DeKalb County School System Department of Guidance, Counseling, and Mentoring Tips for High School Success

Your school counselor will help to guide you through your high school years. Do you know who your school counselor is?

Have You Thought About Your Future? You Have Choices…. Four Year College Two Year College Technical College Full-time Employment Military Service

Be reminded of the DeKalb County School System requirements for graduation. In order to earn a diploma, students must pass all sections of the Georgia High School Graduation Test Students not passing all sections of the Georgia High School Graduation Test will receive a Certificate of Performance at the completion of their high school career. Diploma vs. Certificate of Performance

What Are Credits/Units? A UNIT or CREDIT is successful completion of 2 semesters of a course (subject) of study. A CORE UNIT includes: –ENGLISH, MATH, SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES, AND WORLD LANGUAGE. For PROMOTION to the next grade you will need: –10 TH Grade – 6 UNITS (3 Core and 3 Elective) –11 TH Grade – 12 UNITS (6 Core and 6 Elective) –12 TH Grade – 17 UNITS (9 Core and 9 Elective) –Graduation – 24 UNITS as determined by diploma type

What are Grade Point Averages? CUMULATIVE GPA –ALL COURSES EARNING CARNEGIE UNIT CREDIT –4.0 SCALE (General, Advanced, Accelerated) A= 4 quality points, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0 –5.0 SCALE (Advanced Placement – AP) A=5 quality points, B=4, C=3, D=2, F=0 CORE GPA –Consists of English, Math, Science, Social Studies and World Language courses only To Calculate: Convert letter grades to quality points Divide by number of courses.

General Information Take classes related to your career choices. College admissions are usually based on GPA, test scores, course difficulty, and extra-curricular activities. Plan to take the PSAT in the 9 th grade, 10th grade, and the 11th grade. Plan to take the SAT in both the 11th grade and the 12th grade.

Advisement Form Review your childs Career Path Identify the best diploma for your career Review with the Counselor your four year plan Sign the form and retain a copy for your records Refer to this form throughout high school

Requirements Common to all Diplomas? 4 units each: –English, Math, Science & Social Studies.5 unit of Health 1.5 units of PE 24 total units

16 Core Academic Requirements for All Diploma Types EnglishMathScience Social Studies 9 th grade – Grammar/ Comp/Lit 9 th grade – Math I 9 th grade – Biology 9 th grade – Citizenship AND World Geography 10 th grade – World Lit 10 th grade – Math II 10 th grade Physical Science or Chemistry 10 th grade – World Hist. 11 th grade – American Lit 11 th grade Pre Math III 11 th grade – Chemistry or Physics 11 th grade – U. S. History 12 th grade Brit Lit 12 th Grade Math IV 12 th Grade – Physics/ 4 year Science 12 th grade – Economics/ Am. Govt./other

Math Course Sequence Class of 2012 and beyond Math SEQUENCES for all Diploma Options 1.Math I, Math II, Math III, Math IV 2.Accelerated Math I, Accelerated Math II, Accelerated III, AP Calculus, AP Stats etc. 3.Geometry/Algebra II, Pre-Cal Advanced, Advanced Math Options for 11th and 12 th * * Advanced Math Options: AP Calculus AB/BC, AP Statistics, Discrete Math, Joint Enrollment

HOPE Scholarship College Prep Diploma You must have a minimum core G.P.A. of 3.0 Career Prep Diploma You must have a minimum core G.P.A. of 3.2 Your grade point average will be determined from core requirements and electives only. These include English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and World Languages. For more info please visit

Enrichment Opportunities Extracurricular Activities Summer Enrichment Activities Advanced Placement Courses (10-12) Accel/Joint Enrollment (11-12) Fernbank Courses (11-12) Internships/Shadowing Postsecondary Exploration

Summer School/Credit Recovery If you fail a class, you will likely need to attend summer school. The session lasts three weeks. Fees for last school year were $ per unit Registration begins in April. Online credit recovery may be an option for some students who fail courses with certain grades. See your counselor or graduation coach for more details.

Sources to Assist with Scholarships and Post Secondary Planning Internet Searches **** (username: lakeside password: vikings)

Open A Door To Success Study at least two hours per day Plan your courses carefully for the diploma type Do not procrastinate - meet all deadlines Meet with teachers when you have difficulty

Tips For Parents Monitor study time and academic progress with your student. Encourage involvement in a diverse activities. Set attainable goals with your student. Plan meaningful summer activities Celebrate your students successes Be involved!!