PE teachers at IHS started off the year by announcing a major change—that PE would now count towards student GPAs. This news caught students by surprise, and many were unhappy with the change. While students were initially frustrated with the sudden and unexplained change in policy, annoyance gave way to confusion when in mid-September, students heard contrary information about the new policy from the guidance department. However, after the first ICSD Board of Education (BoE) meeting on September 25, the confusion appears to have subsided as IHS Principal Jason Trumble addressed student concerns and confirmed that PE will be included in the calculation of GPA.
Mr. Trumble began by mentioning a 2-year plan that was implemented at IHS near the end of the 2016-17 school year. This plan, which was meant to facilitate the addition of fine and performing arts classes into GPA through the prioritization of music theory in classes and the addition of assessments, also provided a plan for PE classes to be included in the calculation of GPA the next year. “Your PE teachers were correct in saying that we’re close to [adding PE to GPA]” said Mr. Trumble at the meeting. “Students work hard in PE classes just like in any other, and so it will be counted appropriately.” Although it was unclear from his initial remarks that PE would be counted at the start of this year in GPA, after a follow-up question was asked, Mr. Trumble confirmed that the change will be implemented this year.
This 2-year plan was created after the IHS Student Council petitioned and worked with school administration to add fine arts classes to GPA. Students were initially unaware of the addition of PE in this plan, but rumors began to circulate in September of 2017 that PE would be added to GPA that year. However, at the time, the PE department commented that it wasn’t ready for PE classes to count towards GPA, and the department spent the next year fine-tuning its approach for teaching PE in an increasingly structured and academic way.
Confusion over this policy spread through social media, as students who emailed members of the guidance office about the policy received replies indicating that PE would in fact not be included in the calculation of GPA. These email responses were shared on social media platforms like Instagram, and students confronted PE teachers about this discrepancy. No definitive answer was given until the BoE meeting, and Mr. Trumble’s response was a final verdict from the highest level of school administration.
Up to now, PE had simply been a pass/fail course, and students had been expected to show up in appropriate attire and participate to earn full credit. The addition of PE towards the calculation of GPA has come with some minor changes to the PE curriculum. PE teachers now expect students to watch videos that contribute to their understanding of the topics covered in class, and there are going to be more frequent and in-depth assessments of students’ understanding of the rules of sports and personal fitness goals. Additionally, the length of units has been increased, and students will now be expected to spend 8 class days in the swimming unit instead of the previous 6.
Despite these changes, class expectations seem to not have changed much this year. Classes are very much structured the same, and the emphasis on personal health seems to be the same as in previous years. Graduation requirements for PE are also the same, with students needing to pass 8 half-semester units of the course, although the exact grades that students receive now matter more than before.
While it was initially unclear whether or not PE would be in GPA, it is now certain that at some point this year, the plan will roll over. It’s expected that there will be some bumps in the road, as there were last year when the necessary registrar changes had not been made at the start of the school year to add fine arts classes to GPA. That said, high school administrators have a year of experience under their belts to aid in a smooth transition, and for students, it is now time to start being more regular and attentive in PE classes.