West Shores High School

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Graduation Honors and Awards

To honor superior academic achievement, graduation ceremonies shall include recognition of valedictorian(s) and salutatorian(s). Valedictorian(s) and salutatorian(s) shall be selected based on established criteria and procedures that use multiple measures of academic performance.

To recognize outstanding academic achievement, graduation
ceremonies will Valedictorian (s), Salutatorian(s), students ranked in the Top Ten(s) of their class, and students with a weighted GPA of 4.0 or higher. These students will be distinguished by wearing a white graduation gown to celebrate their accomplishments.

Valedictorian(s), Salutatorian(s), and Top Ten(s) recipients will be selected based on established criteria and procedures that incorporate multiple measures of academic performance, including the
following: 

1. Students must fulfill all graduation requirements as established by the CVUSD Board.
2. Students must attend an accredited high school for all four full academic years.
3. If a student retakes a course to improve their grade, the average of both grades will be used in determining eligibility for academic honors and in the overall weighted GPA calculation.
4. Students must maintain a full course load for all four years of high school. Having an unscheduled period will disqualify a student from eligibility.
5. To be considered for Valedictorian or Salutatorian, a student must complete their entire sophomore, junior, and senior years at the school where the diploma will be awarded.
6. All courses must be completed for a letter grade. Courses designated as "Pass/Fail" or non-graded will disqualify a student from being recognized as a Valedictorian(s), Salutatorian(s), or Top Ten(s) recipient (For example, Student aide courses are designated as "Pass/Fail" and will disqualify students from being recognized as Valedictorian(s), Salutatorian(s), or a Top Ten(s) recipient.) 

Foreign exchange students may receive honorary diplomas during the graduation ceremony. (Education Code 51225.5) 

Starting with the Class of 2029

To recognize outstanding academic achievement, graduation ceremonies will honor Valedictorian(s) and Salutatorian(s) and acknowledge high academic performance using the Latin honors system: Summa Cum Laude (GPA 4.0 and above), Magna Cum Laude (GPA 3.75–3.99), and Cum Laude (GPA 3.50–3.74). Valedictorian(s),
Salutatorian(s) and Summa Cum Laude recipients will be distinguished by wearing a white graduation gown.

Graduation honors will be determined based on academic performance at the end of the first semester of senior year. Honors, Advanced Placement, and approved college/university courses will be included in the GPA calculation using the weighted scale solely for the purpose of determining Valedictorian(s), Salutatorian(s), and Latin honors distinctions: Summa Cum Laude (GPA 4.0 and above), Magna Cum Laude (GPA 3.75–3.99), and Cum Laude (GPA3.50–3.74). All high schools in the district will use a standardized method for calculating
weighted GPA.

Click here for more information on Board Policy 5127