9 th & 10 th Grade Parent Night August 11, 2014

UNHP Counseling Staff Jakkia Hollingsworth Dean of CollegePrep- Last Names L-Z Annette Enright Academic Counselor Last Names A-K Langston Ross Road to College Counselor Sonya Barron Alumni Counselor

Graduation Requirements Math – 4 Credits Multiple sequences English – 4 Credits (English I-IV) Social Studies – 4 Credits (World Geography, World History, US History, 20th Century World Topics) Gov’t/Econ – 1 Credit Science – 4 Credits (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, 4th Science) Foreign Language – 3 Credits of the same language Fine Arts – 2 Credits of the same fine art (earned in the high school) PE – 1.5 Credits Professional Communications – 1 Credit Technology – 1 Credit TOK – 1 Credit Other Electives – 2.5 Credits TOTAL # of Credits = 29 + successful completion of the EOCs and TAKS tests + Creativity, Action, and Service (CAS) requirements ** IB Diploma Candidates will have additional requirements based on the program**

GPA & Rank NHP Grading System Calculation of weighted GPA: o To weight the GPA, the semester grade in each course is added to the course weight. o All weighted courses are totaled and divided by the total number of courses to get the weighted GPA. o Weightings are based on the following scale: Advanced Placement/IB: 1.0 Honors: 0.5 (Bio, Chem, Alg*, Geo, Alg II) Please note that any student in Algebra Honors in middle school will not receive weighting) All other courses: 0.0 On 100 ScaleOn 4.0 Scale A A A B B B C C C F69 and below0.0

Communication of Rank Internal Communication of Rank o Rank will be communicated to students and their families who are in the top 25% at the end of the year in freshman and sophomore year, and at the end of every semester in junior and senior year. o For those below 25%, students and their families will be told what quartile they are in during the times listed above. External Communication of Rank o We will eliminate the rank field on the transcript o Communication of ranks will only be shown on counselor reports in the form of a standardized letter/report, secondary school report, mid-year report, or final year report o For students in the top 25%, counselors will note student as Valedictorian, Salutatorian, ‘Top 10%’ or ‘Top 25%’ o For students not in the top 25%, counselors will note ‘not ranked by Uplift’ if asked to provide rank

Plan/Explore Test August 13, 2014 o All 9 th Grade students will take both the Explore test and the PSAT. o All 10 th grade students will take the PLAN and PSAT tests.

Plan/Explore cont’d. Q: What is the Explore Test? A: ACT Explore is designed to help 9th graders explore a broad range of options for their future. It prepares students not only for their high school coursework but for their post–high school choices as well. ACT Explore can serve as an independent program or as the entry point into ACT's College and Career Readiness System. Q: What is assessed on the Explore test? A: EXPLORE ® contains four curriculum- based assessments: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science. The assessment is based on the major areas of high school and postsecondary instructional programs and measures the skills and knowledge needed for college success. Additionally, EXPLORE includes a career exploration component that stimulates students' thinking about future plans and relates personal characteristics to career options.

Plan/Explore Cont’d. Q: What is the plan? A: PLAN serves as the midpoint check of academic progress in high school. It is designed to improve students' preparation for education, training, and work after high school while they still have time to adjust their high school courses. Taking PLAN is a great way to prepare for the ACT and has similar content. In fact, students who take PLAN tend to score higher on the ACT than students who do not take PLAN. Q: What does the Plan assess? A: It covers the same subjects—English, mathematics, reading, and science—and provides an estimated ACT score. PLAN points out academic strengths and areas where improvement is needed and lets students know if they're on track for college. PLAN helps them find careers that match their interests and even helps connect them with colleges interested in them.

PSAT October 15, 2014 o The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) o A program co-sponsored by the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). o A standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT. o All grades 9-11 will take the PSAT. o As an 11 th grader, it gives you the chance to enter NMSC scholarship programs and gain access to college and career planning tools. o The PSAT/NMSQT measures: o Critical Reading Skills o Math Problem-Solving Skills o Writing Skills

PSAT Continued… o The most common reasons for taking the PSAT/NMSQT are to: o Receive feedback on your strengths and weaknesses on skills necessary for college study. You can then focus your preparation on those areas that could most benefit from additional study or practice. o See how your performance on an admissions test might compare with that of others applying to college. o Enter the competition for scholarships from NMSC o Help prepare for the SAT. You can become familiar with the kinds of questions and the exact directions you will see on the SAT. o Receive information from colleges when you check ‘yes’ to Student Search Service.

Scheduling Procedures/Practices Schedule Change Procedures Procedure: 1.Students will pick up schedule change request form from box in counseling office. 2.They will drop off form in the return box in the counseling office 3.All schedule changes will be brought to Advisory class/ Flex period daily. 4.Students will continue to follow current schedule until given a new one (in Advisory) 5.Any student requesting and Honors Level must receive written approval from the teacher, sent directly to ME. 6.Any person requesting a TA position must follow the same process, with written approval to from teacher.

 Schedule Requests Housekeeping  1.Please DO NOT come to the counseling office repeatedly asking about your schedule change  2.Please DO NOT daily about your schedule if you have already submitted your form  3.Please know we are working as quickly as we can to complete them all. Your patience is greatly appreciated.  Thank You!

Uplift North Hills Panther Success Plan (PSP)

What is PSP?  PSP is a tracking tool that the counseling staff will be using to make sure that we catch struggling students before things go from bad to worse.  PSP is NOT a punishment, it’s a way for everyone invested in you to work together to make sure you’re successful.

How Does PSP work?  Grades will be checked every 3 weeks  If you are failing at the 3 week check-your teacher, your parents and an academic counselor will meet to discuss your grades and place you on PSP.  The requirements for PSP include, but are not limited to:  - Professional Dress Daily for the duration of PSP  - You will carry a probation log for daily check-ins.  - Monday Check-Ins with Mrs. Hargrove (morning or lunch)  - Weekly Flex Period Tutorials with Teacher sign-off  - Advisory Teacher sign off on homework hall  - Weekly Check-in with your Academic Counselor  - Your team of supporters will meet again after 3 weeks to review your PSP progress and decide the next step for success!

College Prep How to Prepare What Students Can Do Now Work hard in every class (Academics) 9 th grade matters 10 th Keep up the good work! You still have time! Do IB! Challenge yourself Get Involved (Extracurricular) Encourage your child to get involved at NHP and Community Take advantage of summer programs Visit local colleges (Formal and Informal) Ask Questions Come by our office

Updates o All information is made available on the Counselor’s Corner page of the NHP website  Students  Student Resources On left ---  Counselor’s Corner o Appointments can be made by ing the individual counselor. o We do not change courses to accommodate lateness, energy during time of day etc. o Website will be updated as information becomes available.

SAT/ACT Test Prep We will not offer test prep on our campus this year. Below are a few companies that have successfully prepared our students for the SAT and ACT. o o Ottimmo Test Prep Cost: Please call for pricing information Duration: Please call for information Location: Lewisville, Texas Website: Duration: Please call for information o o Victory Step Test Prep Cost: $449 Duration: 6 weeks Location: Irving, Texas Website: o o Serrago Test Prep Cost: $60 per hour for fall semester (individual tutoring) Duration: Varies Location: Richardson, Texas Website:

Conclusion Thank you!