1. transcripts and credits and gpa, oh my!!!!
or...why my freshman year matters to me!

2. what is a transcript?
A transcript is your official record of all the courses you take in high school, and includes your grades for each semester of every class you take. You need a transcript to:
Apply to college(4 yr, 2 yr, tech school, dual credit)
Take Driver’s Ed
get a job (in many cases)
proof of GPA, class rank, graduation date
proof of what kind/what level of classes you have taken
proof of test scores (ACT/SAT, STAAR EOC, TSI)

3. ...but I am a freshman now. why do i need to know this?
Your freshman year will fly by...and your grades matter starting NOW!
If you plan to apply to the dual credit program, your grades in all areas, especially Math and English, matter.
Your GPA is very hard to improve once it starts off in a hole. Ask any Junior or Senior how difficult it is to bring it up when you slacked off your freshman year!
You need to earn the right number of credits in the right courses to graduate, by STATE LAW and by QISD Board Policy. You must have 25 credits to graduate. There is no minimum plan any longer.

4. Transcript samples

5. Student A - 10th grade
Student A is a current sophomore. You see on the transcript that Student A has 9 credits total. 8 credits are from the classes Student A took in the 2014/2015 school year, when Student A was a freshman. Another was a credit earned by testing out of a course. Student A has fairly good grades and is on track to graduate on time, with a decent rank and GPA.

6. Student B
Student B is also a current sophomore, but Student B struggled during their freshman year. You can see that Student B did not earn all their credits during 9th grade. Student B has failing grades in multiple subjects and is not on track to graduate on time at this rate. Their GPA is much lower, as well as their rank.

7. Vocabulary Review
GPA - Grade Point Average - the average of all your class grades based on a formula set up by our School Board. Some classes weigh more than others so they give you the opportunity to boost your GPA. Pre-AP, AP, and Dual Credit courses are weighted higher than regular classes.
Rank - Your numerical position in class when all student GPAs are listed from highest to lowest.
Quartile - The quarter of the class that you fall into - top 25%, second 25%, third 25%, fourth 25%. Imagine cutting a pizza into four large sections.
Graduation Program Type: Your current graduation plan, which for freshmen and sophomores is the FHSP Plan (Foundation High School Program) and the endorsements you are working towards.
POP QUIZ!
If a student makes a 66 in English I the first semester, what does the student need to make the second semester to pass for the year???

8. So what does all this mean to me??
If you fail a class, or even one semester of a class your freshman year, you will be behind. You will have to make it up the next year, on top of all your sophomore class requirements. You lose your elective choices in order to retake the classes you did not pass!
So what does all this mean to me??

9. if you don’t take care of business now...it could lead to BIG problems!!!!!!!
...like Student C has right now! dun - dun- dun………………….

10. Student c - 3rd Year Sophomore
Student C is a current sophomore by credits completed, but Student C is already in their 4th year of high school. Student C should be a senior but has not passed the required classes and does not have enough credits to be classified as a senior. Student C has big problems with GPA, rank, and is not on track to graduate on time. Student C has not passed all the required EOCs, either.

11. Student D - 12th Grade
Student D is what we would call a “Model Student.” Look at those grades!
What is Student D’s GPA?
What is Student D’s Rank?
Has Student D passed all the required EOCs?
What are Student D’s chances of getting into the college of their choice?

12. Don’t be Student C! Take all your classes SERIOUSLY.
Ask for a copy of your transcript at least once per year. We post grades in mid-January and mid-June.
If you are not happy with your GPA, you are the only one who can change it. See #1.

13. How to calculate weighted gpa
AP/ Dual Credit
Pre-AP
Regular
100
5.5
4.5
4.0 99
5.4
4.4
3.9 98
5.3
4.3
3.8 97
5.2
4.2
3.7 96
5.1
4.1
3.6 95
5.0
3.5 94
4.9
3.4 93
4.8
3.3 92
4.7
3.2 91
4.6
3.1 90
3.0 89
2.9 88
2.8 87
2.7 86
2.6 85
2.5 84
2.4 83
2.3 82
2.2 81
2.1 80
2.0 79
1.9 78
1.8 77
1.7 76
1.6 75
1.5 74
1.4 73
1.3 72
1.2 71
1.1 70
1.0 69
Use this GPA chart to help you calculate your GPA.
GPA calculation uses SEMESTER grades to compute your GPA each time. Let’s say you have regular English I, and make a 90 the first semester and an 82 the 2nd semester. You would look at the chart for those grades and see how many points each is worth. A 90 in regular English is worth 3.0 points. If it were Pre-AP, how many points would it be? If you made a 94 in Dual Credit English, how many points would that be?
Do this for each semester average you earn, and total the points PER SCHOOL YEAR. Only add up course points earned in the same year. All together, all together, etc.

14. Example weighted gpa calculation (transcript grades l, gpa points R)
PreAP English I
Algebra I
W. Geography
Biology
Spanish I PE
Prin. Hlth Sci
Med Term
Art I
PE/Athletics does not count in GPA
3.7
3.0
= 41.1 total; divide by 14 (number of semester grades total for the year) and your GPA is

15. How to calculate unweighted gpa (like a college would)
For an unweighted GPA, all grades in each category are worth the same amount of points:
A points
B points
C points
D point
F below points
Simply total up your number of A’s, number of B’s, number of C’s, number of D’s (college only – high school doesn’t have D’s) and number of F’s.
The example on the right has 9 A’s (don’t count PE), 2 B’s, and 3 C’s. 9x4=32, 2x3=6, 3x2= =44 divided by 14 grades = 3.142
PreAP English I
Algebra I
W. Geography
Biology
Spanish I PE
Prin. Health Sci
Med Term
Art I

16. PJC dual credit program
What you need to know to join!

17. In order to prequalify and move to the testing round…
80 or higher for math and English averages for 9th and 10th grades
Pass all 9th and 10th grade STAAR tests the FIRST time taken (no retests allowed)
Excellent attendance record
Excellent discipline record
Initial requirements
In order to prequalify and move to the testing round…

18. Next step: TSI testing (Texas Success Initiative)

19. TSI Testing
The TSI is the entrance exam for community and junior colleges across the state. There are certain “cut scores” required for admission into a community college, and PJC is no exception. All students must meet the cut scores for Reading and Writing before they are allowed to enroll online for the dual credit program. Testing is done at FHS for free the first time, and $5.00 per section if you must retest in either or both areas. If you need to test a third time, you will need to go to PJC Greenville to test and it will cost about $35.00.

20. 7 Tips for High School Success
Learn how to take notes.
Don’t transcribe every single word your teacher says. Instead, listen for the main points and write them down. Leave white space on the page to organize your note-taking by skipping lines between each main point. It makes studying easier when you can glance at the page and see the way the lecture was broken up.
7 Tips for High School Success

21. 7 Tips for High School Success
2. Communicate often with your teachers.
Ask questions, pay attention in class, and get to know your teachers. They need to know you in order to help you when needed. You will need your teachers to write good reference letters for a scholarship or college application.
7 Tips for High School Success

22. 7 Tips for High School Success
3. Do your homework and classwork.
Take responsibility for submitting work on time during high school, so you are prepared for adult responsibilities in college. You will be expected to keep up with assignments and projects without being reminded all the time.
7 Tips for High School Success

23. 7 Tips for High School Success
4. Practice writing essays.
No matter what your career goal is, you can expect to write papers all throughout high school and college. Learn to research and determine reputable sources. You’ll also need to pass two STAAR End-of-Course exams in English, where quality writing is extremely important. You’ll also need to write admissions and scholarship essays for college, and it will be sooner than you think!
7 Tips for High School Success

24. 7 Tips for High School Success
5. Find your best study method.
It’s easy to get distracted and either not study, or not study effectively with all of your attention. Develop whatever method of study works for you, whether that means rewriting your notes, using a flashcard app like Quizlet, or talking through the concepts with a study group. Figure out what your learning style is NOW. It will pay off in big rewards, even before you get to college.
7 Tips for High School Success

25. 7 Tips for High School Success
6. Eat healthy and exercise.
Eating healthy foods and developing an exercise program does more than give you the stamina for life in general. Exercise is also a useful tool in battling stress, anxiety, depression, and other issues. Work on having a healthy lifestyle now and create habits that will follow you to college and beyond.
7 Tips for High School Success

26. 7 Tips for High School Success
7. Ask for help.
If you’re having a problem with an assignment, ask your teacher for help. If you’re having a problem with a class, a teacher, or other students, ask a counselor or administrator for help. We are here to see you succeed. We want to help you as much as possible, but we can’t read your mind!
7 Tips for High School Success

27. Questions???
See Mrs. Blair or Mrs. Scott to talk about your grades, your credits, and your future goals and plans.
Sign up in the main office for an appointment!