Summer 2019

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Information for Planning Your High School Years & Beyond

Overview Benefits

Choices

Checklists

Resources

Glossary

Graduation Toolkit

Graduation Toolkit

Graduation Program – Overview ...............................4

Foundation High School Program............................ 5

Endorsement Options – Choices ............................... 6

Going Above and Beyond .......................................... 9

College and Career Resources ................................10

Graduation Checklists .............................................12

Glossary .......................................................................13

At least 60% of Texans ages 25-34 will have a postsecondary certificate or degree by 2030.

60x30TX.com

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COMPUTER PROGRAMMER

TEACHER NURSE

ACCOUNTANT

SCIENTIST AGRICULTURE INSPECTOR

FINANCIAL FIREFIGHTER ADVISOR

There are a lot of careers out there. Texas students have a wealth of choices for their plans after high school. The careers displayed here represent several of the many occupations that are in demand in the state of Texas. The Foundation High School Program and Endorsements help students effectively determine their interests and plan for their postsecondary training

and education.

YEARLY UNEMPLOYMENT MEDIAN RATE EARNINGS

High School High School Graduates Dropouts

ENDORSEMENTS

MULTI-BUSINESS PUBLIC ARTS & STEM DISCIPLINARY & INDUSTRY SERVICE HUMANITIES STUDIES

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Texas Education Agency Graduation Toolkit

Graduation Program – Overview

Foundation High School Program Aflexiblegraduationprogramthatallowsstudentstopursuetheirinterestshavebeeninplaceforall studentswhoenterhighschoolsincethe2014-2015schoolyear.

StudentsmaycustomizetheirhighschoolexperiencebeyondtheFoundationHighSchoolProgram.

Foundation High Endorsement Distinguished Performance School Program Options Level of Acknowledgments

Achievement

*Astudentmaygraduatewithoutearninganendorsementif,afterhisorhersophomoreyear,thestudent’s parentsignsawaiverpermittingthestudenttoomittheendorsementrequirement.

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The Foundation requirements (22 credits) include:

Texas Education Agency Graduation Toolkit

Foundation High School Program

A Foundation High School Program isrequiredtograduateandmakesupthecoreofthe Texashighschooldiplomaprogram.

Course Credit: What is a credit, anyway? Acreditisaunitofmeasureawardedforsuccessfulcompletionofahighschoolcourse.Completionof aone-semestercoursetypicallyearnsone-halfofacreditforastudent.FortheFoundationHighSchool Program,thebasicrequirementisforTexaspublicschoolstudentstoearn22 credits.

English (4 credits) •EnglishI •EnglishII •EnglishIII •AnadvancedEnglishcourse

Mathematics (3 credits) •AlgebraI •Geometry •Anadvancedmathcourse

Science (3 credits) •Biology •Physics •Chemistry • Anadvancedsciencecourse

Social Studies (3 credits) •WorldHistoryorWorldGeography •U.S.History

•U.S.Government(one-halfcredit) •Economics(one-halfcredit)

Languages Other •2creditsinthesamelanguageor Than English (2 credits) •2creditsfromComputerScienceI,II,III

Physical Education (1 credit)

Fine Arts (1 credit)

Electives and Career Technical Education (CTE) (5 credits)

Speech: • Demonstratedproficiency

Did You Know?Did You Know? Industry-Based Certification Studentscanearnaperformanceacknowledgementontheirdiploma byearninganIndustry-BasedCertification.Industry-BasedCertifications assiststudentsinenteringintocareers.

Work-Based Learning Interactionswithindustryorcommunityprofessionalsinrealworkplace settingsorsimulatedenvironmentsataneducationalinstitutionthat fosterin-depth,firsthandengagementwiththetasksrequiredofa givencareerfield,whicharealignedtocurriculumandinstruction. Theseexperiencescanincludeparticipationincooperativeeducation, internships,apprenticeships,ormentoringprogramsinhighschool whicharerelatedtothecareerinterestsofthestudent.

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Texas Education Agency Graduation Toolkit

Endorsement Options – Choices

Endorsements Studentscanearnoneormoreendorsementsaspartoftheirgraduationrequirements.Endorsements consistofarelatedseriesofcoursesthataregroupedtogetherbyinterestorskillset.Theyprovide studentswithin-depthknowledgeofasubjectarea.

Studentsearnanendorsementbycompletingthecurriculumrequirementsfortheendorsement, including4creditsinbothmathandscienceand2additionalelectivecredits.

Students can choose from 5 endorsement areas:

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) (one of the following or a combination of no more than two of these categories) •CareerandTechnical •ComputerScience Education(CTE)courses •Mathematics relatedtoSTEM • Science

Business and Industry (one of the following or a combination of areas) •Agriculture,FoodandNatural •Manufacturing •Englishelectivesinpublic Resources •TechnologyApplications speaking,debate,advanced

•Arts,AudioVideoTechnology •Architectureand broadcastjournalism, andCommunications Construction advancedjournalism

•Finance •BusinessManagementand includingnewspaperand •Marketing Administraton yearbook •HospitalityandTourism •Transportationor •InformationTechnology DistributionandLogistics

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*Studentsmustselectanendorsement*uponentryintotheninthgrade.Districtsandchartersarenotrequiredto offerallendorsements.Ifonlyoneendorsementisoffered,itmustbemultidisciplinarystudies.

(one of the following) •HumanServices •Law,PublicSafety, CorrectionsandSecurity”

•HealthScience

(one of the following) •2levelseachintwo languagesotherthanEnglish (LOTE)

•4levelsinthesameLOTE

(one of the following) •4advancedcoursesfrom otherendorsementareas

Public Service

•EducationandTraining •GovernmentandPublic Administration

•JuniorReserveOfficer

Arts and Humanities

•Coursesfromoneortwo areas(music,theater,art, dance)infinearts

•Englishelectivesnotincluded inBusinessandIndustry

Multi-Disciplinary Studies

•4creditsineachfoundation subjectarea,including EnglishIVandchemistryand/ orphysicsandAlgebraII

TrainingCorps(JROTC)

•SocialStudies •AmericanSignLanguage (ASL)

•4creditsinAdvanced Placement,International Baccalaureate,ordual creditselectedfromEnglish, mathematics,science,social studies,economics,LOTEor finearts

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*Students may earn more than one endorsement. Visit your school counselor to learn more about your options.

Texas Education Agency Graduation Toolkit

Distinguished Level of Achievement

Distinguished Level of Achievement AstudentmayearntheDistinguishedLevelofAchievementand/oraPerformanceAcknowledgmentfor outstandingperformance.TheDistinguishedLevelofAchievementrequiresmoremathandmorescience thantheFoundationHighSchoolProgram.TheDistinguishedLevelofAchievementrequires:

•Atotaloffourcreditsinmath,includingAlgebraII; •Atotaloffourcreditsinscience;and •Successfulcompletionofanendorsementinyourareaofinterest.

TheDistinguishedLevelofAchievementmustbeearnedtobeadmittedtoaTexaspublicuniversity undertheTop10percentautomaticadmissionlaw.Moreover,anystudentreceivingstatefinancialaid musthavecompletedthisrigorousprogram.

Choices Determine Options Mostofthehigh-wageandin-demandjobsavailablenowandinthefuturerequireeducationand trainingbeyondahighschooldiploma.Whetheryouintendtopursueahigh-demand,industryworkforce credentialfromacommunityortechnicalcollegeoratraditionalfour-yeardegreefromauniversity,the choicesmadeinhighschoolwilldetermineyourfutureoptions.

Tobestprepareyourselfnowforthetransitiontopost-highschooleducationandcareerentrance, choosingandtakingtherightclassesisessential.

Why it matters — Benefits TheDistinguishedLevelofAchievementopensaworldofeducationalandemploymentopportunitiesfor youbeyondhighschool.TheDistinguishedLevelofAchievement:

• Allows you to compete for Top 10% automatic admissions eligibility at any Texas public university;

• Positions you among those first in line for a TEXAS Grant* to help pay for university tuition and fees; and other financial aid options

• Ensures you are a more competitive applicant at the most selective colleges and universities.

• Prepares you for college-level coursework at community/technical colleges and universities

• Provides opportunity for immediate enrollment in classes related to your chosen field of study; and

• Lays a strong foundation to successfully complete an industry workforce credential or college degree.

*Astudentmaygraduatewithoutearninganendorsementif,afterhisorhersophomoreyear,thestudent’s parentsignsawaiverpermittingthestudenttoomittheendorsementrequirement.

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• PSAT,ACTASPIRE®,SATorACT •AdvancedPlacementorInternationalBaccalaureateexams • earningastate-,nationally-orinternationally-recognizedbusinessorindustrycertificationorlicense • OnRampscourses

Performance Acknowledgments

Texas Education Agency Graduation Toolkit

Performance Acknowledgmentsnoteoutstandingachievementinspecificareas.Thesedistinctionswill beincludedinyourhighschooldiplomaandbetterpositionyouforsuccessfulentryintocollegeand/or theworkforce.

*Performance Acknowledgments Areas •dualcreditcourses •bilingualismandbiliteracy

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Texas Education Agency Graduation Toolkit

College and Career Resources

Big Future https://bit.ly/2EcKdJl Therearemorethan2,000collegesintheUnited States.Findtherightcollegeforyou!

Compare College TX www.comparecollegetx.com CompareCollegeTXisaninteractive,mobile-friendlywebtooldesignedtohelpstudentsand parentslearnmoreaboutTexaspublicuniversities andcommunity/technicalcolleges.

GEAR UP https://www.texasgearup.com/ GEARUPhelpsTexasstudentstobesuccessfulin collegeandbeyond.Exploreresourcestoanswer yourburningcollegequestions.

Job’s Y’all https://jobsyall.com/ JobsY’alliswhereyoucanexploremeaningful,high wagecareersingrowingindustries.Here,youwill discoverrewardingjobsinyourhometownand throughoutTexas.Findthecareerthatmatches yourinterestsandgoals.

MapMyGrad https://texasoncourse.org/tools/mapmygrad/ Studentszeroinonskillsandintereststoexplore careersandendorsementsandplanapath throughhighschool

Middle Galaxy https://www.middlegalaxy.org/ Texasmiddleschoolstudentshavebigdecisionsto makeabouttheirfutures,startingineighthgrade! Thisspace-themedgamemakesiteasytolearn aboutoptionsinhighschoolandbeyond.

Share Your Road https://roadtripnation.shareyourroad.com/ Needalittleinspiration?Learnhowothersgotto wheretheyaretodayfromrealstoriesofcareer andlifejourneysofpeoplefromallwalksoflife.

Texas Career Check https://texascareercheck.com/ Studentscanusethisinteractivetooltosearch andexploreoccupationsthatinterestthem.Labor MarketInformationisprovidedregardingannual salaryandprojectedjobopeningsandcanbe filteredbyregion.

Texas Internship Challenge https://www.txinternshipchallenge.com/ vosnet/ Default.aspx Thisinternshipconnectionsiteenablesstudents togainvaluablework-basedlearningexperience whileinhighschool.Studentsacrossthestatecan searchforaninternshipwheretheylive.

Texas Reality Check https://texasrealitycheck.com/ Studentscanusethislifestylecalculatortowalk throughtheexpensesthattheyarelikelytoincur eachmonthanddecidehowmuchtospend ontheirlifestyle.Thistoolprovidesarealistic understandingofminimumsalaryneedsand exploresoccupationsthatenablestudentstoearn thesalarytheywant.

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Texas Education Agency www.tea.texas.gov

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board www.thecb.state.tx.us

Texas Workforce Commission www.twc .state.tx.us

College and Career Resources

Texas Education Agency Graduation Toolkit

College and Career Resources

Preparing for Your Career Two-thirdsofthehighdemandjobsopeninginTexaswillrequiresomepostsecondaryeducation.You canpositionyourselfforsuccessfulcareerentryinseveralways:

While in high school, you will want to: DeterminewhichofthefiveendorsementsofferedundertheFoundationHighSchoolProgrambest

alignswithyourcareergoals. CompleteyourselectedendorsementalongwiththerequiredFoundationHighSchoolProgram. Learnaboutindustryfieldsandtargetedoccupationsthatprovidehighwagesandarein-demandin

yourregion. Researchwhattrainingandeducationlevelsbeyondhighschoolarerequiredtoenteryourindustry

fieldofinterest. Takeeveryopportunitytoconnectdirectlywithemployers.Askyourcollegeadvisorforhelp! Findtrainingandcertificationsforspecificoccupationsorskillsthroughcommunitycollegesorcareer

andtechnicalschoolsandcommunitycollegesatwww.texasworkforce.org/svcs/propschools/career-schools-colleges.html.

Did You Know?Did You Know… …over their lifetime a high school graduate with a bachelor’s degree earn 84 percent more1,2 than a high school graduate?

…the highest ranking graduate at each Texas public high school receives a voucher from the Texas Education Agency that can be used as a scholarship to cover tuition costs at any Texas public college or university?

…students ranked in the Top 10 percent of their graduating class from an accredited public or private Texas high school may be eligible for automatic admission to a Texas public university if they have completed the Distinguished Level of Achievement?3

…over their lifetime, high school graduates with a workforce certification from a community or technical college earn 20 percent more4 than those with only a high school diploma?

1TexasWorkforceCommission 2CenteronEducationandtheWorkforce,“TheCollegePayoff:Education,*Occupations,LifetimeEarnings,” August2011.GeorgetownUniversity 3Getthefactsatwww.collegeforalltexans.comorstudentaid.ed.gov 4CenteronEducationandtheWorkforce,“Certificates:GatewaytoGainfulEmploymentandCollegeDegrees,”3June 2012.GeorgetownUniversity

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Texas Education Agency Graduation Toolkit

Graduation Checklists

8th Grade

ReviewchoicesofferedundertheFoundation High School ProgramandtheEndorsementsto decideonyourfutureacademicpath.

Selecttheendorsementthatbestfitsyourareaofpersonalinterestandthemajoryouplantostudy incollege.

RecognizethatmostcollegeadmissionsprocessesvaluerigorousadvancedcoursesincludingAlgebra II,higher-levelsciencecoursesandlanguagesotherthanEnglish.

9th/10th Grade

Monitorhighschoolcredits;besuretomeetall local and state requirements.

Take dual credit or Advanced Placement coursesifpossibletoearncollegecreditwhile stillinhighschool.

Keeplistofawards,honorsandextracurricular activitiesforscholarshipandcollege applications.

Researchcollegesoruniversitiesyouare interestedinattending.

Checkadmissionandapplicationrequirements andtimelines.

ConsidertakingSAT/ACTpreparationclasses. Sign upandtaketheACTand/orSATtest,

preferablyinyourjunioryearbutnolaterthan thefallofyoursenioryear.

11th/12th Grade

Take dual credit or Advanced Placement coursesifpossibletoearncollegecreditwhile youarestillinhighschool.

Visitwithyourcounselororcollegeadvisor aboutavailablescholarships.Besuretoapply earlyandforasmanyscholarshipsaspossible. Donotlimityourselftolocalscholarships.

ExploreinterestsandtakeadvantageofCareer Explorationopportunitiesandattendsitevisits duringcollegeopenhousedays.

Attend college nightshostedbyyourhigh school.

Talkwithschoolrepresentativesaboutthe typesoffinancialaidavailable.

TakethePreliminarySAT(PSAT)/NationalMerit ScholarshipQualifyingTestinyoursophomore yearforpractice.Inyourjunioryear,take thePSATforeligibilityfortheNationalMerit ScholarshipCompetition.Studentswhotakethe PSATorACTASPIRE®tendtoscorehigheronthe SATorACTthanthosewhodonot.

TakeCareerandTechnicalEducationcourses relatedtoyourcareerinterests.

Fill outtheFAFSA(FreeApplicationforFederal StudentAid)ortheTAFSA(TexasApplicationfor StateFinancialAid)earlyinthefallofyoursenior year.

Applytocollegeduringthefallofyoursenior year.

If you plan to pursue technical training or enter the workforce after graduation, see the Information - Workforce Resources page or visit Texas Reality Check at

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Texas Education Agency Graduation Toolkit

Glossary

Advanced Academics AdvancedAcademicsincludescourses,programs,assessments,servicesandsupportsthatprovide opportunitiesforstudentstodemonstratecollegeandcareerreadinessandearnpostsecondarycredit.

Advanced Placement College-levelcourseworkdesignedbytheCollegeBoardwhichprovidesstudentsthepotentialtoearn collegecreditwithaqualifyingscoreonanAdvancedPlacementexam.

Course Credit Aunitofmeasureawardedforsuccessfulcompletionofacourse.Completionofaone-semestercourse typicallyearnsone-halfcreditforastudent.

Distinguished Level of Achievement AhighlevelofacademicachievementearnedbygoingbeyondtheFoundationHighSchoolProgram.It requiresatotalof26coursecredits,includingAlgebraII,afourthsciencecreditandanendorsement. AstudentmustearnthisdesignationtobeeligibleforTop10percentautomaticadmissiontoaTexas publiccommunitycollegeoruniversity.Itisalsoarequirementforreceivingstatefinancialaid.

Dual Credit Dualcreditisaprocessbywhichahighschoolstudentenrollsinacollegecourseandreceives simultaneousacademiccreditforthecoursefromboththecollegeandthehighschool.

End-of-Course Exams (EOC) STAARend-of-courseexamsarestatemandatedtestsgivenduringthefinalweeksofahighschool course.Inadditiontomeetinggraduationcourserequirements,studentsarerequiredtopassfiveend-of-courseexamstoearnadiplomafromaTexaspublichighschool.Thosefiveexamsaregivenwhena studenttakesEnglishIandII,Biology,AlgebraIandU.S.Historycourses.Endorsements Areasofspecializedstudy.Theareasare: •Science,Technology,EngineeringandMathematics(STEM) •BusinessandIndustry •ArtsandHumanities •PublicServices •MultidisciplinaryStudies AdistrictorcharterthatoffersonlyoneendorsementmustofferMultidisciplinaryStudies.

Foundation High School Program (FHSP) Thebasic22-creditgraduationprogramforTexaspublicschoolstudents.

Industry-Based Certificate Astate-,national-orinternationally-recognizedcredentialthatalignswiththeknowledgeandskills standardsidentifiedbyanassociationorgovernmententityrepresentingaparticularprofessionor occupationandvaluedbybusinessorindustry.Examplesincludeacredentialforcertifiednurseaid (CNA)ortheautomotiveserviceexcellence(ASE)certificationintheautomotiveindustry.

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Texas Education Agency Graduation Toolkit

Glossary

Performance Acknowledgments Studentsmayearnanadditionalacknowledgmentontheirtranscriptsbecauseofoutstanding performanceinareassuchasdualcreditcoursesandbilingualismandbiliteracy;onAdvanced Placement,InternationalBaccalaureate,PSAT,ACTASPIRE®,theSATorACTexams;orbyearningastate-, nationally-orinternationally-recognizedbusinessorindustrycertification.

STAAR StateofTexasAssessmentsofAcademicReadiness(STAAR)isthestate-mandatedtestgivenannuallyto studentsingrades3-8andinfivehighschoolcourses.

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Texas Education Agency Graduation Toolkit

My Notes

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