ACHIEVEMENT MATTERS A PLAN FOR HIGH SCHOOL SUCCESS AND PREPARATION FOR COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS

Francis Scott Key High School’s Mission FSK is an ever-changing, historic community, rich in tradition and pride. Our mission is to nurture and support students as they mature socially, ethically and emotionally while encouraging them to achieve academic excellence and a healthy lifestyle. We recognize and value each student as an individual. Through a diverse and rigorous program of study, we empower students with the confidence and skills of the 21 st century needed to successfully navigate the challenges of adult life in a global society.

Why do we need to increase rigor? Almost 80% of today’s fastest-growing jobs require some post-secondary education. Success in college builds upon success in high school. Effective study habits, student maturity, and responsibility are all skills and character traits developed in high school. The school profile can affect acceptance into college.

Why do we need to increase rigor? Ensure that all students are well prepared for post- secondary education, career and civic life Increase student achievement and raise expectations for all students Rigor is not for the traditionally college-bound student alone; rather, all students should be provided with an education that qualifies them for college entry should they so choose

Today’s Job Market Education LevelPercentage of Jobs in 1973 Percentage of Jobs 2020 High School Dropout32%11% High School Graduate40%24% Some College12%30% Bachelor’s Degree or Higher 16%35%

Attending Higher Education Pays Off Level of EducationLifetime Earnings Less than high school$1 million High school graduate$1.4 million Some college$1.6 million Associate’s degree or other 2 year degree$1.8 million Bachelor’s degree$2.4 million Master’s degree$2.8 million Doctoral degree$3.5 million Professional degree$4.2 million The gap between a high school graduate and bachelor’s degree is now 77%. In 1975 it was 50%.

Competitiveness for College Entrance Continues to Rise Last year… University of Maryland (College Park) had 28,000 applicants - 12,000 were admitted (71% in top 10 th of their class) Towson University had 15,000 applicants – 10,000 were admitted (24% in top 10 th of their class) Salisbury University had 7,500 applicants – 4,000 were admitted (23% in top 10 th of their class)

Avg. GPAAvg. SAT University of MD College Park Stevenson University McDaniel College Salisbury University Towson University UMBC Maryland Colleges and Universities Entrance Requirements

College Ready? Career Ready? Is ready for career the same thing as ready for college? Yes! Research shows employers expect students to graduate from high school with the necessary knowledge and skills to be successful. Today’s Reality To have options and opportunities in the national and global job markets, ALL high school graduates need to be prepared for some post- secondary education and/or training.

WHERE IS FSK TODAY?

FSK School Attendance School YearAttendance Rate Absent 5 Days or Fewer Absent More Than 20 Days %42%8.2% %38.2%9.4% %40.2%12.7% %38.4%10.4% %40.5%12.1%

Advanced Placement (AP) Exams School Year Total Students Total Exams% Scoring 3 or Better % Students of 9-12 Enrollment %24.7% %25.6% %17.4% %9.7% %10.4%

FSK SAT Data (school averages) School Year Critical Reading MathWritingTotal Score % of graduating seniors taking the SAT % % % % %

The best preparation for college is a rigorous high school schedule comprised of Honors and AP courses. College readiness is usually measured in terms of completion of Honors and AP courses, AP test scores, and PSAT/SAT or ACT scores. ReadiStep scores can help identify where student stands on the path to readiness for college and career. Our job at FSK is to work with the student and his/her parents to help get the student where he or she wants to be.

Opportunities to Increase Academic Readiness Students should challenge themselves to take the most rigorous coursework their abilities/talents allow Take advantage of courses such as Freshman Seminar and SAT Prep While not required these courses are crucial in developing academic skills Read and write outside of assigned school work Take advantage of programs that allow students to receive extra help from teachers and staff KEY Time provides students with 35 minutes, 4 times a week to meet with their teachers for extra help, participate in study groups, access the media center or computer labs, and work on academic work Programs such as the Eagle Learning Lab (which is open Mon-Thurs until 3:30 p.m.)

AP Courses Offered at FSK English AP Language & Comp AP Literature & Comp Math AP Calculus A/B AP Calculus B/C AP Statistics Science AP Biology AP Chemistry AP Physics AP Environmental Science Social Studies AP Government AP US History AP Human Geography AP World History AP European History AP Psychology AP Macroeconomics Fine Arts AP Studio Art AP Music Theory World Languages AP Spanish Language

Opportunities to Increase Career Readiness Choose a state-approved career and technology completer or major Students completing the University of Maryland requirements should also consider doing a completer (dual completer) Participate in a job shadow or internship (Career Connections Program) Compete in SKILLS USA as a student at CCCTC Take advantage of career speaker activities Take advantage of career preparation activities (such as writing a resume and mock interview) Extra-curricular activities and leadership positions

Characteristics of a Well Prepared 9 th Grader Good attendance habits Punctuality Willingness to learn Advocate for himself or herself Time management skills Willingness to challenge himself or herself academically Read and write outside of school Participate in extracurricular and/or community activities

Upcoming Dates Learn about graduation requirements and receive your child’s course selection materials Choose one – all of these are at FSK Tuesday, January 13, :30 pm OR Tuesday, January 13, :45 pm OR Thursday, January 15, :30 pm – REGIONAL NIGHT OR Wednesday, January 21, :30 pm In February we will have our Advisory Parent Conferences