MISSION POSSIBLE: Graduation and Beyond BRIDGE Advisement Class of 2017

Welcome to this informational BRIDGE Advisement Opportunity Current Information and Decisions Completed During 9th Grade Current Decisions Impact Future Course Requests (Registration) Learning About and Selecting 10th Grade Courses BRIDGE Advisement Planning and Finalizing Course Selections by Gaining Expert Advice Career Portfolio Information Including Exploration of 3 Careers Making plans after high school Updating the Individual Graduation Plan in GaCollege411 Dual Enrollment Opportunities

Purpose of Completed Classroom Guidance 2 Page BRIDGE Graduation Plan Completed and/or Updated: Course Requests and Review of Transcript History Course Requests and Plan for Sophomore Year and Plan for Junior and Senior Years Plan for two years beyond high school Career Interest Inventory Information Exploring 3 careers information Use of www.GAcollege411.org and updating the IGP (Individual Graduation Plan from the BRIDGE Graduation Plan)

Important facts were reviewed: For promotion to the next grade level Five (5) credits must be earned to be considered a sophomore. Eleven (11) credits must be earned to be a junior. Seventeen (17) credits must be earned to be a Senior. Pass all courses….The transcript includes grades and credits earned for first semester of this school year. All grades count toward the overall GPA (Grade Point Average) and earning credits for graduation! All academic courses and grades count for the HOPE eligible grade point average.

Earning A High School Diploma and Making Plans After High School BRIDGE Advisement Graduation Plan 2-page Document that drives course requests

An Important Planning Resource http://www. paulding. k12. ga An Important Planning Resource http://www.paulding.k12.ga.us/UserFiles/2/Career-Planner_13-14.pdf The Career Planner is located on the district website under Quick Links.

Throughout high school your student should consider: Rigorous/relevant courses Honors classes add 5 points for students who pass, for local purposes only. Honors courses do not count for the HOPE eligible 4.0 gpa weight. AP classes add 10 points for students who pass. AP courses passed with a 70 or higher do add a .5 on the HOPE for each AP course (HOPE eligible gpa weight). Study Skills Organizational Skills

One Diploma Type Graduation Requirements Areas of Study: Units Required English/Language Arts * 4 Mathematics* 4 Science* 4 Social Studies* 3 CTAE and/or Fine Arts and/or World Lang. 3 Health and Physical Education* 1 Electives 4 Total Units (Minimum) * Required Courses and/or Core Courses Under the new rule, all students will be required to complete a common set of requirements, as listed here. Tiered diploma options (College Preparatory with Distinction, College Preparatory, Technology Career with Distinction, and Technology Career) will be eliminated. 23 8

BRIDGE Graduation Plan PAGE 1

All of Sections 2-5 were reviewed and updated: Section 2 was updated with current courses being taken on student’s Individual Graduation Plan on GaCollege411. Sections 3 – 5 now reflect planned courses in core academic areas, an Plan of Study/Area of Focus in CTAE, Advanced Academics, Fine Arts, or World Language, other requirements and electives. This information was also updated on the IGP on GaCollege411.

The AP (Advanced Placement) and Honors Application Process For an student who plans to take one or more Advanced Placement and/or Honors courses: Online process begins the first day of school in January and ends on different dates at each high school. For this high school the closing date is:

Plan of Study Being a Pathway Completer All students are strongly encouraged to select a Plan of Study/Pathway and complete a sequence of 3 courses in one of the following areas: CTAE Advanced Academics Fine Arts World Language Georgia DOE Plans of Study Website Link for all Plans of Study: http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/CTAE/Pages/Georgia-Career-Pathways-New-Rule.aspx

Career Clusters and their Pathways are part of a state supported curriculum that encourages and supports students and families in their educational and career planning through long-term goals, knowledge, experience and resources. Students may earn three (3) units of credit in a sequence of CTAE courses in a Pathway. These self-selected Pathways lead to college readiness and a career readiness certificate. There is a Career Pathway Assessment given at the end of the three (3) sequential Career Pathway courses (usually in the Jr. or Sr. year). Students may use their required Electives courses to complete more than one Pathway during their high school career. Slide 21

Advanced Academic Plan of Study/Pathway Some students opt to take rigorous courses in the area of English, Mathematics, Science or Social Studies. Criteria for English and Mathematics are: Slide 22

Criteria for Science and Social Studies are: Slide 22

If Band, Chorus, Drama, and/or Visual Arts are courses that you enjoy, these courses can count as “Fine Arts” credit or as regular elective credit. Three sequential courses will complete a Fine Arts Pathway. Once a student has earned the three units required for CTAE/World Language/Fine Arts, the remaining courses will count toward the required Elective credits. Slide 22

Taking a World Language course is NOT required for graduation, but students who wish to gain admission to a college/university must complete two (2) units of the same World (foreign) Language. Like CTAE and Fine Arts, students may be a pathway completer if 3 sequential World Language courses are completed. Slide 23

What if a student wants take a course Online during high school? During the month of June 2014, there will be a PCSD online registration opportunity for high school courses. Senate Bill 289 allows districts to provide students in grades 3 through 12 the option of taking an online course should you choose that option.

More Online Course Information Counselors have the online course information for high school courses. The district resource is called K12. During July or August, high school counselors provide an online advisement opportunity to students who registered for an Online course during June. The GaDOE Clearinghouse provides course and provider information and may be accessed through the following link for provider information: http://www.gadoe.org/_layouts/GADOEPublic.SPApp/Clearinghouse.aspx

Some Students Take Advantage of Online Credit Recovery Courses Credit recovery – based on need to take a credit recovery course due to failing a course See counselor to help determine if this option is a good choice. Credit recovery courses are taken via K12. There is an approval process for taking these courses.

On the right of page 1 are the mandated advisement steps that we will be working on throughout high school. This year exploring 3 careers is required as well as updating the IGP in GACollege411. In addition, Sections 2-5 are used to update the IGP (Individual Graduation Plan) in GACollege411. Class of 2017 students will be required to complete a Career Capstone project during the 4th year of high school unless the student is participating in Work-Based Learning. General information will be provided during grades 10 and 11. Specific information will be provided at the beginning of grade 12. Thus, 9th grade students are beginning to consider their top career interest areas. Slide 28

To move from a freshmen to a sophomore, 5 credits must be earned. In order to be considered “promoted” to the next grade level in high school, a student must earn a minimum number of units by the end of each year (see the chart in Section 7). To move from a freshmen to a sophomore, 5 credits must be earned. Getting off-track in terms of units/credits earned means that a student may not graduate on time. Slide 29

Both passing and failing grades in the core courses count Currently, the HOPE scholarship is determined by the calculation of all academic core courses that the student has taken and completed (grades 9-12). Class of 2017 students need four (4) additional “rigorous” academic courses to qualify for the HOPE Scholarship. Both passing and failing grades in the core courses count Changes in the eligibility guidelines are posted and updated on the GACollege411 website. (There are often annual changes in HOPE Scholarship regulations.) Note Information pages in High School 101 guide. Slide 30

HOPE GPA Please remember that a HOPE gpa is calculated on a 4.0 scale and the focus is on all academic courses completed Non-academic elective courses do not count Thus, a numeric GPA of 83.4%, does not necessarily mean that the HOPE gpa will be 3.0 or higher. Please monitor HOPE gpa via your GACollege411 account.

HOPE GPA If a student does not have these three key fields correct in our Student Information System, there will be no HOPE Scholarship: Legal name that is on birth certificate Social Security Number Birth Date All of the above items must match on Infinite Campus GACollege411 FAFSA College Admissions Documents

Rigor Requirements for HOPE

Students must continually review that a minimum of 3 rigorous courses from the 3-page document on the GACollege411 website below are completed in order to be eligible for the HOPE Scholarship. The chart below is an example of the top of the first page. The information lists course type, course number and course title: http://www.gsfc.org/main/publishing/pdf/2012/Course_list.pdf Course # 1 Course # 1 Course # 1 Course # 1 Course # 2 Course # 2 Course # 2 Course # 2 Slide 24

Students reviewed and/or changed the career objective Also, postsecondary plans were reviewed and updated. Slide 32

Career Decisions As courses are considered during each annual advisement opportunity and course requests are processed, students need to ask themselves: What are the courses that I have successfully completed during my first semester? What kinds of classes really interest me? Do I see in my future differently than I did during advisement last year: technical college college military work other

GACollege411.org Remember all students are to continue to use the secure My411 account on the website to track and manage: Profile High School Courses and Grades Co-curricular and Extra Curricular Activities Honors and Awards SAT, ACT, and Other Test Scores and practice tests Career Inventories and Explorations College Choices During and After High School

By now students are more familiar with an Area of Focus or Career Pathway. There are 4 areas of focus: CTAE Advanced Academics Fine Arts World Language Students have reviewed and updated at least one Plan of Study/Area of Focus. Slide 33

College Credit Now! actually refers to several state programs that allow high school students to earn both college and high school credit simultaneously. The programs are available to students and typically taken during their Junior and Senior years. Slide 34

College Credit Now/ Dual Enrollment Accel Articulated Credit Residential Programs Early College All three state educational agencies agreed to common definitions for the various programs that allowed high school students to earn both high school and college credit and to market them as “College Credit Now”. These are all of the different types of dual programs we have where students can earn high school and college credit at the same time. We have different programs so we can try to meet the different needs of our students. The components of these programs can vary so you need to have access to the information of each. It is in the Guidance for Dual Enrollment document on my web page. Hope Grant TCSG Dual Enrollment Move On When Ready 37

Dual Enrollment Defined A process by which high school students take courses from a state public or private postsecondary institution while still enrolled as a high school student and receive credit both at the high school and at the postsecondary institution. This is the all encompassing definition of DE that covers all the different type of programs we have that fall under DE. If students are involved with a program where they are getting credit at both the HS and College levels simultaneously, then it falls under dual enrollment. Next SLIDE 38

College Credit Now/Dual Enrollment MOWR ACCEL DUAL TCSG (Technical College System of Georgia) JOINT AGE (*See school counselor if want to take course work younger than 16.) Junior or Senior 16 years* FUNDING Georgia Department of Education 100% paid tuition and fees up to 15 semester hours or 4 high school units GSFC 100% paid tuition from state funds No fees paid from state funds Fees paid by student for 2013-1014 year. HOPE Grant (GSFAPPS) Partial Tuition Paid by Georgia Student Finance Commission Rate determined by GSFC every year HOPE Grant MOWR, ACCEL, and DUAL TCSG credit hours do NOT count toward the HOPE cap. Credit hours count toward HOPE cap BOOKS Books are responsibility of student COURSES Academic/Technical Academic Technical CREDIT High school & College College only ATTENDANCE Full time at college P/T or F/T at college HOPE Cap = 127 Hours HOPE CAP = 127 Semester Hours

Our district students usually take advantage of either Accel, Move on When Ready, or TCSG Dual Enrollment Accel is a program typically for Juniors and Seniors. Accel courses are core academic courses in English, mathematics, science, and social studies and are part of a degree program. A student may be full or part time at the college, university or technical college. If a student is part time at the college, then, the student is also part time at the high school. Students must meet admissions requirements at the college, technical college or university.

Move on When Ready Important facts about MOWR: 1. Students must have attended public high school previous year in GA and be counted in both FTE counts 2. Students must be attending as full time student at the postsecondary institution (12 semester hours) 3. Students cannot switch from MOWR to another College Credit Now program during the semester. 4. Students must meet admissions requirements of the college, university or technical college, so planning early is important.

Technical College System of Georgia Dual Enrollment Students may take a certificate of diploma course(s) Students may attend the district high school part time and take courses at the technical college part time HOPE Grant money pays for a percentage of the TCSG Dual Enrollment course

Section 13 provides space to track the completion of the three (3) sequential Pathway courses and thus is used throughout high school. In addition, as students near the end of course 2 of the pathway, a target assessment date can be planned. Slide 35

Beginning with the Class of 2016, students must complete the state’s End-of-Course Tests instead of taking the subject-specific Graduation Tests listed in Section 14. The EOCT’s are administered during select academic classes, and they also count as 20% of the student’s final grades in those courses. All students will continue to take the state’s Georgia High School Writing Test during the fall of his or her Junior year. Students take the PSAT during the 10th grade year. Students may opt to take the PSAT during the Junior year. If a student plans to apply to a college or university, he or she should plan to take the SAT and/or ACT. Slide 36

End of Course Tests (EOCT) Counts 20% of the final grade for the course. Areas Tested: Ninth Literature/Composition American Literature/Composition CCGPS Algebra or Accelerated Course CCGPS Geometry or Accelerated Course Physical Science Biology United States History Economics

TEST-OUT OPPORTUNITIES Beginning in Spring 2014, qualified students may test-out in up to 3 EOCT courses throughout high school and earn up to 3 high school credits on his/her high school transcript. Specific information will be available during the end of first semester.

TEST-OUT OPPORTUNITIES Basic Requirements and Tentative Information 1. Limit is 3 courses during high school with a cap of 3 credits earned. 2. PCSD Test-out Registration Opportunity in January with information available prior to registration opportunity. This is an Online registration opportunity on the district website. 3. Student cannot have started a course(s) that he/she is planning to test-out. 4. During January registration a payment of $50.00 must be made for each test. Students who score Exceeds will have this money reimbursed after scores come back during April. 5. During February a grade of B or higher will be validated. Also, during February a teacher recommendation regarding the test-out opportunity must be received by the school counselor. This recommendation is completed by the student’s teacher in the subject area. 6. EOCT test(s) is taken during the week of March 10. 7. For a student who receives an Exceeds score, the high school transcript is updated with course, grade/score and credit earned.

Test-out Opportunities Information Page 14 of Career Planner

PSAT The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude test provides a standardized view of a student’s scholastic skills, regardless of the school attended, and helps students compare themselves with other college-bound students nationwide. This test is taken in October of 10th grade year during the school day. This test is a predictor of potential in Advanced Placement courses as well as a predictor of how a student might perform on the SAT.

The SAT While the best SAT preparation is through rigorous and challenging course work in which the student puts forth maximum effort, students are strongly encouraged to go to www.GAcollege411.org to take advantage of two comprehensive resources for Georgia High School students to help them prepare for the SAT.

Opportunities include: Youth Apprenticeship Cooperative Education A student may be eligible to participate in one of the Work-Based Learning Programs. Opportunities include: Youth Apprenticeship Cooperative Education Internship Employability Skills Development These programs: Put book knowledge to use and gain hands on experience in your career. Earn school credit in your career area during your Junior and Senior year. Earn money while learning (excluding some internships). Interested students should contact the school counselor for additional information. Slide 37

Changes at the Georgia State Dept Changes at the Georgia State Dept. of Education, as well as local board decisions, may impact this advisement plan. The Senior Letter (12th grade) is the final graduation plan document. It will be completed during August/September of the Senior year. Some college and universities (in Georgia and outside of Georgia) may require additional units beyond the minimum required for a Georgia high school diploma. Always consult with your high school counselor for more information about college admissions. PCSD Career Planner and High School 101 are guides for parents and students during the high school years. Please review this important resource. Slide 38

Section 17 is provided to allow a space for students, parents, and counselors to make any necessary comments. Any time there is a problem or concern, make certain that he counselor is aware. Slide 39

At the bottom of Page 2, please sign and date in the box labeled “9th to 10th Advisement Plan Reviewed by:” You and your student will sign the remaining boxes as you attend advisement sessions during the coming years and revise the 10, 11, and 12th grade columns on page 1. After you have all of the signatures, tear off the Green Copy for your records. Return the remaining copies and handouts to one of the counselors in the computer lab. Slide 40

Our Counseling Program Promotes development and support for EVERY student: Academic Rigorous courses Course completion Increased graduation rates Career Links to next step and eventually world of work Personal/social Remember to make an appointment with your counselor, if you would like additional time on any of these topics.