Incoming Freshmen Welcome to the big leagues! Lockland High School Incoming Freshmen Welcome to the big leagues!

Introduction to High School Grades 9-12 9th grade = freshmen 10th grade = sophomore 11th grade = junior 12th grade = senior 10 point grading scale 90-100 = A 80-89 = B 70-79 = C 60-69 = D 59 or lower = F

Grading Timeline Grades are reported at the end of 1st quarter, 2nd quarter, 3rd quarter & 4th quarter. 1st & 2nd quarter = semester 1 (August – December) 3rd & 4th quarter = semester 2 (January – May) You will earn a semester grade (0.5) at the end of each semester. 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter 50%

True or False? Grades don’t matter 9th grade year of high school. FALSE!!! Grades matter 9th, 10th, 11th, & 12th grade!!! Need at least 20 high school credits to graduate! Must meet Ohio’s graduation requirements: 1. Credit Requirement 2. State Testing Requirement

Credits What is a credit, and how do I earn one? Credit is proof that you completed a course with a passing grade of a D (60%) or above. You need at least 20 credits to graduate from high school. For each semester course you take and pass, you receive 0.5 credit What if I fail a course/class? You receive no credit MUST re-take class! MUST pass!

Credit Requirements Students must earn a total of at least 20 credits to graduate! Credits must be composed of: 4 English Language Arts Credits 1/2 credit of Health 1/2 credit of Physical Education PE I or PE Waiver (must complete PE Waiver Form) 4 Mathematics credits Must include 1 credit of Algebra II 3 Science credits Must include 1 credit of Physical Science Must include 1 credit of Life Science (e.g. Biology) Must include 1 credit of Advanced Study (e.g. Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy) 3 Social Studies credits Must include 1/2 credit American History Must include 1/2 credit of World History Must include 1/2 credit of American Government 5 Elective Credits Must include 1 credit Fine Arts All students must receive instruction in financial literacy & economics (e.g. Personal Finance) Additional elective credits can include Foreign Language, Business, Fine Art, Career Tech Education, other classes that exceed the credit requirements for a certain subject area.

Honors Diploma Student must meet all requirements for a state of Ohio diploma and Student must meet 7 out of the following 8 criteria: 4 Mathematics units (including Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, or equivalent & another higher level course) 4 Science units (2 units of advanced science) 4 units of Social Studies 3 units of Foreign Language (could be 3 credits of one foreign language or 2 credits each of 2 foreign languages) 1 unit of Fine Arts GPA of a 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 grading scale ACT score of 27 or higher, or SAT score of 1280 or higher (excluding scores from the writing section)

State Testing Requirements Ohio’s State Tests Earn at least 18 points on seven end-of-course state tests. End of- course tests are: English I, English II, Algebra I, Geometry, Biology, American Government, American History Each test score earns you up to five graduation points. You must have a minimum of four points in math, four points in English and six points across science and social studies. Your school and district receive grades on the Ohio School Report Cards for all students’ scores and participation on state tests. Industry credential and workforce readiness Earn a minimum of 12 points by receiving a State Board of Education-approved, industry-recognized credential or group of credentials in a single career field and earn the required score on WorkKeys, a work-readiness test. The state of Ohio will pay one time for you to take the WorkKeys test. College and career readiness tests Earn remediation-free scores in mathematics and English language arts on either the ACT or SAT. The Ohio Department of Higher Education works with Ohio’s universities to set the remediation- free scores for the ACT and SAT tests. Periodically, for a variety of reasons, these scores may be adjusted. For all high school juniors, the remediation-free scores set by Feb. 1 of their junior year will be used to meet their graduation requirement. The most up-to-date information regarding remediation-free scores can be found on the Department’s graduation requirements webpage.

Transcripts What is a transcript? What will my transcript include? A running record of EVERY course you have taken during high school Updated throughout the year and at the end of each year What will my transcript include? Credits earned Grades earned Grade Point Average (GPA) Class rank Test scores (OST, ACT/SAT) Attendance/Tardies

How is my GPA calculated? Unweighted Regular, non-honor classes Calculated on a 4.0 scale A = 4; B = 3; C = 2; D = 1 Weighted & Advanced Placement (AP) Honors classes Honors English, Honors Math (Pre-Calculus, Functions, Statistics, & Trig.), Advanced Science (Chemistry, Conceptual Physics, Physics), Honors History (Honors American History, Honors American Government) Calculated on a 5.0 scale A = 5; B = 3.75; C = 2.5; D = 1.25

How do you calculate GPA? To Calculate… 1. Figure out if your class is regular, honors, or AP 2. Take the letter grade for each class 3. Convert it to the appropriate number 4. Add them together 5. Divide by the total number of classes you added Example: You receive 3 A’s, 2 Bs, and 2 C’s all in regular classes (unweighted courses). 4+4+4+3+3+2+2 = 22 22/7 = 3.14 GPA

What do colleges/careers look for? What separates you from the rest? Course selection Club activities Grades Volunteering Must earn a high school diploma Foreign language Most colleges/universities like to see 2 years of a foreign language

Athletic Eligibility Grades Matter!!! To be eligible, students must meet both of the following requirements: 1. Receive a passing grade in a minimum of 5 one credit courses or the equivalent in the grading period immediately proceeding the sports season. For example, the eligibility for fall sports season will be determined by 4th quarter grades. This also applies to grades earned during the 4th quarter of 8th grade. 2. Board policy dictates that an athlete must maintain a GPA of 1.50 or higher in the preceding grading period of the sports season to be played. Athletes who are ineligible for a particular sports season will not be able to regain eligibility until the following sports season. He/she will not be able to participate in any practices or activities during this time. For example, if an athlete becomes ineligible for the winter sports season, he/she will not be able to splay in a sport until the spring season. Athletes should refer to the Lockland Athletic Handbook for further information on guidelines and rules.

Stay organized, study, manage your time! Helpful tips Turn-in your homework/assignments ON TIME!!! Study for quizzes/tests Ask for help Arrive to class ON TIME! Don’t be absent from school! Be involved in extra-curricular activities and clubs!

Other options available Great Oaks Institute of Technology Apply in 10th grade in order to attend 11th & 12th grade year Cosmetology, Digital Arts and Design, Surgical Technology, Sports Rehabilitation and Therapy, etc. Talk to school counselor for more information College Credit Plus (CCP) 7th-12th; can take college courses while still in high school Must sign “letter of intent” by April 1st if interested Must take college placement test and get accepted into college Paid by district unless you fail course(s), then you pay Chatfield College, UC Blue Ash, Miami Hamilton, Cincinnati State, etc. Talk to counselor for more information Credit Flexibility Alternate way to earn graduation credits outside of regularly scheduled classes Taking class online or testing out of a course by showing mastery content You MUST talk to the school counselor between Feb.-March for more information and to let her know that you are interested. Applications due to school counselor by April 1st!

9th Grade Courses Must take: Electives you can take: English 9 – 1 credit (full year) Algebra I – 1 credit (full year) Physical Science – 1 credit (full year) World History – 1 credit (full year) Foreign Language (Spanish I) – 1 credit (full year) PE I – 1/4 credit (one semester) Electives you can take: Art I – one semester credit Drawing – one semester credit Painting – one semester credit Music Foundations – 1 credit (full year) or one semester (1/2 credit) Percussion – 1 credit (full year) or one semester (1/2 credit) Choir – 1 credit (full year) Band – 1 credit (full year)