Course averages are a measure of academic performance in a particular course. They are calculated by taking the total number of points earned in the course and dividing it by the total number of points possible. The resulting number is the course average, which is usually expressed as a percentage. The term 'PARS' is an acronym for 'Percentage Achieved Relative to Standard, ' which is a measure of how well a student has performed relative to the expected standard for the course.