After years of having a different grading scale than the rest of Tennessee, Hamilton County Schools is finally correcting this difference. Starting with 2022-23, the county’s grading scale has been changed.

The new scale recognizes A’s  from 90 to 100, B’s from 80 to89, C’s from 70 to 79, D’s from 60 to 69, and anything ranging from a 59 and below is an F.

“I’ll admit, it feels a little awkward to say that knowing 60 percent of something is “good enough,” stated English Department Chair and English Nine teacher, Kevin Parsons.

At issue with the old scale was that Hamilton County students had to make 93 and above for an A and 86 to 92 was a B. This could negatively affect students’ GPA’s that rely upon those scores for admission to college. It also could affect scholarships and grants, including the Tennessee HOPE which requires a 3.0.

“It’s a good thing for the students, but it’s going to take time to get everybody on board,” expressed College Access Advisor Stacy Alexander.

For students, this is a wonderful opportunity to get higher grades, and look better on their college applications. However, the one downside could be students who don’t work hard receiving good grades simply because of the new system.

For upcoming seniors, the grading scale is a bit more complicated. Counselors have to let the colleges know that the for this years seniors the first three years were on the previous seven-point scale and this years is on the new 10-point, a process that will continue until the class of 2026 graduates. This new grading scale makes it easier to achieve better grades, and levels the playing field with schools across Tennessee.

“I think it’s great because it makes it easier to get good grades — and I like easy!” said senior Breanna Long.