LISD’s Parent U ACADEMICS, etc. Kelly Hemenway- Counselor, Career Center East Natalie Melton- Counselor, Marcus 9th gr Campus

Student Involvement ●There is something out there for everyone. ●Makes a large school feel smaller. ●Share common interests/make friends. ●Be a well-rounded student. ●Makes school “more fun!” ●Try NEW things/grow!!

Endorsements When choosing an endorsement remember: ●Your child should pick electives based on what he or she is interested in ●Many students will meet multiple endorsements without making special efforts ●Your child may change his or her mind on an endorsement multiple times. 50%-70% of college students change their major once, most change three times. ●Colleges still put more emphasis on rigorous academic courses, class rank, GPA, and test scores...not endorsements.

●DJCC & CCE available for grades 9-12 ●Classes are double blocked, lasting two periods for 18 weeks ●Morning 8:35-11:05 Afternoon 12:35-3:00 ●Students receive 2.0 state credits ●Grade level restrictions and prerequisites are enforced. ●Buses available to and from home campuses ●Lunch periods are on home campuses Dale Jackson & Career Center East

New & Improved HS ●Google Classroom: a platform used for workflow in & out amongst teacher & students ●VLA: online learning (vla.lisd.net) ●Blended Classes: part-online, part face to face ●Flipped Classroom: view instructional videos at home; practice/labs in class

PAP & AP Courses ●Consider the unique strengths/interest in specific subject areas. ●Do not feel compelled to sign up for everything PAP or AP just because the student did so in middle school. ●Consider the student’s overall schedule INCLUDING OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES. ●Advanced courses do not hinge on one another from year to year. ●PAP/AP English courses may require summer reading. ●Policy for dropping if obviously too difficult. ●AP tests are roughly $100 each & students receive college credit for passing them.

GPA: core classes, AP, & foreign language ONLY ●Regular courses weighted 1.1 GPA value ●PAP courses weighted 1.2 GPA value ●AP courses weighted 1.3 GPA value Examples: ●Regular course average of 95 x 1.1= in the weighted numerical GPA formula. ●PAP course average of 90 x 1.2 = 108 ●AP course average of 85 x 1.3 = 110.5

NCAA ●Become familiar with requirements if your child desires to compete in college sports. ●Not all core course options are approved under NCAA guidelines. ●Good idea to register your child with NCAA by the end of the sophomore year: ●Communicate your goals with your HS school coach & your child’s HS counselor.

●Well-rounded student (involved, service) ●Rigorous course load ●GPA / Rank in class ●SAT/ACT scores ●Grades What Counts for College

●Class Rank and GPA are used to determine “Top 10%” of class ●Graduate on Foundation High School Plan (FHSP) Distinguished Level of Achievement ●Students in top 10% of class are automatically accepted into Texas public colleges. (UT Austin 7%) Freshman grades DO count! Top 10% Rule

Resources: ●Information you can find online: Parents, HB5 grad plans ●Course Description Guide ●9/10 & 11/12 Handbooks ●Parent/Student Guide to the Foundations HS Program