Welcome to 8 th Grade Parent Night March 27,2018 Azle High School
Introductions Principal Randy Cobb Counselors Heather Huffaker (A-C) hhuffaker@azleisd.net Amanda Terrell (D-K) aterrell@azleisd.net Melissa McPherson (L-Q) mmcpherson@azleisd.net Nicole Murray (R-Z) nmurray@azleisd.net Laurie Wheeler Student Services lwheeler@azleisd.net Melody Borger C.O.O.L mborger@azleisd.net
Tonight s presentation Academic Information Testing Requirements Graduation Requirements Endorsements Distinguished Achievement Performance Acknowledgments Career Planning Scheduling Information Advanced Placement/Dual Credit programs
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL Understand your academic record Know your school Be in school every day Know how to get good grades Set Goals Get Involved Make Good Choices and Decisions Use Available Services Counselors are your friends! Plan and Prepare for your future
Clubs and Organizations Involvement in student organizations and community service is vital for college admissions Anime Club AP Ambassadors Club Band Bowling Club Cheer Choir Color Guard & Winter Guard Communities in School Computer Club Creative Writing Club Criminal Justice Club Dazzlers FBLA Future Business Leaders of America FCA Fellowship of Christian Athletes FCCLA Fishing Club FFA HOSA Interact Junior Rotarians National Honor Society PAL Peer Assistance Leadership Pro Start (Culinary) Robotics Rocket Challenge Rodeo Club Skills USA Auto & Industrial Arts Sports Medicine Student Council Student Leadership TAFE (Future Educators) Thespians TSA (Technology) UIL Journalism UIL Ready Writing UIL Literary Criticism UIL Math UIL Science UIL Spelling and Vocab UIL Social Studies VASE Visual Arts Scholastic Event Yearbook
Grade Classification Classification is based on the number of credits earned not the number of years completed in high school Grade Classification Credits required for 1 st time 9 th graders 9 th 0-6.5 credits 10 th 7-13.5 11 th 14-20.5 12 th 21 +
TRANSCRIPT
GPAs and class rankings Grades are the single most important factor in college admissions decisions. Admissions officers will want to see consistently good performance If your grades improve from 9 th grade, that will be a plus in your favor as well. Admission committees will also look closely at the rigor of courses that you have taken. They want students who have challenged themselves during high school. All AHS teachers offer tutoring on Wednesdays after school and at least one other day. Buses will take students home at 4:30 pm on Wednesdays.
GPA and Class rankings What is a GPA and why is it important? GPA stands for Grade Point Average. The GPA represents the number of grade points a student earns for each graded high school course. Dividing a student's total grade points (semester grades) earned by the total course credits attempted determines a student's GPA. Pre-AP/AP courses students receive 5 points per semester for each PASSING grade in a Pre-AP and AP class.
GPA and Class rankings cont. Students are ranked by their GPAs The highest GPA holds the status of Valedictorian The 2 nd highest GPA holds the status of Salutatorian Students in the top 10 of their class receive special recognition their senior year
Class rankings and automatic admission Students in the top 10% of their class receive automatic admission to most state universities if they graduate with Distinguished Achievement. Many scholarship entities look at GPA and class rank when giving scholarships.
Attendance Student must attend each class 90% of the time to earn credit. If students are not in attendance 90% of the time then students will be denied credit and must repeat the course. No Attendance Camp at high school
Higher education go get it! Types of Higher Education Community College - Associates Degree and Certificate programs Technical School University On-The-Job Training Why Go? Discovering yourself Explore your interests Expand your knowledge and skills Meet lifelong friends Increase your understanding of the world
Higher education go get it! Improve the quality of life you enjoy Type of home (home ownership in a safe, secure neighborhood) Career opportunities Financial Security (savings account, emergencies, family vacations) Benefits (healthcare, dental, paid vacation) Mean Annual Earnings by Education Level Less than High School $23,400 High School Graduate, no College $40,352 Some College, no Degree $46,800 Associate Degree $48,308 Bachelor s Degree $71,552 Master s Degree $82,628 Doctoral Degree $113,308
College Comparison High School Class Rank Texas Tech University Top 10% First Quarter 2 nd Quarter 3 rd Quarter 4 th Quarter University of North Texas Top 10% First Quarter 2 nd Quarter 3 rd Quarter 4 th Quarter University of Texas at Austin* Top 7% All others Texas A&M University* Top 10% First Quarter All others Test Score ACT Automatic Admission 24 26 27 Application Review ACT Automatic Admission 20 23 26 Application Review ACT Automatic Admission Holistic Review ACT Automatic Admission 30 Holistic Review SAT 1180 1260 1290 SAT 1030 (CR + M) 1130 (CR + M) 1250 (CR + M) SAT SAT 1360
STAAR STAAR assessments include 5 end-of-course (EOC) assessments: English 1 English 2 Algebra 1 Biology US History
PSAT Only offered once a year in October Can be taken during the 10th and 11th grades 11th graders who take the PSAT are eligible for National Merit Scholarships 11th graders who achieve Commended Status and above on the PSAT will earn a Performance Acknowledgement on their diploma and transcript
SAT and ACT Admissions Tests Testing prospective college students for the purpose of admission Taken during their junior year or at the beginning of the senior year Administered several times during the year at various locations and may be taken as many times as the student wants to take the test SAT www.collegeboard.org ACT www.actstudent.org
Graduation Requirements
Course Offering Guide www.azleisd.net
House Bill 5 The focus of HB 5 is to make sure every student graduates prepared for college and a career by creating flexibility for students to pursue their passion. ~Senator Dan Patrick
House Bill 5 The Texas Education Agency and HB5 require that all 8 th grade students select an Endorsement upon entering the ninth grade. This process will occur for AISD students during the spring scheduling process. Students may graduate with more than one Endorsement. Student and parent signatures are required on the projected fouryear plan for the Endorsement selection. Students may change their Endorsement choice throughout their high school career but course selections need to be carefully considered so that Endorsement options are not limited. Additionally students and parents must complete the appropriate process and documentation.
Achieve Texas
Five ENDORSEMENTS English 4.0 Mathematics 4.0 Science 4.0 Social Studies 4.0 Health 0.5 Speech 0.5 Physical Education 1.0 Technology App. 1.0 Fine Arts 1.0 Foreign Language 2.0 Electives 6.0 TOTAL CREDITS 28.0
Business & Industry Endorsement Students must complete a coherent sequence of four credits in CTE that includes at least two courses in the same career cluster and at least one advanced CTE course Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources Architecture & Construction Manufacturing Transportation, Distribution & Logistics Business Management & Admin Finance Marketing Hospitality & Tourism Information Technology Arts, A/V Technology & Communication OR Students may complete four credits in either Advanced Journalism Newspaper or Yearbook
Public Services Endorsement Students must complete a coherent sequence of four credits in CTE that includes at least two courses in the same career cluster and at least one advanced CTE course Education and Training Government & Public Admin Health Science Human Services Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
Arts & Humanities Endorsement Students must complete one of the following sequence of courses: A coherent sequence of four credits from one or two of the following categories: Art Music Dance Theatre Four courses of the same language in a language other than English (LOTE) OR Two courses of the same language in a LOTE and two courses in a difference language in a LOTE OR A total of five social studies courses (listed on this plan)
STEM ENDORSEMENT Students must complete either: Two additional math courses for which Algebra 2 is a prerequisite (for a total of five math courses) OR Two additional science course in addition to Biology, Chemistry and Physics (for a total of five science courses)
MULTIDISCIPLINARY ENDORSEMENT Students must complete one of the following: Four advanced courses that prepare a student to enter the workforce successfully or postsecondary education without remediation from within one endorsement area or among endorsement areas OR Four Advanced Placement or dual credit courses OR Four courses in each of the four foundation subject areas to include English IV and chemistry and/or physics
DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT Completion of the courses on each endorsement plan will qualify a student for Distinguished Achievement which will be noted on the student s diploma and transcript A student must earn this level of achievement to be eligible for top 10% automatic admission
Performance Acknowledgments A student may earn a performance acknowledgment on their transcript for outstanding performance in any ONE of the following seven ways:
Performance Acknowledgements 1. Successfully completing 12 hours of dual credit courses with a grade of 3.0 or higher 2. In bilingualism/biliteracy by earning an 80 or above in all English classes and completing three credits in the same language in a language other than English 3. Earning a score of 3 or above on a College Board Advanced Placement exam
Performance Acknowledgements CONT. 4. Earning a score on the PSAT that qualifies the student as a commended scholar by the National Merit Scholarship Corp. 5. Earning a combined critical reading and math score of at least 1250 on the SAT exam 6. Earning a composite score of 28 on the ACT exam (excluding writing) 7. Earning a nationally or internationally recognized business or industry certification or license by performance on an exam sufficient to obtain a certification
Career Cruising Career Guidance Tool www.careercruising.com Username: azlehs Password: texas Identifies top two (2) career clusters Each year in high school, students will make a Projected Four- Year Plan (p. 18) with their counselor to lay out a path of courses in their chosen career cluster. The course catalog is organized by career cluster for ease of selection. Explore career interests while in high school - save money in college
Student and parent signatures are required to register for high school
Scheduling Information AHS counselors will individually schedule 8 th graders Azle Junior High April 2 nd 3 rd Forte Junior High April 4 th -5 th Course Offering Sheet (Blue) Course Catalog and Planning Guide Endorsements (pgs. 19-23) Sample Course Request Sheet (p.25) Parents are invited to schedule an appointment with their student s counselor to discuss their schedule and personal graduation plan
Things to think about when choosing classes Career Interests Endorsement Areas and Career Pathways Personal Interests Extracurricular Activities Pre-AP/AP Classes FINISH STRONG!
Advanced Placement (AP) Program This program is intended for students who can perform at rigorous academic levels and who have a willingness to: Actively engage in sophisticated concepts Be judged by rigorous, college-level standards Complete longer and more complex nightly assignments Organization and time management skills are a must Complete the Advanced Placement Examination in May (for AP classes) For additional information about the AP program, visit www.collegeboard.org/ap/students
Advanced Placement (AP) Program continued In order to take a Pre-AP course, students must the following requirements: All Pre-AP/AP students must complete summer work for each Pre-AP/AP course they intend to take. Friday, April 13 th Summer work is handed out at the junior highs Thursday June 7 th All Pre-AP summer work is due at AHS. Teachers will receive work from 10 am -12 pm and 1-3 pm. Late work will not be accepted. Students may turn their work in early to the AHS counseling office.
Dual Credit To qualify to take a dual credit course, a student must: Have written permission from high school counselor or principal Enroll at the college/university offering the course(s) Meet the entrance requirement of the college/university including the required placement exams Students who make an A or B in 12 hours of dual credit courses will earn a Performance Acknowledgement
Dual Credit Azle High School has agreements with Weatherford College to offer college courses at AHS taught by AHS faculty Dual Credit course offerings at AHS: Chemistry Biology Anatomy and Physiology Government/Economics Art Appreciation Humanities Dual Credit courses may also be taken at the Tarrant County College or Weatherford campus
Texas OnRamps Dual Enrollment Blended learning courses Offered to juniors and seniors UT Austin developed curriculum No TSI requirement Aligns directly with content and skill expectations of entry-level university classes
Texas OnRamps Dual Enrollment Students who take dual credit/enrollment courses are twice as likely to complete a degree/certification in 6 yrs Texas Core curriculum credit, transferable 10 points added to students high school gpas for passing semester grade in a course Low risk, late drop policy Pass/fail option Free! (For students and Azle ISD)
Texas OnRamps Dual Enrollment Courses English 1301 & 1302 (6 hours) US History 1301 & 1302 (6 hours) Physics 1301 (3 hours) Geoscience 1311 (3 hours) Statistics (Math 1342) (3 hours)
Dates to remember Fish Camp Forte Tuesday, May 22 nd AJHS Wednesday, May 23 rd Thursday, May 31 st - Last day to request schedule changes. Only schedule changes pertaining to computer errors will be addressed during the following school year. Projected four-year plans with Endorsement choices are also due to your counselor this day. Thursday, June 7 th Pre-AP summer work must be turned in at AHS 10-12 and 1-3 August 9 th grade schedule pickup at AHS
Closing Fresh Start! Questions? Thank you for your time! AHS Counseling Office Phone: 817-270-1750 Fax: 817-270-2170