The Fairfax County School Board has unanimously approved a new grading system based on a 10-point scale.
For decades, the Fairfax County School system's grading scale required high school students to earn at least a 94 for an A, with 64 being the lowest passing score.
Most school systems nationwide, including in Falls Church, D.C. and Montgomery County, use a 10-point scale, making scores between 90 and 100 an A, and 60, the bar for passing.
The new scale will take effect in September. The board also agreed to give students an extra point on their GPA for taking Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes, as well as a half-point increase for honors classes.
Thousands of parents and students had argued that the more commonly used grading system would help seniors competing for college scholarships and admissions.
