Per Dallas ISD Evaluation and Assessment (E&A) Department, PROS and CONS of Class Rank









The benefits of option 2 (only ranking the top ten percent of students) include:

1) Only ranking the top ten percent of students would reduce stress for students regarding class rank.

2) Academically accomplished students who are not in the top ten percent of their class would not be negatively affected.

3) Those students not in the top ten percent of their class would not be restricted from eligibility for some special university programs or financial aid based on their class rank.

4) On occasion, ranking could deter universities from admitting students.

5) The intense focus on class rank could discourage students from pursuing other interests.





The disadvantages of option 2 include:

1) Without a class rank, students not in the top ten percent of their class would have no clear, objective measure of their academic performance for colleges and universities to consider.

2) Students benefit from class rankings because it encourages them to take more rigorous courses in order to earn the weighted grade-point average assigned to more demanding AP and pre-AP courses.

3) Students just outside the top ten percent may be more motivated to work harder.