9 TH G RADE S CHEDULING V ISIT …A NEW CHAPTER OF YOUR LIFE BEGINS ! Welcome to the high school, Class of 2020!

T HE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF SCHEDULING…. UNDERSTANDING YOUR GRADUATION PLAN. You need 25 credits to graduate. You can earn 7 credits each year. Therefore, you should earn 28 credits when you graduate if you pass all your classes. You must earn at least 6 credits each year in order to move to the next grade level. Sophomore- 6 credits Junior- 12 credits Senior- 18 credits You must show proficiency in Algebra, Biology, and Literature Keystone Exams in order to graduate.

E NGLISH S EQUENCE Placement in 9 th grade English classes is based on data review and teacher recommendations. Based on this data… If you are predicted to demonstrate proficiency on the Keystone Literature Exam in 9 th grade, you will take Literature II. If data indicates you would be best to wait and take the Keystone Literature Exam in 10 th grade, you will take Literature I.

S OCIAL S TUDIES S EQUENCE All students will take United States History I. There is a CP and general option.

S CIENCE SEQUENCE Students need at least 3 science credits to graduate as well as an additional credit in either science or math. All students must demonstrate proficiency on the Keystone Exam. After passing Biology and being proficient on the Keystone, students may take any science course. Science courses are scheduled based on Keystone Algebra exam scores. For students who are Proficient or Advanced in Algebra during 8 th grade, they may take Biology in 9 th grade.

S CIENCE S EQUENCE Placement in science courses is based on 8 th grade Algebra Keystone results. If you pass the Algebra Keystone exam, you will take Biology I or Biology I Honors. If you do not pass the Algebra Keystone exam or you do not take the exam, you will take General Science.

M ATHEMATICS Placement in math courses is also based on 8 th grade course completion and teacher recommendation. If you are in Algebra IB, you will take Geometry or Geometry Honors. If you are in Algebra IA, you will take Algebra IB. If you fail Algebra IA/IB, you will repeat Algebra IA/IB.

W ELLNESS /F ITNESS Everyone will take a half credit of Wellness and Fitness each year. This covers the Physical Education and Health curriculums. You can also choose to take Dance or Outdoor education later in high school. These count as wellness/fitness credits.

E SSENTIALS OF COMPUTER SCIENCE All students in the class of 2020 will take Essentials of Computer Science I to meet the graduation requirement involving technology/computer literacy. It is worth half a credit. This was formerly known as the Digital Citizenship course.

A RTS AND HUMANITIES Each student needs 2 credits worth of classes in any combination of the following areas: Foreign Language Art Industrial Arts Family and Consumer Science Music, Band, Chorus Foreign Language classes are generally considered a CP class. West Perry does not require students to take a language; however, college admissions requirements want to see 2-3 years of a language in high school. Any additional classes beyond 2 credits will count towards electives on the graduation plan.

E LECTIVES All additional classes that students choose to take beyond the graduation requirements listed above count as electives. For example, if a student takes Spanish I and Spanish II, he or she has fulfilled the 2 credit requirement for Arts and Humanities. Spanish III and Spanish IV would count in the elective area. All Business/Computer Programming classes count as electives. Vo-Tech counts as an elective- 3 credits per year. Most Agriscience courses count as electives. Some can count as a science class. (See course guide for information.) You can take more than what is required on the graduation plan. If you want to take every science class we offer, you can, as long as it fits in your schedule.

K EYSTONE E XAMS Due to new state regulations, you must show proficiency in Algebra, Biology, and Literature by taking and passing a Keystone exam in each subject. If you are not proficient on a Keystone Exam, you will be required to take a remedial course to help you learn the exam content. This remedial course will take an elective space on your schedule. It is a requirement. You cannot drop the remedial course in order to take Driver’s Ed, art, or any other course that is not a graduation requirement.

C HOOSING THE RIGHT COURSES FOR YOU Talk to your teachers and parents. You will see teacher recommendations when you log on to schedule. Talk to trustworthy friends in the high school. Honors classes are more challenging, move at a faster pace, and cover material in greater detail. Honors classes prepare you for the SAT exam and college level academics. They also ensure you meet NCAA eligibility to play college sports. Honors classes are weighted and help your GPA and class rank if you do well. They often require you to read books over the summer before the class starts.

C OURSE F AILURES AND C REDIT R ECOVERY What if I fail a course? Option 1- Reschedule the course the next year. Option 2- Summer School Option 3- Correspondence Course It is possible to fail one class and move on to the next grade. For example, if you fail English 9, you will lose ONE of your SEVEN credits. You will earn 6 credits for your freshman year. You need 6 credits to be a sophomore. Therefore, you will move on to 10 th grade, BUT you will need to make up English 9 because it is a graduation requirement. However, if you fail English 9, Algebra I, and Digital Citizenship, you will lose 2.5 of your 7 credits. You will only earn 4.5 credits for your freshman year. You will be a freshman again the following year because you did not earn 6 credits. You can move on and take 10 th grade classes in History and Science because you passed the 9 th grade prerequisites, but you must retake English, Algebra I, and Digital Citizenship.

L ET ’ S TALK ABOUT CLASSES ! CeramicsSpanishDrawing Computer ProgrammingMusic Band MetalworkingWoodworking