 What is an Individual Graduation Plan (IGP)?  What do students need to do to graduate from high school?  What is a Pathway, and how do students choose one?  Which tests students will take in high school.  Who do I ask for help?

Study Guide

 Each grade 8 student will review the graduation requirements with their advisor or counselor, and create a plan to get them to graduation.  This plan is found on a website called GACollege411 (  Parents can discuss this plan with the advisor or counselor if they have questions.  The plan is a reflection of the graduation requirements and pathway options we will discuss.

GA 411 Homepage

High School Planning

 Students need 24 units to graduate  Credits need to be earned in specific subject areas  Students are required to complete 20 hours of community service by the end of Junior year  (11 th grade).

Required Areas of Study Units Required English/Language Arts4 Mathematics4 Science4 Social Studies3 (4 courses) Health and Physical Education1 World Language 3 College Prep Pathway OR 1 CTAE Pathway (2 preferred) CTAE (Career Technical Agricultural Education) 4 CTAE Pathway only Electives 5 College Prep Pathway Students OR 3 CTAE Pathway Students Total Minimum Units24

CORE EnglishScience Social Studies World Languages Math 12 Core Academic Courses 12

13 – 9th Literature & Composition – 10 th Literature & Composition – 11 th American Literature & Composition – 12 th grade British Literature & Composition *Honors, AP, IB, or dual enrollment course equivalents may be used 13

Mathematics CCGPS 9 th - Coordinate Algebra 10 th - Analytic Geometry 11 th - Advanced Algebra 12 th - Pre-Calculus or Approved 4 th Option OR 9 th - Accelerated Coordinate Algebra/Analytic Geometry A 10 th - Accelerated Analytic Geometry B/Advanced Algebra 11 th - Accelerated Pre-Calculus 12 th - AP Calculus, AP Statistics, Advanced level Mathematics course or Approved 4 th Option 14

15 SCIENCE  Biology  Physical Science  Environmental Science, Chemistry, or another GA DOE approved Science  Physics or another GA DOE approved Science  *Honors, AP, IB, or dual enrollment course equivalents may be used 15

16 Social Studies  World History  American Government  United States History  Economics *Honors, AP, IB, or dual enrollment course equivalents may be used 16

 College sequence  3 units required (of the same language)  4 recommended  CTAE sequence  1 unit required  2 units recommended * While the GA Department of Education no longer requires students to complete two units of foreign language for high school graduation, the University System of GA does require the completion of two years of the same foreign language.

 Health (.5)  Personal Fitness (.5)  Electives to add to a minimum of 24 total units  A graduation pathway helps provide cohesion to the additional electives and allows students to explore in depth an area that interests them.  While the hope is that the pathway sparks a college or career interest, at a minimum students gain valuable knowledge by exploring at least one area in depth as opposed to bouncing around intro level electives in multiple areas with only surface understanding.

 Pathways available at School of Liberal Studies at SHS are Law and Criminal Justice, Nutrition and Food Science, Adminstrative/Information Support, Small Business Development, JROTC, Fine Arts: Visual Arts, Band; World Language; Advanced Academic

 Advanced Academic – Pathway may be completed with an AP, IB, or Dual Enrollment level course in any one of the following content areas: English, mathematics, science, or social studies.  World Language – Pathway may be completed with 3 units of credit in any of the language areas found in the state list of approved courses.  Fine Arts – Pathway consists of sequential courses in any of the following areas: journalism, music, theater, and visual arts. (Dance, SAA only).  CTAE – Pathway is completed with a cluster of specific courses in a CTAE-approved pathway.

 Student may choose: English, mathematics, science, or social studies.  Student must complete 4 required units in the core area AND  Student must earn a minimum of two credits in the same world language AND  Course history must also include at least one AP, IB, or dual enrollment credit in the core subject area.

 Students must complete 3 sequential credits in one Fine Arts Subject.  Theater  Visual Arts  Music (band or chorus)  Journalism  Dance (Savannah Arts Only)

 Students must earn 3 sequential credits in the same World Language.  Students may choose from any state approved world language.  The third course may be high school credit, or reflect AP, IB, or dual enrollment credit in the selected world language.

 Pathway is completed with a cluster of specific courses in a CTAE-approved pathway.  Specific pathways are offered at each high school. (listed on back of pathway selection form)  Additional CTAE pathway options are available at Woodville Tompkins.  Students selecting a Woodville Tomkins pathway will take Intro to Business & Technology at their home high school then travel to WT in 10th grade for their additional pathway classes. (Students who are NOT in the specialty program located full time at WT).

 A pathway to gauge interest in law and criminal justice.  Careers: lawyer, police officer, probation officer, court service, paralegal, CSI, Customs, game warden, corrections, Border Patrol  A three-course sequence:  1 – Intro to Law and Criminal Justice  2 – Law, Community Response & Policing  3 – Criminal Investigation and Forensics

26 End of Course exams (EOC) counts as 20% of a student’s final grade in a course. English 9 – Literature/Composition English 11 –American Literature CCGPS Coordinate Algebra CCGPS Analytic Geometry Biology Physical Science United States History Economics 26

 Students are required to do a minimum of 20 hours of Community Service at a non profit organization of their choosing  Community Service logs are available in the Counseling Office and online  Must be submitted to Advisors or Counselors and include a 3 paragraph essay outlining their experience

 Students must pass at least 5 units (1 Eng., 1 Math, 1 Science, 1 Social Studies plus 1 more)  Attendance is EXTREMELY important!  No more than 15 absences are allowed per year (includes excused and unexcused)  Any child under 16 who during the school calendar year has more than ten (10) days of unexcused absences is considered truant and may be referred to the Court by the School Social Worker  If student MUST be absent, an official excuse or parent note must be submitted immediately upon return (only 5 parent notes per year permitted)

As of the Class of 2017, the HOPE scholarship program is requiring at least 4 courses defined as “rigorous” to be eligible. The courses include: advanced Math and Science (Adv. Algebra, Trig) advanced Science (Chemistry, Physics), advanced World Language (Spanish III), dual-enrollment, Advanced Placement courses. Complete list on SHS website.

 Dual Enrollment Armstrong SU, Savannah SU, Sav Tech Coll  Part-time at Woodville Tompkins  AP (Advanced Placement) courses Possibly earn college credit in high school  Early graduation  Work-based Learning  Internships

 720 days (180 x 4)  Have fun!  Go to class  Study  Get involved  You start applying to college and a job on August 6, The clock starts ticking on your transcript and school record.