EDUCATION: EDUCATION: Go Get It!Go Get It!

OVERVIEW:OVERVIEW: REVIEW GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS REVIEW GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS TAKS REQUIREMENTS FOR TAKS REQUIREMENTS FOR

GRADUATIONGRADUATION HONORS COURSES AND DUAL CREDITHONORS COURSES AND DUAL CREDIT LOOKING TOWARD COLLEGELOOKING TOWARD COLLEGE ON-LINE COURSE SELECTIONON-LINE COURSE SELECTION THE 4-YEAR PLAN (ACHIEVE TEXAS)THE 4-YEAR PLAN (ACHIEVE TEXAS)

The Recommended High The Recommended High School Plan (RHSP) and School Plan (RHSP) and

the Distinguished the Distinguished Achievement Plan (DAP) Achievement Plan (DAP)

require 26 credits require 26 credits including four years of including four years of English, math, science English, math, science

and social studies.and social studies.

Texas Graduation PlansTexas Graduation Plans RecommendedRecommended DistinguishedDistinguished

ENGLISHENGLISH 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0

MATHEMATICSMATHEMATICS 4.0 4.0 4.04.0

SCIENCESCIENCE 4.0 4.04.0 4.0

SOCIAL STUDIESSOCIAL STUDIES 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0

SPEECH SPEECH 0.5 0.50.5 0.5

HEALTHHEALTH 0.5 0.50.5 0.5

FINE ARTSFINE ARTS 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0

PHYSICAL EDUCATIONPHYSICAL EDUCATION 1.0 1.01.0 1.0

TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS 1.01.0 1.0 1.0

LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENG. LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENG. 2.02.0 3.0 3.0

ADDITIONAL ELECTIVESADDITIONAL ELECTIVES 4.04.0 3.03.0

TOTAL CREDITSTOTAL CREDITS 26 26 26 26

Differences Between Differences Between RHSP and DAPRHSP and DAP

FOR DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT FOR DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT PLAN (DAP)PLAN (DAP) One additional language other than One additional language other than

English (LOTE) credit is required English (LOTE) credit is required (3 vs. 2 credits)(3 vs. 2 credits)

Four advanced academic measures Four advanced academic measures are requiredare required

HIGH SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL COURSES OFFERED IN COURSES OFFERED IN

MIDDLE SCHOOL:MIDDLE SCHOOL:Algebra IAlgebra I

Spanish I or Latin ISpanish I or Latin I

Communication ApplicationsCommunication Applications

HealthHealth

Pre-AP & AP Pre-AP & AP InstructionInstruction

Pre-AP classesPre-AP classes: Curriculum is : Curriculum is enriched and accelerated. enriched and accelerated. Typically, these courses lead to Typically, these courses lead to Advanced Placement (AP) Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Students enrolled in an courses. Students enrolled in an AP course are encouraged to AP course are encouraged to take the AP exam. take the AP exam.

Dual EnrollmentDual Enrollment

Dual enrollment occurs when a high Dual enrollment occurs when a high school student attends ACC to earn both school student attends ACC to earn both high school & college credit high school & college credit simultaneously.simultaneously.

A student must be classified as a junior or A student must be classified as a junior or senior. Students may enroll at ACC after senior. Students may enroll at ACC after completing their sophomore year.completing their sophomore year.

What Do What Do Colleges Colleges

Look For in a Look For in a Student?Student?

Keep Your Eye on the Target!Keep Your Eye on the Target!

ACADEMICS: Rigorous Courses/

Great Grades

Clubs & School Activities

Work/ Summer Experiences

Leadership Opportunities

Community Service

Awards/ Honors

Athletics/ Sports Participation

Leadership:Leadership:

Colleges are looking for Colleges are looking for students who…students who…

• Have the ability to accept Have the ability to accept responsibility for a club or responsibility for a club or organization. This helps to set organization. This helps to set him/her apart from peers.him/her apart from peers.

• Become an officer or a captain in Become an officer or a captain in his/her organization, club or team.his/her organization, club or team.

• Initiates a new club or program.Initiates a new club or program.• Combine service with leadership.Combine service with leadership.

Scholarship:Scholarship: Colleges are looking for students Colleges are looking for students

who…who… Take full advantage of the rigorous Take full advantage of the rigorous

curriculum being offered.curriculum being offered. Demonstrate an upward trend in their Demonstrate an upward trend in their

grades and good study habits.grades and good study habits. Most colleges are looking for strong Most colleges are looking for strong

grades, high 80’s and above with grades, high 80’s and above with rigorous curriculum (Pre-AP, AP rigorous curriculum (Pre-AP, AP classes).classes). Grades that illustrate an upward trend.Grades that illustrate an upward trend.

Community ServiceCommunity Service

STUDENTS SHOULD…STUDENTS SHOULD… Take the Take the

opportunity to help opportunity to help others in their others in their communitycommunity

Make use of their Make use of their talents to help talents to help othersothers

Community Community service adds to a service adds to a student’s resumestudent’s resume

They can start this They can start this summer!summer!

It’s the right thing It’s the right thing to do!to do!

See: See: www.whschaps.comClick on Service Link for more Click on Service Link for more

information information

College Entrance ExamsCollege Entrance Exams1.1. SAT / ACT – These SAT / ACT – These

tests are taken in the tests are taken in the junior year.junior year.

2.2. TAKS – This is the high TAKS – This is the high school exit level test. school exit level test.

3.3. PSAT –This test is PSAT –This test is taken in October of taken in October of sophomoresophomore and and juniorjunior years. It is the practice years. It is the practice test for the SAT test for the SAT Reasoning test.Reasoning test.

College Entrance ExamsCollege Entrance Exams It is recommended that students take It is recommended that students take

the SAT and/or ACT for the first time the SAT and/or ACT for the first time during their junior year.during their junior year.

What are SAT Subject Tests?What are SAT Subject Tests? SAT Subject Tests are individual SAT Subject Tests are individual

achievement tests that cover a achievement tests that cover a particular topic (i.e. math, science, particular topic (i.e. math, science, etc.).etc.).

Ideally, SAT Subject Tests should be Ideally, SAT Subject Tests should be taken as close as possible to the time taken as close as possible to the time when your child completes the course when your child completes the course that corresponds to the test.that corresponds to the test.

Public Colleges and Public Colleges and UniversitiesUniversities

State fundedState funded

Follow Follow legislative legislative requirements requirements for statesfor states

Private Colleges and Private Colleges and UniversitiesUniversities

Private colleges and Private colleges and universities do not universities do not receive money from the receive money from the state.state.

Private colleges tend to Private colleges tend to be smaller.be smaller.

Community CollegeCommunity College Community Colleges Community Colleges

can…can… Offer dual creditOffer dual credit Build your Build your

confidenceconfidence Offer flexibility and Offer flexibility and

affordabilityaffordability

Financial AidFinancial AidTypes of Types of

financial aid:financial aid: Free MoneyFree Money

ScholarshipsScholarships GrantsGrants

Financial AidFinancial Aid LoansLoans Work StudyWork Study

Financial aid Financial aid workshops are workshops are offered each fall and offered each fall and springspring

Be Strategic!Be Strategic! There are many things your There are many things your

children can do NOW to make children can do NOW to make their junior and senior year their junior and senior year less stressful.less stressful. Keep grades moving in Keep grades moving in

an upward trendan upward trend Select community Select community

service projects that service projects that match their passions, match their passions, interest, or future careerinterest, or future career

Maintain a “College Maintain a “College Bound” fileBound” file

Encourage your child to get Encourage your child to get to know his or her counselor.to know his or her counselor.

Middle School and High Middle School and High School counselors work School counselors work closely together to make this closely together to make this a smooth and exciting a smooth and exciting transition!transition!

START NOW TO START NOW TO MAKE A PLAN!MAKE A PLAN!

Map out a 4 year planMap out a 4 year plan (This will help give you (This will help give you and your child an overview and your child an overview of the next four years.)of the next four years.)

ACHIEVE ACHIEVE TEXASTEXAS

FOUR-YEAR PLAN FOUR-YEAR PLAN Achieve TexasAchieve Texas

Using the Achieve Texas Program Using the Achieve Texas Program brochure, identify courses that lead to your brochure, identify courses that lead to your career interests.career interests.

Check the Career Cluster at the top of the Check the Career Cluster at the top of the 4 year plan that most closely matches your 4 year plan that most closely matches your interests. interests.

You will need to select one of the options.You will need to select one of the options. Undeclared should be checked if you are Undeclared should be checked if you are

unsure of your career interest.unsure of your career interest.

WHSWHS CAREER CLUSTERSCAREER CLUSTERS

Art, A/V Technology and CommunicationsArt, A/V Technology and Communications Business, Management, Marketing & Business, Management, Marketing &

AdministrationAdministration Education & TrainingEducation & Training FinanceFinance Health ScienceHealth Science Human Services Human Services Information TechnologyInformation Technology STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering & STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering &

MathematicsMathematics

COURSE COURSE REGISTRATIONREGISTRATION

ON-LINE REGISTRATIONON-LINE REGISTRATION

Students will have the opportunity to Students will have the opportunity to practice on-line registration at school practice on-line registration at school during the next few weeks.during the next few weeks.

Deadline for on-line registration and the Deadline for on-line registration and the paper copy is March 12, 2010.paper copy is March 12, 2010.

Students and families will be able to review Students and families will be able to review and modify these course selections until and modify these course selections until the deadline date through Skyward.the deadline date through Skyward.

IMPORTANT DATESIMPORTANT DATES February 10:February 10: WHS WHS Counselors will visit classes at Counselors will visit classes at

HCMS to review course selections, and give HCMS to review course selections, and give students a choice sheet and course guide. students a choice sheet and course guide. (Informal Parent Q and A session with 9(Informal Parent Q and A session with 9thth grade grade counselors at 7:00 PM in cafeteria.)counselors at 7:00 PM in cafeteria.)

February 11:February 11: WHS Counselors will visit classes at WHS Counselors will visit classes at WRMS to review course selections, and give WRMS to review course selections, and give students a choice sheet and course guide. students a choice sheet and course guide. (Informal Parent Q and A session with 9(Informal Parent Q and A session with 9thth grade grade counselors at 7:00 PM in cafeteria.)counselors at 7:00 PM in cafeteria.)

February 17:February 17: Ninth Grade Course Selection Fair Ninth Grade Course Selection Fair in CHAP COURT by stadium (5:30 -7:00 PM)in CHAP COURT by stadium (5:30 -7:00 PM)

ADDITIONAL DATESADDITIONAL DATES

FEBRUARY 24 FEBRUARY 24 (HCMS) and (HCMS) and FEBRUARYFEBRUARY 2525 (WRMS): Students will begin online (WRMS): Students will begin online scheduling in computer labs.scheduling in computer labs.

FRIDAY, MARCH 12FRIDAY, MARCH 12: Last Day prior to : Last Day prior to SPRING BREAK SPRING BREAK for Completing Course for Completing Course Selections on paper and online.Selections on paper and online.

BREAKOUT BREAKOUT SESSIONSSESSIONS