Coweta's students picked up

an incentive Tuesday night to take advanced placement classes.

The Coweta County Board of Education approved a system to give added weight

to advanced classes. The reason, according to Superintendent of Education

Richard Brooks, is that students were worried about their grade-point

averages.

"A lot of students are very aware of the HOPE Scholarship requirements

and were afraid to take those classes for fear of lowering their grade-point

average," he said.

The system studied neighboring systems and discovered that many gave extra

points or weighted the classes. The board decided to give the classes

a 1.15 weight. For instance, if a child averages 100 in advanced placement

math, his grade will be recorded as 115.

Brooks emphasized that this does not change any requirement or tests in

the classes. If a student wants to exempt a class in college, he or she

will still have to take a test to determine if he can exempt it.

"This really takes the fear that students have of the grade point

dropping, he said.