to general academic teaching institutions. While AP, IB and dual credit fine arts courses may be included in the weighted section of the draft, no fine arts courses are included in the overall uniform calculation. Only math, English language arts, social studies, science and languages other than English count in the basic calculation.

This policy would mean that band, orchestra or choir would not count but yearbook or newspaper would. Art history III or music theory I, II also would not count.

Several newspaper articles this past week quoted a spokesperson for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board stating, “Nonacademic courses such as band, orchestra and physical education would not count in the overall calculation.”

TMEA offered public testimony on this issue at a public hearing September 17 and issued a press release later that same day. As a result of the public testimony of TMEA and others bringing forward numerous concerns about the current draft, a subcommittee of the THECB decided to take no action pending further input from the field.

I encourage you, parents of your students, and colleagues to share your disappointment and concern for the omission of fine arts from the basic GPA calculation. The general public may give public comment by October 5. All comments should be submitted to Natalie Coffey, Senior Program Director, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, P.O. Box 12788, Austin, Texas, 78711. The rules will be considered for adoption at the THECB’s October 23 meeting.

THECB Uniform GPA Calculation Recommendations

Uniform GPA Press Release