1. Atascocita High School Class of 2014/ Freshman Night

2. Graduation Requirements Recommended Plan - Plan that prepares you for college and to be Texas Ready. Distinguished Achievement Plan - Plan for those students whose accomplishments merit acknowledgement on a national level

3. Recommended Plan English 4 credits Math 4 credits Science 4 credits Social Studies 4 credits PE 1.0 credits Communications Applications.5 credit Fine Arts 1 credit Second Language 2 credits Electives 5.5 credits Total 26 state credits

4. Distinguished Achievement Plan Meet all the requirements of the Recommended Plan AND 1 additional year of Second Language Specific Math/Science requirements 4 Advanced measures (in any combination) –A score of 3 or above on an AP exam –A score of 4 or above on the International Baccalaureate exam –A grade of 80 or higher on a course that counts for college credit- including a tech prep program –A score on the PSAT that qualifies a student for recognition

5. Thinking about Pre-AP or AP? More rigorous coursework More homework and independent work Requires more responsibility and self motivation Summer reading Prepares students for AP exam.

6. Recommendations for Successful Pre AP Course Selection Maintain –80 in Pre-AP Classes –90 in Level Classes Pre AP level moves only at the end of the first : –Progress Report (3 weeks) -- Report Card (6 weeks) –Semester –Parent and Teacher Signature required for change –Level change forms available from House secretary

7. Pre-AP/AP Parent Night The English Department will host a Pre- AP/AP Parent Night on April 12 th in the White LGI at 6:30 PM.

8. Courses to Consider: IPC – Recommended if the final grade in Biology is less than 80 percent. Math Models- Recommended if the final grade in Algebra 1 and Geometry is less than 80 percent.

9. Credit Requirements for Classification Students are classified by the number of academic credits they have earned at the beginning of the school year. 0-5.5 credits = 9 th grade 6-11.5 credits = 10 th grade 12-17.5 credits = 11 th grade 18+ credits = 12 th grade

10. Things to consider What is a credit? What is the difference between a state credit and a local credit? Have I failed any courses since I’ve been in High School? Have I lost credit due to attendance? What courses will I need to re-take? Do I have: a. 1.0 of P.E.? b. 1 year of Fine Art ( Band, Dance, Theater Arts, Choir)? Do I need electives? Do I need to go to summer school, credit recovery, or correspondence courses to have enough credits to be promoted next fall? How does GPA and class rank affect my college choices? How does course selection influence test scores?

12. Examples of Career Clusters Technology Applications Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources Architecture & Construction Arts, Audio-visual Technology & Communications Education & Training Finance Government & Public Administration Health Science Hospitality & Tourism Human Services Information Technology Law. Public Safety & Security Manufacturing, Sales, & Service Science, Technology, Engineering & Math Transportation, Distribution & Logistics

13. Texas Virtual School Network (www.TxVSN.org) Clearinghouse of online courses Provider/Receiver Districts Allotment Funding for now High school student may take up to 2 TxVSN courses/semester –Part of 7 period day –Outside of regular school day

14. Interested in taking an online class? Step 1: see if you are ready for online instruction –Go to http://txvsn.readi.infohttp://txvsn.readi.info log in: atascocita password: student Email your results to your counselor!

15. Interested in taking an online class? Step 2: look at the course catalog to see what you’d like to take –Go to www.txvsn.orgwww.txvsn.org Hover mouse over TxVSN Catalog Click on High School Select Year: 2010-11 Select Semester: Fall, then Search This is the list of courses available this past fall (next fall’s courses are not published yet) and will give you a good idea of what will be offered next fall.

16. Interested in taking an online class? Step 3: Talk to your counselor about enrolling in a TxVSN course –Review SmarterMeasure results Are you self-motivated? Are you ready for the independence? –Which course(s) should you take online? –Will you take the course(s) as part of your 7 periods or in addition to the 7 next year?

17. TAKS Test 9 th Grade TAKS 10 th Grade TAKS 11 th -12 th Grade Exit Level TAKS Students first take the exit-level TAKS in the spring of their junior year. The exit level TAKS includes math, science, social studies and English language arts. These test are based in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or TEKS, which are the curriculum standards that teachers use every day in the classroom as the basis for their instruction. Students must pass their classes as well as all four sections of the Exit level TAKS in order to receive a diploma and graduate from a Texas public high school.

18. Spring TAKS Dates English Language Arts Math March 1, 2011April 28, 2011

19. Course Request Sheet Course Selection Presentations will be made during W. Geography classes 9 th – 1/28/2011 Select appropriate courses for next school year, using your transcript and the graduation requirements sheet found in the course planning guide. Select 7 courses - A combination of semester-long and/or year-long courses. Remember to select 4 core courses first ( Eng, Math, Science, S.S.) List at least (3) elective courses Choose (2) alternate courses Parent signature is required

20. Picking up Course Selections Freshmen will select courses on 1/31/2011 & bring home selection sheets for parent approval and signature.