Class of 2020 Information about graduation requirements & required courses at CHS
Important Information Understand high school graduation requirements Know the course offerings Understand key terms and definitions for high school academics Credits & Transcript Midterm Exams & Final Exams Grade Point Average (GPA) Understand how attendance impacts credit
High School Graduation Requirements State Requirements: All students in the Class of 2020 must demonstrate a minimum proficiency required by the state of New Jersey in ELA and Math: PARCC ELA and PARCC math assessments Alternate tests such as SAT, ACT (provided that the student took the PARCC assessments) Portfolio appeals process (provided that the student took the PARCC assessments) In addition, all students in grade 11 will take the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment for Science. This comprehensive assessment will address the NJ Student Learning Standards covered in the high school science courses. Additional Information on the State Assessments: http://www.nj.gov/education/assessment/parents/gradreq.pdf http://www.state.nj.us/education/aps/cccs/science/
High School Graduation Requirements All students must successfully complete a minimum of 120 credits. The course work must include the following course requirements: District Requirements: English Math Science History PE/Health World Languages Fine Arts Practical Arts Financial Literacy Electives Total credits needed to graduate: 20 credits 15 credits 15 credits 15 credits 15* credits 5 credits 5 credits 5 credits 2.5 credits + 22.5 credits 120 total credits *District PE/Health requirements changed from 5 to 3.75 credits per year in 2017-18; students in the Class of 2020 will earn 16.25 credits in PE/Health (5 +3.75 + 3.75 + 3.75 = 16.25)
Required Courses at CHS 4 Years of English at CHS Grade 9: English 1 Grade 10: English 2 Grade 11: Select English Course Grade 12: Select English Course 3 Years of Science at CHS Grade 9: Biology Grade 10: Physics Grade 11: Chemistry Grade 12: Optional, select additional Science Course
Required Courses at CHS 3 Years of History at CHS Grade 9: World History 2 Grade 10: US History 1 Grade 11: US History 2 Grade 12: Optional, select additional History/Social Studies Course 3 Years of Math at CHS Sequence of courses (some of which may be taken in middle school): Algebra 1 Geometry* Algebra 2 Pre-Calculus Calculus * If Geometry was taken at SOMS or MMS, it will appear on the Columbia High School transcript.
Required Courses at CHS 4 years of PE/Health Safety Grade 9: Two quarters of PE and health 9 Grade 10: Two quarters of PE and driver education Grade 11: Select two quarters of PE and health 11 Grade 12: Select two quarters of PE and health 12
Required Elective Categories For Graduation Purposes, students will need to earn credits in the following categories of electives, which can be taken over the course of four years in high school. Students get to select the course (elective) 5 credits of World Language Electives 5 credits of Practical Arts Electives 5 credits of Fine Arts Electives 2.5 credits of Financial Literacy Electives 22.5 credits of Elective Courses
Basically Every year, students will take English, math, science, history, PE, and electives. Freshmen have more than 20 electives from which they can choose! Sophomores have more than 40 electives from which to choose! Juniors and Seniors have more than 60 electives from which to choose!
Electives what should I choose? In 11 th grade, students can choose 10 credits of electives. SMART Goals can help students think about interests/strengths this can help guide choices regarding electives and help plan a program of study to meet personal goals. We encourage students and families to use the tools in Naviance, an online platform, that helps students identify their strengths, interests and explore careers. Naviance is used throughout high school.
Art 1 Art 2 Art 3 Art 4 HN AP Studio Art AP Art History Drawing Design Crafts 1 Crafts 2 Fibers Fiber Arts Traditional Photography Digital Photography Production Journalism 1 Production Journalism 2 List of Fine Arts Electives (5 credits required for graduation) Animation 1 Animation 2 Film Making 1 Film Making 2 Computer Graphics Chorus Symphonic Choir Chamber Choir Mix (Excelsior Singers) HN Women s Chamber Choir (Canens Vocem) HN Concert Band (Freshmen Band) Symphonic Band Wind Ensemble HN Masterworks Chamber Orchestra Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra HN String Orchestra AP Music Theory Music Technology Courses underlined are available for Freshmen. (HN = Honors)
List of Practical Arts Electives (5 credits required for graduation) Integrated Business Office Technologies, 21 st Century (ibot 21) Desktop Publishing Business Law Business Management and Entrepreneurship Career Awareness CAD for Future Design Professionals Architectural Design Studio Fundamentals of Engineering Design HN Road Map to Computing HN Introduction to Accounting CHS News CHS News II CHS News AM Television Production Advanced Television Production Courses underlined are available for Freshmen. (HN = Honors)
List of Financial Literacy Electives (2.5 credits required) Personal Finance* Economics/Personal Finance/ Entrepreneurship HN* *These courses are offered in grades 10-12 (HN = Honors)
List of World Languages Electives Spanish French Italian Mandarin
World Languages How many years of a world language do I need to take? The state and district require only one year (5 credits) of a world language; however, many colleges/universities require additional years of a language in high school. What is best for you? SMART Goals Use your goals to help with your academic planning. High school students could also use Naviance to help determine if their career pathway/college major require advanced coursework such as 2 or more years of a world language. Counselors can also assist students.
Other electives for rising 11 th graders to consider Vocational-Technical High School (during grades 11 and 12)
English courses offered at CHS All Freshmen take English 1 and all Sophomores take English 2. Honors English Courses offered to Juniors & Seniors: American Literature Contemporary Literature Creative Writing and the Study of Poetry Gender Identities across Literary Movements Journalistic Writing and Analysis Literature and Performance African Literature Literature and Philosophy Literature of Social Criticism Research-Based Writing and Debate Shakespearean Literature World Literature
Math courses offered at CHS All students need three years of math; the math courses are offered in a sequential manner: Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Precalculus, Calculus Additional math courses: Statistics Computer Science Principles Advanced topics in mathematics (for students with an interest/experience with national math exams) Calculus 3 Linear Algebra Note: Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra 2 are required for Graduation.
Science courses offered at CHS All Freshmen take biology, all Sophomores take physics and all Juniors take chemistry. Additional science: Science research (3 year program, grades 10-12) Science electives for seniors o Astronomy o Biochemistry o Environmental Science o Forensic Science o Physics 2
Social Studies courses offered at CHS All Freshmen take World History 2, all Sophomores take US History 1 and all Juniors take US History 2. Social Studies courses offered to Juniors and Seniors: European History Government & Politics Psychology African Studies Economics/Personal Finance/Entrepreneurship Race, Genocide and the Holocaust Sociology
Advanced Placement (AP) Courses AP courses are offered for students in grades 10-12. These are college level courses. Now is a good time to start learning about the different AP courses offered at CHS. You and your parents/guardians can learn more about the College Board Advanced Placement courses including the Course and Exam Descriptions and Course Overviews for all AP courses: https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse The fee for each AP Exam is about $110. Fee waivers are available for students who qualify.
AP Courses Offered at CHS Art History AP Biology AP Calculus AB AP Calculus BC AP Chemistry AP Comparative Government & Politics AP Computer Science Principles AP English Language & Composition AP English Literature & Composition AP Environmental Science AP European History AP French Language & Culture AP Italian Language & Culture - AP Music Theory AP Physics AP (students can take the Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism and/or Physics C: Mechanics AP exams) Psychology AP Spanish Language & Culture AP Spanish Literature & Culture AP Statistics AP Studio Art AP (students can take the 2-D Design and/or Drawing AP exams) U.S. Government & Politics AP United States History AP World History AP (this is NOT an AP course; however, students in the Honors World History 2 class can take the AP exam if they so choose)
16 AP Courses for Juniors Page 65 of 2018-19 Course Offering Guide Art History Calculus AB Calculus BC Chemistry Comparative Government & Politics Computer Science Principles English Language & Composition European History Music Theory Psychology Spanish Language & Culture Spanish Literature & Culture Statistics Studio Art US History 2 US Government & Politics
Where can you find more information on all of the courses offered at CHS? 2018-19 Course Offering Guide has been posted onto the Course Offering Guide page of the CHS guidance website. Direct link can be found here: https://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/site/default. aspx?pageid=3654
We ve talked about courses Most required core courses are offered as Academic or Honors World Languages Introductory courses are offered as Academic All other language courses are offered as Academic, Honors and/or AP Some electives are offered as Honors (HN) Some courses are offered as AP (grades 10-12)
Academic, Honors & AP Academic courses are grade-level Standards-based courses that align to the NJ Student Learning Standards. Honors courses meet the same academic requirements as the Academic courses and provide one or more of the following: additional depth, complexity, and/or acceleration of content. Students are encouraged to take Honors courses. AP courses are registered courses with the College Board and follow the course description provided by the College Board, with the expectation that all students enrolled in the AP course take the AP exam in May. AP courses are college-level courses. Your GPA is one of many factors that colleges/universities may use as part of their admission criteria. An A in an Academic class earns you 4.33 GPA points. An A in an Honors class earns you 4.67 GPA points; whereas, an An A in an AP class earns you 5.00 GPA points.
Academic & Honors Most required core courses (English, science, math, history) are offered as Academic or Honors. Students are encouraged to be taking honors courses and/or AP courses in 11 th grade. GPA (grade point average) is a number that is another way of looking at your grades, taking into account the difficulty of the courses you take. At Columbia High School, your GPA can range from 0-5.3. For example, an A in an Academic class earns you 4.33 points; whereas, an A in an Honors class earns you 4.67 points. Many colleges/universities look at the student s GPA when making admission decisions.
Course Offering Guide The course offering guide lists all of the courses offered at Columbia High School and provides a brief description of each course along with the grade in which the course is offered. The 2018-19 guide is posted on the SOMSD Website/CHS Guidance Page. The guide also explains the process and procedures related to grading at CHS, the list of AP courses and the grade in which they are offered and valuable resources for students and parents regarding high school and post-secondary planning. Starting with the 2018-19 school year, please note the STEM realignment: All core math and science courses at CHS are offered as Academic or Honors, with the exception of Algebra 1 which is offered as Academic. Most STEM electives are Honors or AP.
Next few slides are for you to review at your convenience Please read the Course Offering Guide, especially the beginning (pg. 7-24) and end (pg. 63-73) for additional information. GPA, Participation in College Athletics, Naviance SAT/ACT Junior Year, Khan Academy, College Admission Junior Meeting: During the student s junior year, they will meet with their school counselor to discuss their post-secondary plans
Understand Key Terms and Definitions for High School Academics Report Card Report cards are issued 4 times during a school year. Report cards list the courses and grades earned for each marking period. They also include the final grade earned for the course. It is important to note that only the final grade appears on the student s high school transcript. Marking Period Length of time that a grade is earned. Each marking period is 9 weeks (about 45 days). There are four marking periods in a school year. Quarter There are four quarters in the school year; PE and health courses are the only courses that are quarter courses. Semester How the school year is divided. Each school year is divided into 2 semesters. Many elective courses are semester courses. Midterm Exams & Final Exams End of the semester exams are given in English, math, science, history and world language courses. These exams each count toward 10% of the overall grade. Students should discuss the exam criteria with their teachers and start to prepare well in advance of the announced exam date.
Grade Scale at CHS 90% 100% = A 80% - 89% = B 70% - 79% = C 60% - 69% = D Below 60% = F Grade of NC = no credit because the student exceeded the limit of absences for that class. Example of GPA for a grade of B in an English class: Academic: GPA for a B is 3.33 Honors: GPA for a B is 3.67 AP: GPA for a B is 4.0 (AP English courses are only offered in grades 11 & 12)
Credit Credit Value assigned to each class taken in high school. Credits are earned at the end of the course once you pass the class. Classes are either worth 1.25 credits, 2.5 credits or 5 credits. If a grade of NC is issued, the student did NOT earn the credit and the course needs to be repeated; grades of NC can cause the student to not be on track for graduation. Classes worth 1.25 credits: PE and health classes are worth 1.25 credits for each course. These courses meet for one quarter of the school year.
Credits Classes worth 2.5 credits: Many electives are worth 2.5 credits per course. Classes worth 2.5 credits meet for a semester (1/2 of the school year). Classes worth 5 credits: These include all English, math, science, history and world language courses in addition to many year long elective courses. These courses meet every day and are year long courses.
Credits In high school you need a certain number of credits to graduate: 120 credits in NJ. You earn credits by passing a class. The final grade and number of credits earned are recorded on the transcript for every course. If you fail a class, no credits are earned and you may not be on track to graduate with your class.
Periods in a Day There are 9 periods in the school day at CHS. Students are scheduled for 8 periods. One period is unassigned in order for students to have access to resources such as tutorials, academic labs, and time to meet with teachers. English, math, science, history, PE/health and lunch take up 6 of the 8 scheduled periods. There is room in the student s schedule for 10 credits of electives. Over the course of 4 years in high school, the electives fulfill the requirements in world languages, fine arts, practical arts and financial literacy categories.
Important Terms and Definitions Promotion: students are promoted to the next academic grade upon successful completion of the required course credits: Grade Credits 10 30 11 60 12 90 To Graduate 120
Eligibility for Participation in Athletics To be eligible for high school athletics, a student must meet the following credit requirements: First Semester: All 9 th grade students are eligible; students in grades 10-12 must have passed 30 credits required by the State of New Jersey for graduation during the preceding academic year. Second Semester: Students in grades 9-12 must have passed 15 credits required by the State of New Jersey for graduation at the close of the preceding semester. Full year courses will be equated as one-half of the total credits to be gained for the full year to determine credits passed during the preceding semester.
Important Terms and Definitions GPA Grade Point Average: All courses are unweighted unless otherwise indicated as Academic, Honors or AP. The unweighted GPA includes all courses; whereas, the weighted GPA includes only Academic, Honors and/or AP classes. A weighted GPA is a GPA that takes the difficulty of your classes into account along with your grades. Please refer to the GPA chart (Grade Point Average System, in the 2018-19 Course Offering Guide )to see the differences among Academic, Honors and AP values that impact GPA. GPA is a number that is another way of looking at your grades, taking into account the difficulty of the course you take (i.e., Academic, Honors or AP). GPA Scale The scale used to calculate the GPA. Honors and AP courses receive more weight on the scale than Academic courses. For example, at Columbia High School, an A in an Academic class earns you 4.33 points; whereas, an A in an Honors class earns you 4.67 points.
Important Terms and Definitions Transcript The student s permanent academic record. The transcript includes all high school courses (and MMS and SOMS geometry course taken in 8 th grade), final grade for the course and credits earned. The transcript is sent to colleges and employers. Unweighted & Weighted GPA The transcript also includes the academic unweighted GPA (all courses) and weighted GPA (any course that is Academic, Honors and/or AP) for each school year.
Attendance All absences, excused and unexcused, count toward chronic absences. A student may be denied course credit if they miss more than 10% of any course (chronic absenteeism). This means if a student missed more than 5 days in a Quarter Course, more than 9 days in a Semester Course or more than 18 days in a Year Long Course, credit may be denied. All unexcused absences count toward truancy. Students and parents/guardians can monitor attendance records in PowerSchool.
This is a lot of information Take time to look through the information and refer to the SOMSD Website/CHS Guidance page for additional resources.
SMART Goals Students and parents/guardians are encouraged to discuss the SMART Goal Planner to help the student think about longterm planning and planning a pathway in high school to prepare the student for their goals. The link to the SMART Goal Planner is on the SOMSD Website/CHS Guidance page: https://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/page/4221
Steps in Planning Your Program of Study: Planning Your Program of Study: Steps in Planning The program of studies which you plan will help you to enjoy a successful and meaningful high school career. It will determine how well you are prepared for college entrance or for obtaining employment or achieving other post-secondary goals. Here are the steps you should follow: 1. Establish personal goals. It is recommended that the student use the SMART Goals Planner on the CHS Guidance page: https://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/page/4221 2. Evaluate honestly your personal strengths, interests, aptitudes and needs. 3. Learn the requirements for entrance to the college or school you plan to attend, or for the kind of work you plan to do after graduation. 4. During the 11 th grade, try to visit the colleges, technical schools, or places of employment in which you are interested. 5. Consult with your parents/guardians, talk with your teachers, and confer with your school counselor to get the benefit of their experience and information. 6. Select the subjects that will contribute toward achieving your goals. 7. It is the student s responsibility to review their graduation requirements/credits and to plan accordingly to be on track for graduation. Please note that a student can only take a course once in order to receive credit for that course; it is the student s responsibility to inform their counselor and teacher immediately if they are enrolled in a class that they previously completed and passed. The only exception to this would be music courses that can be repeated for credit (e.g., choir, band, and orchestra). 8. It is the student s responsibility to meet all state assessment requirements to be on track for graduation.
Naviance & Online Registration Naviance: If your child has not already done so, please have them complete the activities in Naviance under the About Me and Careers tabs Strength Explorer, Career Interest Profiler, Explore Careers & Explore College Research https://connection.naviance.com/columbia Online course registration: Directions on website. Register online, March 5-19, 2018.