1. Welcome to Cornerstone Charter Academy High School
2017 Registration Meeting
By Leigh Bell, High School Counselor

2. College Admissions panel advice
Students need to start assuming more responsibility as they continue to mature during high school so that they will be better able to function independently once they graduate and go to work and/or college.
Students need to select a curriculum that is appropriately rigorous for their ability and work ethic.  Taking a full load of Honors and/or Advanced Placement (AP) classes but doing poorly in them (C's and D's) is not going to help the student in the long run with the college admissions process. 
Students need to select a curriculum is best for their post secondary goals and interests. Read the recent advice from both current college students and from college admissions officials in your registration packet about curriculum decisions.

3. Start looking at College Board for college information…
Many jobs require education beyond high school whether it’s a certificate/diploma program, a 2-year degree, 4-year Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, or Doctoral level program.
You can start to find colleges that fit your interests using the Big Future portion of the College Board website.
Use the materials in your folder to set up a College Board account and navigate the Big Future portion of that website.

4. Registration…Plan…Be Prepared
All students take 7 credited courses
4 core academic classes
1 PE/Health course (9th graders)
1 Foundations of Leadership course (9th graders)
1 Foreign Language course (10th & 11th graders definitely; an option for 9th graders too)
1-2 Elective courses (9th graders will have ONE elective choice, 10th & 11th graders will have TWO elective choices
Electives of student’s choosing; rank top 4 choices on registration form.
Select WISELY!

5. Example of a typical 9th grade schedule
8th grade core academic teachers have made course recommendations for next school year and can tell you what they recommend
1. English I (Standard or Honors)
2. Math (Math I, Math II, Math III)
3. Science (Env. Science or Biology Honors)
4. World History (Standard or Honors)
5. PE I/Health
6. Foundations of Leadership
7. An elective of your choosing (see registration sheet for choices) Example: Spanish I

6. Example of a typical 10th grade schedule
9th grade core academic teachers have made course recommendations for next school year and can tell you what they recommend
1. English II (Standard or Honors)
2. Math (Math II, Math III, Pre-Calculus Honors)
3. Science (Biology, AP Env. Science, Chemistry H.)
4. American History I (Standard or Honors) or AP Euro.
5. Foreign Language Level I or II
6. Elective of your choosing (see registration sheet for choices) Example: Advanced PE
7. Elective of your choosing (see registration sheet for choices) Example: Theater Arts I

7. Example of a typical 11th grade schedule
10th grade core academic teachers have made course recommendations for next school year and can tell you what they recommend
1. English III (Standard or Honors) or AP English Language & Composition
2. Math (Math III, Adv. Functions, Pre-Calc. Hon., AP Math course)
3. Science (Physical Science, Chemistry, AP science course, Env. Science course)
4. American History II (Standard or Honors) or AP U.S. His.
5. Foreign Language Level I or II or III Honors
6. Elective of your choosing (see registration sheet for choices) Example: Theater Arts II
7. Elective of your choosing (see registration sheet for choices) Example: AP Psychology

8. Where to find the Course Selection guide
Hard copies of the Course Selection guide are available from Mrs. Bell, counselor, and are made available to CCA families

9. Student Course Selections
Families need to select a curriculum that is right for the child’s ability and work ethic
Also consider the student’s current career interests and/or college interests when selecting curriculum.
Core Academic teachers have made Standard, Honors & AP course recommendations for each of the 4 core academic courses. AP recommendations are only for rising 10th and 11th graders.
If the student and their parent/guardian disagree with a teacher recommendation, complete a Course Override Form available from Mrs. Bell, counselor.

10. Cornerstone Charter Graduation Requirements
English: 4 units ■ Electives: 2 units
Math: 4 units ■ TOTAL: 24 units
Science: 4 units
History: 4 units
Foreign Language: 3 units; at least 2 of the same
PE I/Health: 1 unit
Foundations of Leadership: 1 unit
Graduation Project: 1 unit

11. Promotion Standards
To be promoted from 9th to 10th grade, students must earn 6 credits including English I.
To be promoted from 10th to 11th grade, students must earn 12 credits including English I and English II.
Example: A student passes 6 credits, but fails English I. They are retained to 9th grade. They will take mostly 10th grade level classes in all other core academic subjects, except, they will take English I again.

12. Quality points towards GPA
Standard quality pts. for an A
Honors – 4.5 quality pts. for an A
Advanced Placement (AP) – 5.0 quality pts. for an A (beginning in 10th grade)
CCP courses- some are 5.0 quality pts. (beginning in 11th grade)
Weighted GPA: Total weighted quality pts. divided by total number of courses. Example for 9th grade: 24 quality points/7 classes: 3.24 weighted GPA

13. Impact GPA- with Honors
Student A Student B
English: A Honors English: A
Math: B Math: B
History: B Honors History: B
Science: A Science: A
Elective: A Elective: A
Elective: B Elective: B
GPA: GPA: 3.71

14. Endorsements for NC Diploma
Beginning with the Class of 2015, North Carolina high school students can earn Diploma Endorsements based on their HS curriculum. These endorsements are:
Career Endorsement
College Endorsement
College/UNC Endorsement
NC Academic Scholars Diploma
Global Languages Endorsement
*More information about each endorsement is in your folder.

15. High School: The Door to your Future
9th , 10th and 11th grades will challenge students to:
Be organized
Effectively Manage your Time
Think Critically
Write Well
Problem solve
Communicate
Exhibit Leadership & Perform Community Service

16. What students will do in high school…
Complete graded homework
Complete graded classwork
Take tests/quizzes
Take mid-term & final exams
Make presentations
Work in groups on projects/lab experiments
All Final grades in June count towards next steps (college, military, work, etc.)

17. High School- When final grades matter!
Each school year, students will have the opportunity to earn 7 high school credits. Each of these final grades will impact your overall GPA (Grade Point Average). Colleges don’t see Quarter grades, only final grades.
Scholarship programs and colleges will look at a student’s GPA, course selection, and standardized test scores as part of the admissions process. They also look at many other factors too.
Students who have passed Math I and/or Math II in middle school have the opportunity to have already earned some HS credits.

18. Minimum Course Requirements for Undergraduate Admissions to UNC System Schools
Requirements UNC System Schools
4 – English ASU UNC-A
2 – Foreign Language ECU UNC-CH
4 – Math ECSU UNCC
3 – Science FSU UNCG
2 – Social Studies NC A&T UNCSA
2.5 cum. GPA & 880 on NCCU UNCW
SAT or 17 on ACT NCSU WSSU

19. Stand out in the College Admissions Process
By taking some Honors and/or AP courses, students are showing their work ethic and willingness to take the most rigorous courses available in Cornerstone’s curriculum.
This can make them more competitive for colleges and scholarships

20. Gain Skills for future AP courses beginning in 10th grade
By taking a challenging high school curriculum to include some Honors courses, students are better prepared to handle more Honors courses and/or an AP course beginning in 10th grade.
Honors courses will further improve student’s writing and problem solving skills

21. AP courses
An Advanced Placement course, or AP course, is a college level course taught at the high school level by a trained high school instructor. They are rigorous, faster paced, and require outside work, even some summer prep.
AP courses can earn a student (who passes the final AP exam) some college credit hours which translate into college savings and potentially less time spent in college.
AP courses are also a must for admission to some of the more competitive, prestigious colleges

22. AP courses are College Level courses
Data from college students…
“Students who took AP courses in high school had higher GPAs, earned more credits, and had a higher four-year graduation rate while in college.”

23. Career and College Promise (CCP)- rising 11th graders
The Career and College Promise Program (CCP) is open to eligible NC high school students in 11th & 12th grades to allow students to earn college credits tuition free. 
At GTCC, students are responsible for all fees, supplies, & textbooks. 
College Transfer Pathway: students must have acceptable standardized test scores, at least a weighted 3.0 GPA, & HS Principal approval.  All College Transfer courses transfer as General Ed. courses to all 16 of the UNC system colleges. 
Career Technical Pathway: have a weighted GPA of 3.0 on high school courses OR have the recommendation of the high school principal; & meet the prerequisites for the career pathway.

24. More about CCP classes- Guidelines
Juniors in good standing can take a face to face CCP class this summer or in the fall/spring semesters. We will allow students to take 7th period off in order to take either an online course or a face to face class.
Juniors taking a face to face CCP class have to stay through the end of 6th period here at CCA.
Many of the College Transfer CCP courses are given 1 extra quality point towards the weighted GPA just as AP courses are given.

25. More about CCP…
Students must abide by all of the guidelines set forth by GTCC in taking their college courses, ex. attendance to class
All CCP coursework taken becomes part of a student's permanent academic history at both the college & high school levels.    
If a student and/or parent disagrees about any grades issued by the community college, Cornerstone cannot intervene on your behalf. Most colleges have a policy about college professors not speaking to parents, only to students. If you have a question about this, talk to the CCP liaison about their policy.

26. Documentation needed for CCP Registration
1.   GTCC Application for Admission
2.  Verification of Student Eligibility Form (updated form)
3.  Copy of test scores used to meet the test requirements that are listed on the Verification of Student Eligibility Form (either PSAT, PRE-ACT, ACT, or SAT) 
4.  Official High School Transcript
5. Once the student has their completed application packet above, they will need to schedule an appointment to meet with Linda call at  ext

27. Examples of CCP courses
Some of the College Transfer Pathway courses include:
PSY 150- Intro. To Psychology
SOC 210- Intro. To Sociology
HIS 111- World Civilizations I
HIS 112- World Civilizations II
MUS 110- Music Appreciation
COM 231- Public Speaking
Some of the Career Technical pathways include: Information Technology, Culinary Arts, Business Administration, Welding, Medical Office Administration, & Accounting just to name a few.

28. CCP classes- How to register
Current 10th graders: If you would like to check into qualifying for CCP classes, you will need to pick up some of the CCP information tonight and then contact Linda Whitlow at GTCC, the CCP coordinator, directly.
Ms. Whitlow will make an appointment for student & parent to come in for advisement based on the course(s) the student is interested in.

29. Drop Policy for CCA courses
The Drop period for CCA courses only will be the first 10 school days for 2017/2018: Tentatively: August 16-August 29.

30. How to stay aware of opportunities
Mrs. Bell operates a large text & messaging system, Remind, for all students & parents at CCA. Announcements about enrichment opportunities, various CCA announcements, etc. are sent out to keep you informed. See pink flyer in your folder for details on joining her Remind group.

31. Documents in your folder
CHECK OUT YOUR MATERIALS IN YOUR FOLDER TONIGHT. SOME DOCUMENTS ARE DOUBLE SIDED, SO PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU LOOK AT BOTH SIDES!

32. Questions about Registration
Parents can Leigh Bell (Counselor)
You can also questions to Matt Pugh (Principal) at

33. Next steps….
STUDENTS: TAKE YOUR REGISTRATION FOLDER HOME TO YOUR PARENT(S)/GUARDIAN(S)

34. Where to go from this meeting….
Students will have the opportunity to enter their course selections online using the Power Scheduler feature of Power School.
If they would prefer to meet with Ms. Bell to ask questions and/or meet with Ms. Bell to enter these selections, that is also fine also.