1. Enrollment for
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Sophomore Year

2. Grade classification
Sophomore 6 – 10 ½ Units of Credit Junior 11 – 16 ½ Units of Credit Senior 17 +Units of Credit
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3. Personal Plan of Study Personal Plan of Study
All four years need to be completed with 7 credits each school year.
Graduation requirements + Personal Interest + Career Interest = PPS
This is a working document, which means that it can be changed each school year.
Select courses of interest that will help you reach your goals for after high school.
(I) No alternate choices means that we get to pick classes for you!
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(A and B) Should all be filled in already.
(C) If you had to decide right now, what career/occupation would you select?
(D) Find the Cluster that matches your career.
(E) What education do you need for your career?
(F) What are you currently involved in?
(G) If this applies to you, please place an X or check mark next to the one that applies.
Personal Plan of Study

4. ENGLISH CLASS SEQUENCE CHART
If you took
English I
your Freshman year, you should…
If you took
English I Literature and Composition
your Freshman year, you should…
Take
English II
or if your teacher recommends
World Literature and Composition
your Sophomore year, then…
Take
World Literature and Composition
your Sophomore year, then…
Take
English III
or if your teacher recommends
AP English Language and Composition
your Junior year, then…
Take
AP English Language and Composition
your Junior year, then…
Maridella
Take
English IV and/or
Introduction to College Writing
or if your teacher recommends
AP English Literature and Composition
your Senior year.
Take
AP English Literature and Composition
and/or
English 110/English 124
your Senior year.

5. Why take advanced-level courses in high school?
Here’s the cost of “remediation” in higher education:
62% of Missouri year olds at 2-year community colleges enrolled in remedial courses in their first year: the college required them to take these courses because of their low ACT scores.
40% of the students who take remedial courses at college also take
six years to complete a college degree.
Maridella Carter

6. Why take college-credit courses in high school?
The money savings are significant: tuition for college classes taken in high school is much lower than it is for the same classes taken on a college campus.
You can finish college in 3-4 years instead of 6 and can be earning the salary of a college-educated person by the time you’re 22 or 23.
You can focus your attention in college on courses YOU want to take, especially ones in your chosen major, because you’ll have many of your “general education” required courses completed before you even start college.
Maridella

7. Dual Credit: What It Is and How it Works
“Dual” means you earn both high school and college credit for successfully completing the course.
Earning the college credit is contingent on enrolling in and paying the reduced tuition fee for the course to the college or university offering the credit.
The requirements for registering vary but are generally these:
3.0 overall GPA
junior or senior status (11th or 12th grade)
Maridella

8. AP Courses for College Credit
AP Language and Composition—earning a passing score on the AP Language Exam gives you credit for a required Composition course at college.
AP Literature and Composition—earning a passing score on the AP Literature Exam gives you credit for a required or elective Literature course at college.
Maridella

9. Millenials with College Degrees = Good Career Choices and Better Pay
Stats from a Pew Research Center study published in 2014:
25- to 32-year olds with only high school diplomas earned 62% of what their college graduate peers earned in 2013.
Millenials with a bachelors’ degree in 2013 had median annual full-time earnings of $45,500; millennials with only high school degrees had median annual full-time earnings of $28,000.
The entry-level jobs for high school graduates today are mainly in retail and wholesale, leisure, and hospitality.
Because of the cost of college, college enrollments began declining in 2013: this means millennials who DO complete college can demand even higher salaries in the future. They will be “in demand.”
Maridella

10. Planning ahead for your move to blue springs high school or blue springs south high school MATHEMATICS

11. Math requirements for graduation
successfully complete 3 units of Math – these credits begin now, regardless of your math course in 8th grade.
Most colleges need 4 units of math…..
Credits must include 1 year of Geometry and 1 of ALG 1, or alg 2 if ALG 1 was taken in 8th grade.

12. District goals for you…
To help you develop the skills needed for all walks of life…
Trade school
Community college
College/university
Work force
military
Tips for success in high school…
Take courses that challenge you
AP Calculus, Dual Credit College Algebra, Dual Credit College Trigonometry, Dual Credit College Statistics, Dual Credit College Business Calculus.
If college is your goal, College Algebra and above are the recommended route – these courses have proven successful in raising ACT scores.
ALL juniors (this means you in 2 years) will take the ACT. State mandated…

13. Options: To know where you are going, you need to look where you are….

14. 10th Grade
11th Grade

16. Science requirements for graduation
successfully complete 3 units of science – these credits begin now.
Personal goals this year:
earn all the credits for the courses you are enrolled in – this will ensure you have greater options once you go to BSHS or bsshs.
prepare for your post-high school future…
challenge yourself academically.

17. Options for science courses your sophomore year…
Chemistry
Pre-AP Chemistry
Physics
AP Biology – follows PreAP Biology
The principles of Chemistry are studied in a logical way with laboratory work helping to reveal these principles. The content of the course includes the following: atomic structure, solids, liquids, gases, the periodic table, chemical reactions, molecular structure, equilibrium, and acids and bases.
This course is for students who plan to take AP Chemistry for their second year of high school chemistry. Topics include chemical nomenclature, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, gasses, solutions, bonding, thermo chemistry, equilibrium, kinetics, and electrochemistry. One honor point may be earned for the successful completion of this full-year course at the end of the year.
This course presents the topics of physics and how they will explain the nature of the world that we live in. The main areas of study include motion, energy, electricity and magnetism, sound, light, and optics.
Students who take AP Biology will use advanced inquiry and reasoning skills. Students will be expected to devote time outside of the normal class period to work on this course. An honor point may be earned for each semester passed of this course. College credit can be earned by achieving an acceptable score on the AP exam. All students are expected to take the AP exam and pay the examination fee.

18. Recommendation for all students Plan ahead just in case…
*Recommended coursework based upon future plans
9th grade
10th grade
11th grade/ 12th grade
Biology or
PreAP Biology
Chemistry 1 or PreAP Chemistry Or
Physics
Dual credit Biology (3 credit hours)
CSI
Anatomy & Physiology
Semester courses below:
Microbiology
Astronomy/Meteorology
Geology
Environmental Science

19. *Recommended coursework based upon future plans
Health careers: Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, dietetics, nursing, radiology, sports medicine
9th grade
10th grade
11th grade / 12th grade
Biology
PreAP Biology
PreAP Chemistry or
Chemistry 1
PreAP Chemistry and/or
AP Biology
AP Chemistry or Chemistry II
Anatomy/Physiology
AP Chemistry and/or
Microbiology
AP Physics/ Physics and/or

20. Engineering: mechanical, architectural, or chemical Civil engineers – need geology
*Recommended coursework based upon future plans
9th grade
10th grade
11th grade / 12th grade
PreAP Biology
PreAP Chemistry
AP Chemistry
AP Physics Or
AP Physics C
Geology for Civil Engineering

21. Biomedical engineering
*Recommended coursework based upon future plans
9th grade
10th grade
11th grade / 12th grade
PreAP Biology
PreAP Chemistry
and
AP Biology
AP Chemistry
Anatomy/Physiology
AP Physics/ Physics
Microbiology

22. Biochemical engineering
*Recommended coursework based upon future plans
9th grade
10th grade
11th grade / 12th grade
PreAP Biology
PreAP Chemistry
and
AP Biology
AP Chemistry
Any Physics course
Additional: Microbiology and/or
Anatomy & Physiology

23. Health careers – m.d., pharmacy, dentistry
*Recommended coursework based upon future plans
9th grade
10th grade
11th grade / 12th grade
PreAP Biology
PreAP Chemistry
and
AP Biology
AP Chemistry
Anatomy/Physiology or Microbiology (11/12 grade year)
AP Physics 1
And which ever course from junior year you have left

24. Graduation Requirements
English – 4 credits
Math – 3 credits
Science – 3 credits
Social Studies – 3 credits
Fine Arts – 1 credit
Practical Arts – 1 credit
P.E credit
Health - .5 credit
Personal Finance - .5 credit
Electives – 7 credits
TOTAL = 24 CREDITS
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25. COURSE DESCRIPTIONS (p.26)
Become familiar with this book, especially the course descriptions :
Some classes have “prerequisites” (classes you must take prior to the one listed)
Some classes give you an honor point upon successful completion (in bold)
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After the overview pages, each course is listed by department and has a brief description of the course. Please read the description, so you know what you know what to expect in the courses you are signing up for. You will also need to make sure you are checking to make sure you are meeting prerequisites, if any are listed, and any grade requirements that are listed.
Other classes require that you have other qualifications

26. SOCIAL STUDIES 10th grade – World History or AP European History
Read through the Career & Educational Planning Guide for a more formal description.
Students may also discuss their options with their current English for additional insight

27. Curriculum night Students and Parents are encouraged to attend
Wednesday, January 25
6:30 BSHS and BSSHS
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Curriculum night is THIS Wednesday.

28. DUE! DUE! DUE! February 9th - Thursday
Turn in your Personal Plan of Study/ Enrollment form to your ENGLISH TEACHER by:
February 9th - Thursday
If you fail to turn this in, your 10thgrade classes will be chosen for you.
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29. Meet the counselors
The high school counselors will be here ALL DAY on February 14th to 16th to meet with you individually and go over your plan and enroll you in classes. Your form MUST be completed to meet with them.
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