More than 150 parents packed the school library on the night of Feb. 22, filling every seat for an informational meeting about the upcoming grading changes at the school. The school's newly appointed interim principal, Harry Bettencourt, admitted the way "the process" was handled wasn't the best. But he stressed that his focus now is meeting the school's needs today and tomorrow, rather than focusing on what's happened in the past.

Bettencourt promised to answer every phone call and email from parents to clear up any misinformation and answer all questions from parents, even if it meant staying after the meeting to do so. A flier of answers to frequently asked questions was also provided to those in attendance.

Dialogue among Saratoga High staff members in January brought about the new changes. Bettencourt said that while the changes might seem like "a done deal," they are actually part of a pilot program that will be evaluated for effectiveness in the 2005­06 school year. Meetings with students and parents are also scheduled for March to further clarify the new system. The meeting for students is mandatory.

Three departments--English, social studies and science--will be offering open access to students in honors and Advanced Placement classes.

"We believe students, given adequate and accurate information and guidance, can make responsible decisions regarding course selection," Bettencourt said. "All students deserve the right to experience a rigorous and appropriate curriculum."

School administrators said they don't expect a huge increase of students trying to get into the honors and AP classes, since students must first sign a contract saying they understand what they are getting into by enrolling in those classes.

Saratoga's student transcripts will also be changed to reflect two GPAs--one to reflect weighted grades in honors and AP classes, and another for the school's internal purposes only. The second GPA wouldn't include weighted courses or calculate pluses and minuses.

Displaying both weighted and unweighted grade point averages on transcripts is a process currently used at Los Gatos High.

Contrary to an article in the high school newspaper, Bettencourt said pluses and minuses for course grades will still be posted on transcripts. Pluses and minuses simply will not be calculated in the second GPA, used only for the school's internal purposes.

The internal GPA will be used during a student's senior year to recognize academic achievement. Bettencourt said a committee including all stakeholders will be formed in the 2005­06 school year to determine how to recognize students at graduation and other award ceremonies.

School administrators said part of the reason for the change is to maintain a system that's the same for the entire Los Gatos­Saratoga Joint Union High School District. Another reason administrators cited was to give more students the opportunity to achieve a 4.0, since currently only one student at Saratoga High can have the highest GPA. Bettencourt said the new changes are part of a multi-pronged approach to reducing student stress.

The changes won't affect the college admissions process, Bettencourt said, since colleges have their own formulas for calculating GPAs. As school administrators and teachers fielded questions from parents, Bettencourt reminded the audience the meeting wasn't an episode of American Idol and that audience applause and personal comments about the new system weren't the point of the meeting.

Parents also questioned how the new system would be retroactively applied. Assistant Principal Gail Wasserman used next year's senior class as an example. Transcripts of seniors will reflect the old grading system in effect for their first three years, followed by the new system for the fourth year featuring the weighted and unweighted grade point averages and a detailed explanation of two-part system.